Senator Andrew Lanza, Albany Times Union Letter to the Editor
The Times Union’s April 17 editorial, “Pain at the pump,” understates the negative impact that soaring gas prices have on average families today. Gas prices are expected to continue rising even higher without some relief, and simply suggesting that people drive less won’t solve the problem.
U.S. Sen. John McCain recently introduced a proposal that would provide real relief by removing federal gas taxes between Memorial Day and Labor Day, when New Yorkers are on the road visiting relatives and taking family vacations, while also relieving the upward pressure on prices by suspending stocking the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
At the state level, Republicans have been fighting to protect consumers, successfully defeating a proposed gas tax increase in this year’s budget and advancing proposals for long term solutions. Recently, I introduced a bill that will mirror Senator McCain’s gas tax relief proposal here in New York during the summer driving season when New York families need help the most.
The pain from high gas prices doesn’t end at the pump. The cost of everything, from milk and eggs to clothing, has gone up because of rising gas prices. People everywhere are hurting, finding it harder to make ends meet.
While lots of people are talking about the problem, I’m glad to join Senator McCain and my colleagues in the state Senate in bringing forth a proposal that will actually deliver real relief.
There are some who oppose this plan to immediately reduce the cost of gas because they believe it will result in less revenue for the state. These are some of the same critics who criticized Albany just two short weeks ago for spending too much of taxpayers’ dollars. They were right then and wrong now. Keeping this money in the hands of New York state’s families and businesses would actually stimulate our economy. The truth is government should cut waste and do more with less just the way New York’s families are being forced to do.
These plans are guided by the commonsense Republican ideas that people should be able to keep more of their hard-earned money and that important governmental decisions must be made to help and support people, not government. It is critical that all levels of government work together to solve this problem.
Senator Lanza is a State Senator Representing Staten Island.
