Perdue Halts Gas Tax Collections (Georgia)

[Citizen Jane]

Starting at midnight, Georgia drivers will be exempt from paying the state motor fuel tax, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue announced Friday. The moratorium should save motorists more than 15 cents per gallon and will continue through September.

Gov. Perdue said he will sign an executive order to remove the 7.5-cents-a-gallon excise tax and the 4 percent sales tax on purchases at the pump. He said that even before Katrina and the subsequent run on gasoline, the state had already been collecting more than enough gas taxes for the current budget.

"By temporarily suspending fuel tax collection, I want to relieve some of the financial burden placed on Georgians by disruptions in our fuel supply resulting from the effects of Hurricane Katrina," Perdue said during a Friday news conference.

Rising gas prices prompted by the disruption of two pipelines that carry fuel into Georgia caused a run at gas stations earlier in the week. That, combined with false rumors that the governor would ration gasoline and shut down gas stations, caused a panic by drivers on Wednesday.

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[OKNancy]

1. Oklahoma is doing the same thing

Democratic governor...of course

[CottonBear]

2. Jesus christ. The situation is worse than I thought here in GA.

Why doesn't he put a price cap on gas? Why did allow the gas panic the other day. I hate Perdue. When I met him during his first campaign, I told him I'd never vote for a Republican. :grr:

[RPM_BU]

11. Cap the price in Georgia

And they just send the gas to other states with no cap.

[Tempest]

3. Will gas companies lower prices by the same amount?

I'm willing to bet they do for a few days or one week (if they do at all), but then prices will shoot right back up.

[northzax]

4. no point in that money going to the state

when it can go to ExxonMobil!

[daa]

5. Big Deal there is no gas to collect tax on

Every station within a 12 mile radius in north gerogia was out of gas yesterday.

[Eloriel]

15. Well, if you're talking about Atlanta, 12 miles isn't much of a radius

Atlanta has as much or more (can't remember the stat) driving than Los Angeles. People routinely commute 30 miles one way, or more.

[RatRacer]

6. GA Gov. Perdue suspends gasoline taxes thru Sept.

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/09/02/D8CC7QPO5.html

I'd like to see some other states follow suit. Anything right now would help.

[JoFerret]

7. Not the answer

...low gas taxes has always been a contributor to the problem.

[RatRacer]

9. Not the time...

...to worry about changing people's long term consumption habits. With gas prices shooting up $1 in a couple of days and hovering between $3-4 a gallon, and and all relief is welcome.

[asjr]

8. Probably pre-election maneuver.

[1932]

10. So, if you beleive in the invisible hand, prices will be exactly the same

with or without the tax, but now oil companies can keep more of the profit.

[DiverDave]

12. So the oil company's still make their profit's?

Fuck them, and FUCK that asshole, where are the tax revenues going to come from to replace the lost money?

Yeah, lets let the fucking bloodsuckers drain us dry, business as usual.

[Francine Frensky]

13. This is stupid; just makes the gas companies richer.

comeon, like the gas prices will really come down??? prices are SUPPLY/DEMAND driven, so give me a break, this won't help PEOPLE...., this helps the gas companies...like they need it.

[Eloriel]

14. Link?