Senator Dale M. Volker Urges "cap" On State Gas Tax

(ALBANY, N.Y.) Senator Dale M. Volker (R-C-I, Depew) today called for a cap on state gas taxes to immediately roll back gas prices and stop state government from reaping windfall profits from rising prices.

Senator Volker said the State Senate’s plan would "cap" the sales tax, which is indexed to the price of gas and rises along with prices, on just the first $2 of the per gallon price. That would mean an immediate savings of 8 cents per gallon for gas priced at $3, or $320 million a year for motorists statewide.

"We are all frustrated by the instability and price fluctuations with the gas market and it is making it very difficult for our residents to pay $40, $50, $60 or $70 to fill of their cars per week," said Senator Volker. "The State Senate has passed legislation to "cap" the state’s tax on gasoline for a gallon of gas that crosses over the $2.00 barrier. I believe that this is the right thing to do for our citizens and we must urge the State Assembly to act on this proposal immediately."

Gas prices across New York State are already breaking the $3 a gallon barrier, and experts predict that summer prices could outpace last year's local record of $3.33 a gallon, reached last September, by mid-summer. The State Senate has twice passed it’s gas tax cap plan (S.5968), most recently in January, but the Assembly has failed to follow suit.

Senator Volker said, "Leading economists throughout the nation have been stating that the increase in energy and gas costs could spark a global recession, in which the United States would not be immune. We all have a part in being smart consumers and doing our best to conserve energy and gas during these trying times. Our gas "cap" proposal in only one step to assist in alleviating the high cost of gasoline, one that would make a positive and immediate impact to family finances."

Things you can do to save gasoline:

Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town.

While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed (or range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. You can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.19 per gallon for gas.

Avoid keeping unnecessary items in your vehicle, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your MPG by up to 2%.

Avoid Excessive Idling

Idling gets 0 miles per gallon. Cars with larger engines typically waste more gas at idle than do cars with smaller engines.

Using cruise control on the highway helps you maintain a constant speed and, in most cases, will save gas.