Carl Demaio and Reform California are still working to put the gas tax repeal on the November ballot. I believe (?) the deadline was Wednesday (Feb. 28) but have not heard whether they were able to gather the required number of signatures.
Here’s what Ballotpedia has posted:
https://ballotpedia.org/California_Voter_Approval_for_Gas_and_Vehicle_Taxes_Initiative_(2018)
“The California Voter Approval for Gas and Vehicle Taxes Initiative (#17-0033) may appear on the ballot in California as an initiated constitutional amendment on November 6, 2018.”
Scroll down and have a laugh – Jerry Brown says, “I can’t believe the proponents of this ballot measure really want Californians to keep driving on lousy roads and dangerous bridges. Taking billions of dollars a year from road maintenance and repair borders on insanity.”
Listen, Moonbeam, you should think before you speak. You can’t believe it because it’s not true – proponents of this ballot measure have repeatedly said the money for road repairs is available but being siphoned off for other purposes. You’ve also just acknowledged lousy roads and dangerous bridges, for which you, as Captain of our ship, are responsible, and therefore, liable! And yes, taking billions of dollars a year from road maintenance and repair to fund your pension borders not only on insanity, it borders on corruption, Sweet Cheeks. Should we have a court martial? Maybe set up a plank? Ooooo – keeeeel haul!
I think Brown is privately shocked about the voter’s response, lots of people have signed. I’m guessing the petitions were turned in, but it will take a while to verify the signatures.
We’ve been talking about hidden taxes, such as the “franchise fees” the city and county are allowed to collect from utility companies such as Comcast and PG&E. This gas tax was shoved on us by the governor and the legislature, without any input from the voters. For years now they – including Jerry Brown – have siphoned their outrageous salaries, pensions and benefits out of the road funding. I’ve sat in meetings many times and watched the local agencies pilfer “restricted” fund to pay down their pension deficit, while roads and other infrastructure in Chico have turned to absolute crap.
The foxes are in charge of the henhouse People. For example, Scott Dowell used to be the finance manager for Chico Area Recreation District before he got hired by the city of Chico. While CARD allowed two public swimming pools to deteriorate to sub-code and sub-ADA conditions, Dowell made a extra $400,000 “side fund pay-off” on CARD’s $1.7 million pension deficit, saying it would save the agency money on interest payments to CalPERS. Meanwhile, CARD management has only started paying toward their pensions within the last two years, “classic members” like CARD manager Ann Willmann are only paying 2 PERCENT. That all happened on Dowell’s watch. Now he’s running City of Chico finances. Next Thursday I’d bet my last $5 he’s going to lay down a pretty wild argument for a sales tax increase.
Cause taxes are their heroin. As long as they can get a fix, put off rehab for just one more fix, one more fix, one more fix…
Just look at Chico Unified School District – they’ve had a bond measure on almost every ballot since 1998, and the last three have passed. But they are getting ready to put another bond on the ballot, because they just got new demands from both CalPERS and CalSTRS for more money, more money, more money…
You probably think you hang around with a nice crowd, but if you send your kid to a Chico school – any Chico school – you are leaving them all day with a bunch of freaking junkies. Wake UP!
A friend of mine recently asked me if I knew city council member Randy Stone is running for Butte County Assessor. I was kinda bitchy – I told her I didn’t give a shit who was running for election, because elected offices don’t matter anymore – it’s $TAFF. And we don’t get to vote for them.
But, voting is important, especially the initiatives. So I’ll gas up the old election buggy and try to get it out on the road, try to start posting some news about the local candidates, besides just…YECHHHHHHH!
cause we can’t and we won’t and we don’t stop…
Chico Taxpayers Association 
And remember, it’s not just gas. It’s over 20 cents a gallon tax increase on diesel and a big increase in the car registration tax as well as a new tax on electric vehicles. And those tax increases go up every year automatically as they are indexed to inflation (which most people don’t realize is yet another tax). And on top of all that the gas tax will go up an additional seven cents a gallon in 2019.
Is it any wonder the Democrats and the public employee unions as well as other special interests have done all they can to keep this repeal off the ballot?
And if the repeal does qualify for the ballot you can bet they will lead a fierce campaign against it, including spending a lot of money.
My guess based on what I’ve heard so far from the ER editorials and news pieces is that the ER will not endorse repealing the tax increases and virtually all the other news papers won’t either, as well as the rest of the media.
I think with all the Democrats and special interests plus the media throw into this, it will be very hard to repeal these tax increases. So if this does become a proposition on the ballot it’s going to need every vote possible to pass.
Carl Demaio says, ” Every person we rally together will help us with our fight.”
So it’s time to start rallying. I’m sorry I only noticed a few days ago, they had petitions with more spaces for carrying out into the neighborhood, I wish I had done that. I do know, a few of my friends like you printed and sent theirs in.
My advice would be, send postcards to everybody who signed, remind them to vote in November. That sounds simplistic but I think that’s the way to go. People just forget or lose motivation.