After months of extraordinary gasoline costs and following the Legislature’s refusal to take up any plan to supply reduction on the pump, a brand new petition drive to droop the state’s gasoline tax when the worth is simply too excessive has organized.
“We launched this ballot initiative because gas prices are way too high but Beacon Hill refuses to take any action to give drivers a break. If our legislators won’t act, the voters will,” Harold Hubschman, the founding father of the Sign2SuspendTheGasTax.org committee, informed the Herald. The committee’s web site is identical as its identify.
Hubschman hopes to collect the tens of 1000’s of signatures required to ask voters on the 2024 poll whether or not they want to see the state’s 24 cent gasoline tax suspended anytime the worth hits $3 per gallon and above.
But the petition drive, cleared on Sept. 7 to start gathering names, makes use of a novel strategy, and asks signers to pay.
Instead of utilizing paid signature gatherers, the marketing campaign asks supporters to donate $2.95 to cowl the price of petition supplies and postage.
“Our secondary goal is to use social media to create an online community of voters who are interested in signing initiative petitions on issues that they support and want to see enacted into law. We’re building this online platform to help activists put initiatives on the ballot without needing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to hire paid petitioners,” he stated.
Josh Ostroff, interim director of Transportation for Massachusetts, informed the Herald suspending the tax isn’t good for drivers.
“All of the money collected by Massachusetts through the state gas tax is spent on roads, bridges, and public transportation, as required by Article 78 of the state constitution. The urgent need to invest in transportation assets does not diminish when gas prices rise because of factors out of our control,” he stated.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Geoff Diehl’s marketing campaign supervisor stated “this is an issue that is near and dear to Geoff’s heart. It’s one of many ways Geoff believes our state could help to give tax relief to people struggling to make ends meet in this economy,” she stated.
Gas costs in Massachusetts dropped 11 cents within the final week and common $3.57, AAA introduced Monday. Nationally, gasoline has risen not too long ago and now averages $3.72.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”