Illinois
Democrats recently passed legislation requiring privately-owned gas
stations to display stickers at gas pumps informing customers that the government postponed a gas tax
until after the election. (Illinois was scheduled to impose a
2.2-cent-per-gallon gas tax on July 1, but the government pushed back the tax
by six months to January 2023.) The mandatory stickers will read: "As of
July 1, 2022, the State of Illinois has suspended the inflation adjustment to
the motor fuel tax through December 31, 2022. The price on this pump should
reflect the suspension of the tax increase."
The
legislation also requires grocery stores to display a similar message on their
cash register receipts. Many state Republicans and business leaders are arguing
that the legislation is a thinly-veiled scheme to boost Democrats' election
year prospects by forcing private businesses to display what amounts to
free advertising-- or propaganda.
Incredibly, gas stations that refuse to
display the stickers will face a $500 daily fine. This means that those
refusing to comply each and every day between July 1 and election day on
November 8 would be subject to $65,500 in fines.
The
U.S. federal government taxes all gas sold in the country to the tune of 18.4
cents a gallon. The individual states add on their own taxes, with California
taxing gasoline at a gob-smacking rate of 51.1 cents per gallon. Illinois isn’t far behind,
punishing its citizens with a 39.2 cents a gallon tax. So, it is wildly
disingenuous that its Democratic lawmakers, responsible for those taxes in the
first place, want credit for delaying an additional tax increase for all of 6
months. Calling it an “inflation adjustment” just adds to the inanity/insanity/insult,
as it is Democrats’ policies that have caused the recent unprecedented
inflation.
More
pertinent yet, how is it that a supposedly representative government, even if
it’s essentially a one-party government, can force private companies to post
its preferred partisan messages under threat of penalty of law? What will
Illinois legislators do next, enact a law mandating private companies post
signs stating, “As of August 1, the State of Illinois has delayed randomly
confiscating private property until January 1, 2024. That’s how kind and
generous your Democratic representatives in charge are. Just sayin’?” Or “Until
further notice, the State of Illinois has decided to postpone the mass execution
of conservatives indefinitely. Please vote accordingly?” Or perhaps a simple
and understated, “Democrats are way cool, Republicans are evil?”
And
what if Republicans ever again came to power in the Land of Lincoln? Should
they get a pass if they passed a law forcing private businesses to
display stickers trumpeting their tax cuts, common sense energy policies,
pro-life stance…or…anything else?
No comments:
Post a Comment