Californians already struggling with the state’s high cost of living are resisting the possibility of another financial burden after Democratic gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra suggested that drivers could eventually be charged for every mile they travel.
“Everything should be on the table,” Becerra told KCRA’s Ashley Zavala when asked whether he would back a mileage-based road tax as governor.
“Our roads aren’t maintained by some magic wand. We have to pay for it,” he said. “Do I want to tax people more than necessary? No. Should we pay a gas tax? Yes. Should people who drive electric vehicles, who don’t need gas, also contribute to repairing those roads? Absolutely.”
The former California attorney general and Biden administration Health and Human Services secretary is seeking to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom. His remarks came as state officials near the end of a study examining whether California should replace its traditional gas tax with a charge tied to the number of miles a vehicle travels.
The idea has alarmed residents who are already facing some of the nation’s steepest living costs, especially workers whose income depends on driving.
Los Angeles trucker Kenyatta Cole, 62, comes from a family with three generations in the trucking industry. He questioned why drivers should be asked to pay even more when existing taxes and operating expenses are already difficult to manage.
“We already pay highway use tax to drive on California’s roads,” Cole told The California Post Thursday.
“You’re taxing the poor. When is it going to stop?”
Cole said rising fuel prices, insurance premiums and other business expenses are steadily eroding his earnings, leaving little left to support his family.
“We’re working 12 hours,” he said of his typical days. “It’s just to stay afloat.”
The Post first interviewed Cole in June, when a surge in diesel prices was placing intense pressure on independent trucking companies throughout California.
At the time, he said his three trucks consumed more than $16,000 worth of diesel in one month. Insurance bills and the state’s environmental rules added further strain to the business.
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“This business is coming to a screeching halt,” Cole said then.
According to AAA, California diesel prices reached a record $8.39 per gallon in September, up from $5.17 during the same period the previous year.
Cole said truckers are now working even longer hours simply to avoid operating at a loss.
“We’re not just talking about paying the mortgage, the kids’ school expenses and everything else,” he said. “We’re talking about the basic operating costs. We’re barely breaking even.”
Herb Morgan, a Republican candidate for California state controller campaigning with gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, said he saw the pressure on drivers firsthand when about 250 motorists waited in line for hours at a promotional event offering gasoline for $3 per gallon.
Even with the reduced price, some motorists could not afford to fill their tanks and instead purchased only the amount their weekly budgets permitted.
“They can’t even afford to fill the tank,” Morgan told The Post. “They buy whatever they can spare. And these people want to add another tax.”
“The state has run out of ways to tax the rich, so now they want to tax the poor.”
Morgan also criticized the idea of imposing another road-related charge without stronger oversight of the billions of dollars California already collects from motorists.
“Malia Cohen, the state controller, is not auditing cap-and-trade, cap-and-invest or all of the gas-tax programs,” Morgan said, calling for greater accountability in how taxpayer money is spent.
“I’m just disgusted with these politicians,” Cole said. “I used to love California, you know, but I’m at the point now where people are leaving. Jobs are leaving.”
