Frustrated Los Angeles residents are calling on greedy California politicians to stop squeezing their wallets as a proposed mileage tax could end up costing drivers more than $1,000 a year.
With Californians already paying sky-high gas prices, locals who rack up miles on their cars daily are peeved – but not surprised – by the latest cash grab from Democratic lawmakers to recoup lost revenue as the state faces a nearly $3 billion budget deficit.
“Get your hands out of my pocket,” Mike, a bartender, fumed to The Post Wednesday.
“It should be unconstitutional. I’m not paying for the world, I pay for myself. Nobody wants you in our pockets.”
Last week, the state Assembly overwhelmingly passed a controversial “road charge” bill despite pushback from critics wary about another financial hit to their household budgets.
The Democrat-backed proposed mileage tax would replace the gas tax with a per-mile fee, potentially costing Golden State drivers an extra $228 to $1,026 a year. The charge could run two to nine cents per mile, based on an average of 11,400 miles driven annually.
“It’s not fair, we shouldn’t have to pay more,” said Christian Cadenas, a construction worker who logs more than 100 miles a day traveling his large pickup truck across Los Angeles.
“I’m outraged by it. This isn’t a luxury for me, I have a family I have to take care of,” he added, noting that he usually scours for gas stations offering $4 or less per gallon when he fills his tank.
“I drive everywhere. I cannot pump $5 or $6 of gas.”
Californians already pay the second-highest gas prices in the nation behind only Hawaii. In January, the average price was $4.23 per gallon, according to the American Automobile Association.
Sophia, a waitress who clocks endless miles driving throughout Southern California for work and to care for her family, isn’t surprised that officials are making moves that could send already steep prices soaring.
“I just assumed they would,” the Orange County resident said.
“Everyone’s struggling pretty badly in this economy right now. They don’t really care about that.”
The divisive legislation — dubbed Assembly Bill 1421 — does not impose the tax but will first fund research on rates and collection methods through the California Transportation Commission and state Transportation Agency.
The proposed tax comes amid a staggering fiscal shortfall, with state lawmakers seeking to make up for lost revenue as more drivers switch to electric and hybrid vehicles.
But locals may also suffer another blow to their wallets as the sudden closure of a Valero refinery in Benicia may send already eye-watering gas prices even higher.
“We are in an unprecedented oil crisis,” oil expert Mike Ariza told the California Globe Tuesday.
Refineries are fleeing the Golden State as regulations drive operating costs 26-37% higher than the national average.
Valero’s 145,000-barrel-per-day refinery began powering down on Saturday, four months earlier than planned. Chevron moved its operations from the Bay Area to Texas, while Phillips 66 shut down its Los Angeles refinery in October.