Homepage

Gas Tax Cap Will Lower Gas Prices in New York Senator Mannion's Gas Tax Bill Can Accelerate Declining Gas Prices in NY

By John Eads IV

JOHN EADS: GAS PRICES ARE FINALLY ON THE DECLINE IN CENTRAL NEW YORK. BUT SOME PEOPLE STILL THINK THEY’RE PAYING TOO MUCH.

DYLAN PHILLIPS: “I MEAN I SPENT CLOSE TO 300 DOLLARS JUST OVER SPRING BREAK DRIVING HOME AND BACK. I KNOW MOST STUDENTS HAVE GAS GUZZLERS, I GOT A GAS GUZZLER RIGHT HERE.”

EADS: LUCKILY FOR DYLAN AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE CENTRAL NEW YORK COMMUNITY HELP IS ON THE WAY THANKS TO NEW YORK SENATOR JOHN MANNION. HE RECENTLY INTRODUCED A BILL THAT WOULD BRING RELIEF TO PEOPLE’S POCKETS AND ALLOW THEM TO STAY ON THE ROAD.

ISMAIL: “I’M THINKING ALRIGHT IF I WANT TO GO AHEAD AND LOOK AT AIRLINE TICKETS, AIRLINE TICKETS HAVE DOUBLED SO THEN THINKING ABOUT GAS, WELL MAYBE WE CAN DRIVE. THEN YOU THINKING, MAYBE WE AREN’T DRIVING EITHER.”

EADS: “SO THIS NEW GAS TAX BILL WILL MAKE IT SO THAT EVERY TIME I GO LIKE THIS, THE PRICES STAY LOW AND THE COMMUNITY IS NOT UPSET ABOUT THAT AT ALL.”

ISMAIL: “NOBODY LIKES TO GO AND PAY 80-90-100 BUCKS WHEN THEY’RE GOING AHEAD AND TRYING TO FILLING UP THEIR TANK. BEING ABLE TO HAVE LOWER GAS PRICES AND TRAVEL IS SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TOO.”

EADS: ISHMAEL MAY NOT NEED TO LOOK FORWARD ANYMORE. AAA SAYS THE COST PER GALLON OF GAS HAS DECREASED BY ROUGHLY 10 CENTS IN THE PAST WEEK. WITH THIS BILL, THAT NUMBER COULD FALL EVEN MORE. NEW YORK STATE CURRENTLY COLLECTS 8-PERCENT OF THE COST PER GALLON OF GAS WITH THIS GAS TAX. SO FOR TODAY’S PRICES THAT MEANS ROUGHLY 35-CENTS PER GALLON. SENATOR MANNION’S BILL WOULD CAP THIS TAX AT 25-CENTS PER GALLON. SO FOR AN AVERAGE 12 GALLON FILLUP THIS MEANS YOU COULD SAVE MORE THAN ONE DOLLAR PER TRIP TO THE PUMP. NOW IT MAY SEEM SMALL BUT PEOPLE THINK THIS WOULD MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.
ISMAIL: “I THINK IT WOULD DO FOR ME WHAT IT WOULD FOR MOST FOLKS HERE IN SYRACUSE AND CENTRAL NEW YORK. JUST LOWER THE PRICES AND KEEP THE PRICES SOMEWHAT REASONABLE AND MANAGEABLE.”

EADS: THE LEGISLATION STILL NEEDS TO BE APPROVED BUT WE’LL HAVE CONTINUED COVERAGE OF ITS STATUS AT NCCNEWS.COM.

REPORTING FROM SYRACUSE, I’M JOHN EADS NCC NEWS.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – New York Senator John Mannion recently introduced a bill that would continue the decline in gas prices in the Empire State. Gas prices have spiked over the past month up to 70 cents from last month’s average. However, in the past week the cost has dropped five cents.Everyone’s visits to the pump would get even cheaper if Senator Mannion’s bill is approved.

The legislation would effectively cap the state gas tax at a certain threshold. Currently, New York collects eight percent of the cost per gallon of gas. So on March 23, the price for a gallon of regular gas was $4.38. The government would collect roughly 35 cents for each gallon. With Senator Mannion’s new bill, this tax would be capped at 25 cents. What does this mean? It means you pay at least ten cents less for each gallon of gas you filter into your vehicle. People in the Central New York community would welcome this bill with open arms.

“I think it would do for me what it would do for a most folks here in Syracuse and Central New York,” Ismael, a local resident, said. “Just lower the prices and keep the prices somewhat reasonable and manageable.”

The continued withering of gas prices would go a long way in keeping people on the road. Ismael mentioned that he’s getting ready for some travel in the near future and the transportation costs have caused him to rethink his plans.

“I’m thinking alright if I want to go ahead and look at airline tickets, airline tickets have doubled,” Ismael said. “So then thinking about gas, well maybe we can drive. Then you thinking, maybe we aren’t driving either.”

Syracuse University recently returned from spring break. Students had a week off to travel back home, around the nation, or even internationally. One undergrad decided to drive home to spend his free time but was slapped with some hefty gas prices.

“I spent close to $300 just over spring break driving home and back,” Dylan Phillips said. “I know most students have gas guzzlers, I got a gas guzzler right here (pointing to his Jeep Cherokee).”

If Senator Mannion’s bill gets approved it would help out many people with combatting the high gas prices in New York. The timetable for this legislation getting passed is unknown but again, gas prices continue to fall in the mean time. Stay tuned to @NCCNewsOnline on Twitter for further updates on this bill.

Related Articles