Californian motorists are bracing for another blow to their wallets as fuel prices are set to surge from July 1.
This impending increase is a direct result of Governor Gavin Newsom's unyielding pursuit of climate change initiatives, which include a higher gas tax and stricter fuel regulations. These measures, while cloaked in the garb of environmental righteousness, are poised to inflict further financial strain on hardworking families.
According to Fox News, despite the state's abundant oil reserves, Californians are compelled to bear the brunt of the nation's highest gas prices due to Democratic 'climate' policies. These prices, currently hovering around $5.00 per gallon, have even surpassed those in Hawaii, a state located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
The exorbitant fuel costs are not merely an inconvenience; they represent a crippling financial burden for working families who typically endure longer commutes than the leftist elites who champion these policies from the comfort of their home offices. These policies are also disastrous for small businesses operating on razor-thin margins, already grappling with the nation's highest taxes and most onerous regulations.
A recent study by the University of Southern California warns that the situation could deteriorate further. The study forecasts that gas prices in California could escalate to $6 by the end of this year and $8.40 next year, solely due to a reduction in the state's refining capacity resulting from the barrage of 'climate' regulations.
Coupled with a planned 65-cent increase imposed by the unchecked California Air Resources Board (CARB), it's conceivable that the Democrats' radical 'climate agenda' could propel California towards an unthinkable $9 per gallon by 2026. This scenario epitomizes ideological fanaticism masquerading as economic strategy.
The astronomical gas prices in California are a direct consequence of 15 years of uninterrupted Democratic rule. Prominent Democrats in the state, including Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris, have been enthusiastic supporters of this "war on fossil fuels," incessantly boasting about "leading the world" on climate change.
However, their self-righteous and egotistical posturing comes at a significant cost to the very demographic they purport to represent: the working class. It's hardly surprising that working-class voters, particularly Latinos, are increasingly abandoning the party.
A closer examination of the affordability crisis in California reveals that the entire regulatory structure of the Democrat 'climate agenda' is culpable. This bureaucratic behemoth of taxes and red tape, erected over the past 20 years since the enactment of the 'Global Warming Solutions Act' in 2006, is ostensibly aimed at achieving the fantastical goal of "net zero" carbon emissions by 2045.
This pursuit, however, is not only incoherent and unattainable but also detrimental to the poorest and most vulnerable, bankrupting the state and driving jobs away at an alarming rate.
The immediate surge in gas prices has been triggered by a refinery crisis, a creation of the Democrats. California lacks an oil pipeline connection to the rest of the country and mandates a unique 'blend' of fuel. These and other regulations are prompting refiners to exit the state, beginning with Phillips 66 in L.A., followed by Valeros Benicia plant, and potentially PBFs Torrance facility.
Over 25% of our refining capacity could disappear within a year, leaving us reliant on foreign oil and vulnerable to soaring prices. The California Air Resources Boards (CARB) draconian rules, which could add an extra 65 cents per gallon to fuel costs, are a recipe for $9 gas.
Moreover, intricate micro-managing regulations, such as the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) and cap-and-trade fees, impose additional costs that consumers ultimately bear at the pump. These regulations, even from an environmental perspective, are unjustified. Refinery regulations and special fuel blends, which may have been relevant in the era of smog and gas-guzzlers, are utterly redundant in a world of increasingly fuel-efficient, modern cars.
The situation need not be this dire. It is possible to safeguard our environment without financially crippling working families and small businesses. As governor, I would take immediate action to lower gas prices, aiming for a realistic target of $3 per gallon, in line with prices in the rest of the country.
This can be achieved by eliminating the absurd "environmental program" costs that add about 54 cents per gallon, suspending the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, reformulation requirements, and other burdensome refinery regulations, and reducing the states exorbitant 60-cents-per-gallon excise tax. We should also take immediate steps to boost Californias oil production and suspend enforcement of Newsoms pet legislative projects, which stifle our energy industry. These reforms could reduce prices by another 25 cents per gallon.
Achieving three-dollar gas is feasible and would significantly benefit working-class Californians and small businesses. It's a matter of practical, positive policymaking, which can only occur when 'climate' zealots are not in control.
Newsom, Harris, and the rest of the California Democrats would have you believe that their green crusade is noble, but its a cruel deception. Theyre driving refineries out of California, shutting down our cleaner in-state oil production, and imposing regulations that render life unaffordable. Meanwhile, they enjoy the luxury of private jets and motorcadesa glaring display of hypocrisy.
Their policies are not just a drain on your finances; theyre destroying jobs, suffocating small businesses, and making it impossible for families to make ends meet. And for what? So they can bask in self-congratulation at climate conferences while youre forced to choose between gas and groceries.
Im running for governor to put an end to this insanity. California has plentiful oil reservesmore than enough to keep prices low and our economy thriving. But Newsom and Harris would rather appease their woke base than admit that fossil fuels are still indispensable. Their vision for California is one where only the elite can afford to live, while the rest of us are left paying $9 a gallon to get to work. Its deplorable, its unjust, and its time for it to end.
With my plan, well restore common sense, bring back affordability, and put Californians back in the drivers seatboth literally and figuratively. Three-dollar gas is possible, but only if we oust the career politicians whove been exploiting us for years.
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