Crist pushes gas tax holiday - St. Petersburg Times

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Crist pushes gas tax holiday

TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Charlie Crist's latest populist pitch to tax-weary constituents: Cut the state gas tax by 10 cents for two weeks this summer.

Sound good? Not to key Florida legislators, who say the state doesn't have the money in one of the tightest years on record.

But that's not stopping Crist, who has persuaded a Pasco County lawmaker to push for the cut. The governor proposes raiding the state's general tax fund to make up for the $50-million loss in road-building money.

Taking a cue from his friend, Republican presidential candidate John McCain, Crist has used a string of radio and TV appearances to push for the tax break, most recently Monday on Fox & Friends in which he praised McCain for promoting the idea.

"It's hard to do in a tight budget year, but people need relief," he said, according to a transcript released by McCain's campaign.

Crist persuaded Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, to file an amendment to a revenue bill (SB 1838) that would suspend 10 cents of the state's 15.6-cent per gallon gas tax for a two-week period from July 1-14.

The estimated loss in road-building taxes would be made up with general revenue dollars — which are largely fed by sales taxes. The idea took the Senate's chief budget-writer, Sen. Lisa Carlton, R-Osprey, by surprise.

Carlton noted that money was so tight that lawmakers scaled back the length of the back-to-school sales tax holiday and eliminated a second holiday for hurricane-related items. Next year's $66-billion budget, expected to be approved later this week, also includes a cut to public schools and health care cuts approaching $1-billion.

The idea of using general tax dollars to make up for a gas-tax shortfall is clearly to appease two road-building champions — Fasano and Senate Majority Leader Dan Webster, R-Winter Garden, who said he isn't a fan of the latest idea.

With only four days left in the session, it's apparent Crist also needs traction in the House, too.

"I'm not familiar with it," said Rep. Ray Sansom, R-Destin, the lead House budget-writer. Sansom said no one from the Governor's Office has explained the proposal to him.

Freshman Rep. Nick Thompson, R-Fort Myers, Crist's point man on the issue in the House, said he hasn't figured out a procedural way to propose it yet.

The notion that there's no money available isn't likely to be too persuasive an argument. Overnight Sunday, key lawmakers found $50-million to continue Everglades restoration after that program had been ignored by budget-writers.

Legislators have cut the gas tax only once before, by 8 cents a gallon during a three-week period in August 2004. But the effort went largely unnoticed, masked by the volatility of gasoline prices due to global factors.

Doug Callaway, president of Floridians for Better Transportation, an advocacy group backed by the Florida Chamber of Commerce, called the tax cut "an ill-advised idea." Federal gasoline taxes have not increased since 1993 and state gas taxes not since 1990, Callaway said, meaning that the increases at the pump are not related to taxes.

In Tallahassee, a late-session cut in the gas tax also appears to be a tough sell with Democrats.

"Where are they getting the money from? My understanding is the money isn't there," said Senate Minority Leader Steve Geller, D-Cooper City.

Steve Bousquet can be reached at bousquet@sptimes.com or (850) 224-7263. Jennifer Liberto can be reached at jliberto@sptimes.com or (850) 224-7263.

Comments on this article

by gary	Apr 30, 2008 8:55 AM
Guess since his Amendment 1 which wouldn't touch the schools or was it the Amendment was going to hurt the schools and public safety? I can't remember.

by Ken	Apr 29, 2008 3:53 PM
Big deal, Charlie. As soon as the gas moguls hear there is another ten cents they can gouge from us, they will - and they'll do it before the cut, and keep it after the cut ends. Quit the fluff and take some real action against big oil.

by Diana	Apr 29, 2008 3:28 PM
People need gas prices to go down permanently, like the once were. $0.10 isn't going to do anything...it's actually insulting.

by Donna	Apr 29, 2008 3:16 PM
I will vote for McCain if he promises NOT choose Crist as his running mate.We do not need leaders who are completely out of touch with the reality of everyday people. He is just using Floridians for his own gain. Idiot!

by Johnny	Apr 29, 2008 3:16 PM
Wow a whole 10 cents, that should save me about 6 dollars a month, way to go!

by darb	Apr 29, 2008 3:15 PM
Instead of a gas tax holiday which might save us a dime a gallon and serverly underfund our already deteriorating roads and bridges, how about a permanent gas profit holiday which will save us over a dollar a gallon.

by Lou	Apr 29, 2008 3:12 PM
How bout using the $50 million you received from the Seminole Tribe to make up for the tax money your losing????

by geezer	Apr 29, 2008 3:11 PM
This is an irresponsible idea at both the state and national level. I hope saner opinions prevail. At the national level we're already in hock up to our eyeballs with much of the debt held by foreign countries.

by John	Apr 29, 2008 3:07 PM
This is absolutely nuts! We have no excess money in the state budget, yet he wants to remove this extra revenue? For what? To save me $2 on my fill up this summer. Give me a break! Wake up Sheeple!

by Todd	Apr 29, 2008 3:07 PM
Charlie, Charlie, Charlie...You're doing so well up to now. Letting people save a few measly dollars is not worth the huge cumulative loss to the state revenue. How much does this really help vs. how much it ultimately hurts us all!

by Mike	Apr 29, 2008 3:07 PM
Bad idea. We have no money. We are cutting education and health care and barely have enough for protection of a state treasure, yet we can all save about $10 in early July. Oh. Thanks. Terribly short-sighted. Like Amendment 1, maybe? Feel good b

by JR	Apr 29, 2008 2:55 PM
I'll probably only fill up twice during a two week period. At around 10 gallons per fill up, I'd save $2. We're giving up $50 million from the general fund in a tight budget year so individuals can save $2? Will that really provide &qu

by Tingler	Apr 29, 2008 2:11 PM
Great I'll save a $1.80 per week twice this summer ... really all this for $3.60 so Fasano and Crist can claim they cut gas prices during the next election - real smart!

by Ernie	Apr 29, 2008 10:27 AM
Gas prices are at a point of no return. Is a $.10 per gallon decrease really going to make that much of a difference for consumers in a two week period? I doubt it. The state can't afford the loss in revenue. Just keep the $.10 Gov. Crist.

by Ernie	Apr 29, 2008 10:21 AM
Gas prices are at a point of no return. Is a $.10 per gallon decrease really going to make that much of a difference for consumers in a two week period? I doubt it. The state can't afford the loss in revenue. Just keep the $.10 Gov. Crist.

by me	Apr 29, 2008 10:20 AM
The government is so worried it has no money to build roads and houses no one will buy....obviously they dont care about the families that have no money. Welcome to our government. At least their all rich.

by Art	Apr 29, 2008 10:19 AM
Again pushing an idea that benefits the republican party only. Well due to other tax cuts we just cat afford this one. Bring back the intangible tax and we can talk about cutting gas tax. Revenue neutral - the repubs will love it

by jr	Apr 29, 2008 9:32 AM
Is Crist now into Big Oil like the rest of the Politicians. Ok so he wants to cut the gas tax for a while. Like the stations are actually going to lower the price. they will Keep it the same and then Raise it when the Holiday is over.