Statement on Gas Tax Gimmick from Alexandra Sirota, Executive Director of the NC Budget & Tax Center

We see the call for a one-day special session for what it is: a political gimmick, not a genuine commitment to making life more affordable for North Carolinians.

Legislative leaders have had years to prevent costs from being shifted onto families and local communities and protect North Carolinians from the harmful policy choices of federal leaders. Instead, legislative leaders have doubled down on an agenda that gives tax breaks to the wealthiest corporations and richest people while ignoring the legitimate concerns about rising costs and diminished public services.

They have pushed more costs onto local governments without any meaningful commitment to address the root causes of household budgets being squeezed, including the rising costs of food, child care, transportation, health care, and housing.

To be clear, a gas tax holiday or another temporary measure aimed at gas prices is another empty promise, much like the tax amendments on the ballot in November. It won’t deliver lasting relief to working families struggling at the gas pump or make them any less vulnerable to the next spike in gas prices.

What it will do is give the biggest benefits to the oil industry, motor fuel dealers, and businesses that consume large amounts of fuel rather than families who need relief the most.

What it won’t do is begin the harder, more important work of making our economy work for the people of this state rather than powerful interests. Policies that invest in our public transportation and electric vehicle infrastructure, for example, could reduce families’ exposure to volatile gas prices over the long term.

Making life more affordable means addressing all the costs putting pressure on household budgets — from child care and housing to health care — instead of chasing whatever cost is making headlines today.

Across the state, as we talk with people about the tax amendments — which have similarly been falsely presented as relief — one thing is clear: North Carolinians aren’t being fooled.  We know a bad deal when we see one.

North Carolinians are paying the price for an economy rigged in favor of the wealthy and powerful. Fixing it will take more than political gimmicks. It’s time for state legislators to get serious about fixing what they have broken and delivering real, lasting solutions that make life more affordable for everyone.