"Standing in front of a gas pump in a video posted to social media, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said the costs are "becoming an emergency for working families, and I think we ought to act like it." The moderate Democrat called on state lawmakers to suspend California's gas tax, which at 61 cents per gallon is the highest in the nation."
"Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa also called for an "immediate moratorium" on regulations that he blamed for "overburdening" California refineries and working families. "These failed policies are not only hurting tens of millions of Californians, they are terrible for the environment because they have forced California to depend on imported foreign oil from the Middle East," Villaraigosa said in a statement."
"Iran war disruptions, combined with California's reliance on imported oil and strict fuel standards, have made the state uniquely vulnerable to price spikes. The cost of living in California, including the price at the pump, remains a pivotal issue for voters in the state, and has become central to the moderate-leaning campaigns of Mahan and Villaraigosa."
California faces unprecedented gas price spikes at $5.52 per gallon, the highest in the nation, driven by Iran war disruptions and the state's reliance on imported oil combined with strict fuel standards. Two Democratic gubernatorial candidates—San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa—are proposing solutions: Mahan calls for suspending California's 61-cent-per-gallon fuel tax, the nation's highest, while Villaraigosa advocates for an immediate moratorium on refinery regulations. Both frame the issue as an emergency affecting working families. However, Democratic lawmakers reject these proposals, prioritizing road funding needs. This conflict reveals tensions between addressing immediate affordability concerns and maintaining environmental protection goals and infrastructure investment.
Read at Los Angeles Times
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]