Dan Ugaste’s Statement in Opposition to Proposed Gas Tax Increase

Some state legislators are discussing a hike in the state gas tax to pay for infrastructure improvements in Illinois that will push the total tax bill for gas to one third of our purchase. For every $30 gas tank fill up, $10 or more will be taxes and $20 will be for gas. The total combined tax burden on Illinois businesses and residents is already driving people from the state, but the only solution our elected officials promote are regressive tax increases, which hurt the poor and middle class the most. Illinois is the crossroads for transportation in the nation, but this really hits consumers harder because long range trucking companies and residents near Illinois borders will just fill up in neighboring states. Many Illinois resident within 10 miles of Indiana do that now. Illinois government has a spending problem, not a revenue problem, but we are creating an systemic revenue problem that is crippling the economy of our state by constantly raising taxes every year. The increased taxes never seem to solve the problems they are created for, and the politicians come back for more taxes to pay for more waste. Until taxpayers say no to candidates who raise taxes, the same cycle will repeat itself.

The combined state and federal gasoline taxes in Illinois are 52 cents a gallon (18.4 federal / 34.01 state), and that’s before you add on the duplicative state, county and municipal sales taxes, which generally run about another 8% or more on the total purchase. So if you spend exactly $30.00 at the gas pump at $2.50 per gallon, about 30% of the total bill is more than $9.00 in taxes.