EVERETT, MAY 21: A vote in Oregon is stirring conversation in Everett about fuel prices and the cost to drive a vehicle. Tuesday, Oregon voters rejected a series of recently enacted fuel and vehicle tax increases as 83% voted to block the tax hikes.
Only 17% of Oregon voters wanted to keep the higher taxes, which were part of a transportation funding package approved by the Oregon State Legislature in a special session last year.
On the ballot it was called Measure 120. It would have increased Oregon’s gas tax by six cents per gallon, raise vehicle title and registration fees, and temporarily increase the statewide payroll tax used to support public transit systems.
Oregon Legislators authorized the series of tax hikes, arguing the state needed new revenue to avoid deep cuts at the Oregon Department of Transportation and keep up with rising maintenance costs.
The Everett Post asked drivers today in Everett how they would have voted on the measure to reduce fuel and vehicle taxes if they could. Darrell, a truck driver from Leavenworth gassing up in Everett, agreed with the 83% of Oregon voters, saying, “I would have voted for them (the taxes/fees) to go away.”
When asked why, the professional driver responded that pump prices are “killing” fellow truck drivers as he pointed to the pump signaling 61 gallons of diesel just deposited into his rig’s tank. “At six dollars or six dollars and fifty cents a gallon. I mean it, it’s…”, Darrell said pausing to reflect, “We will survive for only so long. And then we’re done.”
A cabinet installer from Marysville named Aaron, put himself in the Oregon voters shoes, saying “I probably would have voted to lower it as well.” Fueling up his company van, Aaron, continued, “prices are getting outrageous. Thank God for my company paying for this gas, but I own a Tahoe (SUV), and it’s $118 to fill it with regular gas. None of us are making enough money to pay for all this gas, so it’s really difficult to keep up.”
Aaron explained he gasses up his personal vehicle at the grocery store gas pump to cash in those rewards discounts and save a few dollars a tank. “I actually have 90 cents a gallon today, so saving that way” is helping his family finances, Aaron added.
Dalton in Everett was fueling up a furniture company delivery box truck and says he’d vote to reduce gas prices. “I probably would have voted no (on the tax increases) as well. Gas prices right now are already pretty high.”
When asked about the company box truck and diesel prices, Dalton replied “we got one delivery truck that’s diesel. Yeah, that’s the price that’s really staggering, to see the diesel prices.”
Maverick, from Issaquah, was more circumspect topping off the tank of his company F-150. “I would have probably voted (to reduce the taxes) myself” and then added, “I’m not necessarily against taxes, but I think right now we’re all feeling the hit with gas, specifically with the conflict in Iran. It’s a conflict that I think a lot of people aren’t necessarily agreeing with or understand why we’re really even over there and, you know, nobody asked for gas prices to increase as a result of that conflict.”
If gas prices were lower, Maverick remarked, “I think it would definitely help with not feeling like I’m living paycheck to paycheck. It (current gas prices) definitely makes things a little bit tighter in my budget for sure. Because it’s not just gas, really, that’s getting expensive. It’s everything else. I wouldn’t necessarily say costs are scary, but I think you know, obviously, as a very young person, I want to be saving up for my future and maybe have a home one day, but I think with gas prices as they are right now. I’m not necessarily able to save as much.”