California's governor wonders why gasoline prices are so high in the state. Really!
Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to know why California’s gasoline prices are higher than in the rest of the country, blaming potential “inappropriate industry practices” Tuesday rather than the state’s higher taxes and tougher environmental regulations.
Newsom asked the California Energy Commission for an analysis of the state’s gas prices by May 15. California drivers were paying an average of $4.03 a gallon Tuesday, or $1.18 more than the national average, according to AAA.
Voters there are increasingly venting, and the pretty boy's going to get to the bottom of this. Sure he will....
The population of California is around 40 million people and the last refinery in the state was built in the 1970s, when the population was around 20 million. The combined total of Federal and State excise taxes on gas in CA is 65.7 cents/gallon. To add insult to injury, they then apply sales tax on top of that, which varies between 7.25% and 10.25%, depending on the city/county in which the purchase is made. Costs associated with licensing, regulatory compliance, staffing, property taxes, and more all have to be covered as well.
Even pretty boy should be able to connect the dots.
