Gas Tax and Agriculture Pt 2
I’m Bob Larson. A new series of proposals could push Washington’s gas tax to the highest in the nation, adding more costs and expense to industries like agriculture.
That’s why groups like the Washington Farm Bureau are pushing against the plan currently getting the most attention from House Transportation Chair Jake Fey.
Because, the Farm Bureau’s Breanne Elsey says it’s more than what meets the eye …
ELSEY … “And I say ‘starts at’ because this revenue package is interesting in that it’s tied to inflation. So, this is actually only the beginning of where the .18 cents will go and where that $15 per metric ton will go because they are going to probably use the CPI and use an automatic inflation adjustment.”
That’s why, Elsey says there’s nowhere to go but up …
ELSEY … “What a lot of people don’t realize about this package is that’s where it starts. It only goes up from there and gets continuously worse as time moves on. And that’s, I believe, one of the most dangerous parts of the House Democrat proposal.”
The taxes will pay, Elsey says for a number of road projects …
ELSEY … “One will be the culverts issue. You know, the courts have mandated, they have decided that we have to pay for these new culverts and that’s going to come in the form of billions of dollars. So, I know that that’s impacting the transportation packages especially hard.”
Tune in tomorrow for more on your gas tax and why agriculture should wary.
