Archive for Carl DeMaio

Are You Aware California Politicians Want To Increase Gas Tax By Two Dollars Per Gallon?

Are You Aware California Politicians Want To Increase Gas Tax By Two Dollars Per Gallon?

According to Carl DiMaio, Chairman at Reform California and running for the Candidate, CA State Legislature  in November 2024, he wants to fight the $2.00 tax per gallon  of gasoline.

Californians already pay the highest gas prices in the nation, but state politicians are imposing new costs that will spike our gas tax to $2 per gallon! Here’s what you need to know – and how you can help BLOCK this tax hike!

First, I want you to know that we do NOT have to just accept this latest massive gas tax hike!

Reform California is waging a “Gas Tax Repeal and Rebate” campaign – and it all hinges on forming our Reform CA Caucus in the state legislature and passing the California Taxpayer Protection Initiative THIS NOVEMBER!

But we can’t wage this fight alone – your help is needed in this fight ASAP!

Second, because the liberal media in California refuses to cover this story, we need to spread the truth ASAP to voters on what is happening with their gas prices!

Each year Reform California releases a full calculation of the REAL gas tax we’re paying for each gallon we pump. As broken down below, the current tax is $1.43 per gallon – but new mandates will spike it to two dollars.

That’s because the CA Air Resources Board (appointed by state politicians) is imposing a costly new fuel standard that will spike the cost by an additional 52 cents by 2026 – and we also see a new yet-to-be-determined oil/gas penalty tax from the CA Energy Commission.

  • STATE EXCISE TAX: 59.6 cents (automatically increases July 1 each year)
  • CAP AND TRADE TAX: 28 cents
  • SALES TAX: 12 cents
  • CARB REGULATION COSTS: 23 cents (today), increases to 75 cents (2026)
  • UNDERGROUND STORAGE REGULATION COSTS: 2 cents
  • FEDERAL EXCISE COSTS: 18.4 cents
  • OIL/GAS PENALTY TAX: TBD

TOTAL PER GALLON CA GAS TAX: $1.43 today, $1.95 by 2026

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Written by | Posted in TaxConnections

Reform California Unveils Plan To Repeal New “Flat Fee” Utility Surcharge

Reform California Unveils Plan To Repeal New “Flat Fee” Utility Surcharge

California politicians are imposing a new “flat fee” on your utility bill that you have to pay regardless of whether you use any energy that month and the rate will now be based on your income! Reform California opposes the charge and calls it an illegal tax and a violation of privacy.

Californians are still suffering under the highest utility rates in the country, and many can barely afford to pay their bills.

Now California Democrat politicians want to impose a new “flat fee” surcharge on all utility bills based on each household’s income for the year.

That means many households will pay an additional flat charge of $24.15 per month to subsidize “lower income households” who would pay a lesser fee of between $6 and $12 a month.

Politicians claim these fees would pay for installing and maintaining the equipment necessary to transmit electricity to homes, but Reform California Chairman Carl DeMaio notes that those charges are already part of the electricity rates — and that the proposal is an excuse for a new tax.

“By imposing a flat fee that varies based on household income, California politicians are turning utility bills into tax bills,” said DeMaio.

The fixed rates are required under Assembly Bill 205 (AB 205), which was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom (D) in 2022. The bill states that “the commission may authorize fixed charges [for utilities] … The fixed charge shall be established on an income-graduated basis.”

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Written by | Posted in TaxConnections

California Wants To Reveal Taxpayers Income To Utility Company To Raise Their Tax Rates

California Wants To Reveal Your Income To Your Utility Company To Raise Your Rates
California wants to impose a new “charge” on your utility bill that you have to pay regardless of whether you use any energy that month and the rate will now be based on your income. Reform California opposes the charge and calls it an illegal tax and a violation of privacy. If you make over $180,000 annually you must pay an additional utility fee of $128 per month or $1536 per year more on your utility fees. While those making under $28,000 annually will pay an extra utility fee of $24 per month or $288 annually.

Californians are still suffering under some of the highest utility rates in the country, and many can barely afford to pay their bills.

Now California Democrat politicians want to impose a new “flat fee” on all utility bills based on each household’s income for the year. That means many residents will pay a charge of $128 per month – while low income and other “favored” groups pay just $24 for the SAME SERVICE.

Opponents say California Democrats are just playing class warfare and the “fee” is really an illegal tax on most Californians to subsidize the bills of lower-income residents.

The fixed rates are required under Assembly Bill 205 (AB 205), which was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom (D) in 2022. The bill states that “the commission may authorize fixed charges [for utilities] … The fixed charge shall be established on an income-graduated basis.”

The specific rates in this “flat fee” scheme is now being voted on by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). The proposal would charge customers of Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas & Electric, and San Diego Gas & Electric fixed rates based on income. For San Diego Gas & Electric customers, the rates would be as follows:

  • Income of under $28,000: $24/month
  • Income of $28,000-69,000: $34/month
  • Income of $69,000-180,000: $73/month
  • Income of over $180,000: $128/month

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Written by | Posted in California Taxes • California Utility Taxes • Tax Increases • TaxConnections

Living In California Imposes a $26,478.72 “Cost-of-Living Penalty” On Typical Middle-Class Family

CARL DEMAIO
A bombshell report from the Transparency Foundation calculates the total higher costs paid by Californians versus national averages – and lays the blame for higher costs on California politicians for costly mandates and negligent policies.

Everyone knows living in California is more expensive than in other states – but a new report out makes a staggering total calculation of all the added costs and blames state politicians for imposing “unreasonable and completely unnecessary cost-of-living-penalty.”

“This report should be a wake up call to all Californians that they are being unfairly punished by the bad policies imposed on them by their politicians – and they are literally paying the price for it,” says Carl DeMaio, Chairman of the Transparency Foundation – the non-profit, non-partisan group that published the study.

The Transparency Foundation’s Cost of California Report compares costs in every major household budget category between California and national averages – including for housing, utilities, food, gas, transportation, healthcare, insurance, childcare, and taxes.

“In every household budget category, the cost of living in California is exponentially higher than the national average – and costly mandates and bad policies are to blame,” says DeMaio.

Outside of the analysis of each category of living costs is a calculation made by the foundation to illustrate the effects of California’s high cost of living on a typical middle-class family.

The study shows that a typical middle-class family of three earning $130,000 a year faces a shocking “Cost of California” penalty of $26,478.72 versus if they simply paid the national average of cost in each category.

What’s worse, the typical middle-class family examined by the report ends up running an annual deficit of $23,710.20 versus being able to run an annual surplus of $2,768.52 if their costs were simply benchmarked to the national average in each category.

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Written by | Posted in California Taxes