California Gas tax repeal heading for the November ballot, campaign says

The San Jose Mercury News reports:

A campaign to roll back California’s new vehicle and gas taxes — and the $50 billion they are expected to generate over the next decade for road repairs and transit upgrades — is likely heading to the November ballot, organizers say, after collecting more than enough signatures to qualify.

The repeal effort, launched last year by San Diego talk-show host Carl DeMaio, says the average family can’t afford the 12-cent-per-gallon tax or higher vehicle registration fees, and that Sacramento lawmakers underestimated voter sentiment when they pushed through the hikes last year.

“Even I was a little surprised at the intensity of voter revolt here,” DeMaio said Monday before a rally in San Diego to announce the milestone.

But advocates for the state’s infrastructure investment are alarmed by the prospect of the money — already dedicated to thousands of projects, including the San Jose BART extension — vanishing. If the repeal initiative qualifies for the November ballot, voters can expect a costly and highly visible showdown between its backers and the powerful coalition of labor, transportation and business groups that pushed for the fee hikes last year alongside Gov. Jerry Brown.

“I think the recall effort will be defeated, but it’s going to be expensive and divisive when it shouldn’t be on the ballot to begin with,” said Carl Guardino, CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, who serves on the California Transportation Commission.

The struggle against socialism in California.