As Prices Plummet, NY Governor Floats Gas Tax Hike

They will never get it. Just as consumers are getting some relief from plunging gas prices, along comes New York Governor David Paterson to float the idea of another gas tax hike on the folks already paying the highest taxes in the nation.

Gov. Paterson yesterday raised the specter of hiking the state's already sky-high gasoline tax as an option for closing looming budget deficits.

Appearing on Syracuse radio station WSYR, Paterson was asked if a gas-tax hike might be in the cards.

"That's something that might be considered," said the governor, claiming that when local gasoline sales taxes were cut in the past, the savings weren't passed on to motorists.

New York imposes a tax of more than 32 cents a gallon on gasoline, and city and county levies bring the total tax to over 40 cents a gallon, more than double the federal tax. It's one of the highest state and local gasoline tax rates in the nation.

Paterson mentioned the gasoline tax less than 24 hours before he was scheduled to provide a detailed plan for cutting the state's current budget by some $2 billion.

The governor has warned that the current budget is running a deficit of at least $1.5 billion while noting that the projected deficit for the budget beginning next April 1 is a massive $12.5 billion.

Notice they never talk about cutting the size of government.

Speaking of gas prices, isn't it time we had reporters flooding gas stations to ask people what they're going to do with all the money they're saving at the pump? Six months ago we were treated to non-stop tales of woe as people had to decide between gas and food.

Why not remind us on a daily basis how much prices are going down?