Republicans Say Gas-Tax Cut Would Fuel Economy
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- April
- 30
Assembly Republicans, right, and Senate Republicans, left, in the state Legislature said this morning that cutting the state’s gas-tax cap for the summer, which would save 32.75 a gallon, would help tourism in New York and boost the economy.
Assembly Republicans said the gas-tax cut, which would cost the state between $500 million and $800 million in revenue, would serve as a state stimulus package for the summer months. The plans calls for a suspension of the gas tax from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
“You’re talking about a lot of savings during the summer months when a lot of the driving is done,” said Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco.
Senate Republicans said that the gas-tax suspension—coupled with a federal and county gas-tax cut—would save drivers 65 cents a gallon. The feds are talking about a gas-tax cut, yet many counties have gone away from gas-tax cuts because they said it hasn’t resulted in savings at the pump.
And Republicans offered no concrete way to pay for the tax cut.
“We have to provide relief so people can afford to live and support their family,” said Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno.
The Democratic-controlled Assembly has not supported the measure, while Gov. David Paterson said today that he would support the concept but there is no clear indication that gas companies would pass on the savings to drivers.
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on Wednesday, April 30th, 2008 at 11:26 am by Joseph Spector.
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Jay Gallagher has covered Albany for Gannett News Service since 1984 and has been Albany Bureau chief since 1989. He`s a native of the Boston area and likes to point out that in this millennium, the score is Red Sox 1 championship, the Yankees 0. 
Cara Matthews has been a statehouse correspondent in the Albany Bureau since August 2005. Prior to that, she covered Putnam County government and politics at The Journal News for nearly five years. Before that, she worked at newspapers in Connecticut and covered the state Legislature for one of them. 
