California voters pay more in taxes than voters in any other state, but Governor Jerry Brown is still trying to grab more of their money. This week, he called opponents of his $0.12 tax hike “freeloaders.”
Brown signed Senate Bill 1 on April 28th to fund road repairs and mass-transit projects. It is designed to raise $52 billion over the next 10 years. The bill, which goes into effect on November 1st, raises state’s gas tax to $0.30 per gallon and increases annual vehicle registration fees by as much as $175.
Californians already pay more in gas than anyone else in the country. As of last Sunday, the state’s most expensive gas was at $3.045.
“Californians are outraged,” says assemblyman Travis Allen, who is pushing a ballot initiative to repeal Senate Bill 1. “Jerry Brown signs a $52 billion tax increase with another billion to buy off legislators with no vote of the people, and, to top it off, now he’s calling them freeloaders.”
SB 1 passed through the California Senate and House last month with the two-thirds majority needed to approve tax increases without voter approval. The vote fell along party lines, with only one Republican voting in favor.
Brown argues that his transportation package would eventually bring prices back down. “Roads require money to fix,” argues Brown. “Republicans say there’s a magic source of money – it doesn’t exist. You want to borrow money and pay double? Or do nothing? Or take money from universities?”
“The freeloaders – I’ve had enough of them. They have a president that doesn’t tell the truth, and they’re following suit.”
The insult has revved up gas tax foes, and two conservative talk show hosts are leading a movement to recall state Senator Josh Newman over his vote in favor of SB1. The petition has gained tens of thousands of signatures in the first week, but will need 63,593 signatures by October 16th.
“The freeloaders are rebelling apparently because we’re sick and tired of being nickel-and-dimed to death,” argues Carl DeMaio, a conservative talk show host in San Diego.
This recall is in addition to Travis Allen’s Repeal the Gas Tax campaign.
“When Jerry Brown says we’re a bunch of freeloaders, he obviously has not looked at his own social policies that allow people to get welfare without having requirements for work,” complains DeMaio. “And, of course, don’t get me started about the largesse of the pension benefits and pay for government employees.”
Editor’s note: This is typical California liberal behavior, the freeloaders calling the hardworking taxpayers freedloaders.