Mar 5, 2008 11:07 pm US/Central
Reality Check: Republican Ad On New Gas Tax
(WCCO)
A new Republican ad that's been on cable TV and the Internet blames Democrats for raising Minnesota's gas tax. However, it omits important facts, leaving an overall impression that's deceptive.
"Who's added a new 8-and-a-half-cent tax on a gallon of gasoline?" said the ad's announcer. "Who's raising your taxes when we have a nearly billion dollars budget deficit? The answer: 130 Democrats in the Minnesota legislature."
That's far from THE WHOLE STORY.
It's true that the Democratic-controlled legislature overrode the governor's veto of a gas tax hike.
However, it would never have happened without six Republican votes in the House and two Republican votes in the Senate.
In fact, House Republican leaders were so irritated they publicly rebuked their members who voted yes.
So what about the deficit that the ad talks about? Take another look...
"Who's raising your taxes when we have a nearly billion dollars budget deficit?" said the ad's announcer. "The answer: 130 Democrats in the Minnesota legislature."
That's MISLEADING.
It's not fair, or accurate, to link the gas tax hike to the budget deficit. The two have nothing to do with one another.
The gas tax hike -- by law -- is money used only for roads and bridges. It's a separate budget that has nothing to do with the deficit.
So here's what you NEED TO KNOW.
Minnesota 's gas tax will go up 5-and-a-half cents this year which is the first gas tax hike since 1988. It'll go up another 3 cents, and by 2012 Minnesota's gas tax will be 28.5 cents a gallon.
This year the national average gas tax is 28.6 cents.
That's Reality Check.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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