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NEWS^lie Charlotte $ost
Thursday. May 18, 2006
GAS TAX FREEZE SUGGESTED
N.C. advocates push for $1
billion in state tax cuts
\I Olid
By Mike Barber
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
RALEIGH - Anti-tax advo
cates have staked a claim for
half of the state’s $2 billion
extra money while also
declaring a minor victory in
their crusade against one of
the Southeast’s highest fuel
taxes.
Bill Graham, chairman of
North Carolina
Conservatives United and
organizer of a rally that drew
a crowd of about 1,000 to the
statehouse groxmds,
announced his plan to seek
more than $1 billion in tax
relief Organizers said more
than 70,000 people have
signed an online petition to
support the anti-tax move
ment.
“Our message is simple:
Give us our money back,”
said Graham, a Salisbury
attorney
Tb.esday’s rally, held on the
same day the General
Assembly opened its annual
session, was originally bided
as a protest against the gas
tax. The rally adopted a new
message after Gov. Mike
Easley urged the General
Assembly to cap the tax to
keep it from rising again in
Jialy
Easley’s declaration, a
smad victory for anti-gas tax
advocates, marked a change
in policy for the state’s
Democratic leadership. They
have argued that a gas-tax
cut would lower prices byjust
a few pennies and the lost
revenue would harm road
construction around the
state. Each penny of the gas
tax generates about $53 mil
lion annually, according to
the state Department of
Revenue.
“We’re ^ad to see Ihe gover
nor is coming our way but we
still want him to roll it back,”
Graham said in an interview.
“They’re taking too much of
the people’s money”
South Carolina and
Viiginia charge an average of
about 13 cents per gallonless,
which would be an appropri
ate benchmark, Graham
said.
North Carolina’s fuel tax
rose 2.8 cents per gadon, to
29.9 cents, on Jan. 1 as a
result of surging wholesale
'gas prices after Hurricanes
Katrina and Rita ravaged
Gulf Coast pd. operations. The
tax rate is adjusted every six
months based on the price of
gas.
Several lawmakers called
for the state to fi^ze the gas
tax before it was readjusted
at the beginning of the year.
Senate Republican Leader
Phil Berger, R-Rockingham,
asked Easley last fall to call a
special session to keep the
gas tax at 27.1 cents per gal
lon.
Easley opposed the idea,
saying that the money is
needed to complete projects
around the state.
Berger, who spoke at the
rally said he will now seek
legislation to rod back the tax
to that figure.
‘We finady got the governor
to bhnk. We just need him to
turn arormd and do the right
thing,” Berger said.
The Democratic governor’s
proposed budget for the state
fiscal year beginning in July
would dip into the state’s sur
plus for an additional $218.7
million for road construction
and repairs.
“That’s the thing that con
cerns me most,” Graham
said. “They’re not talking
about a tax cut for the people,
but they’re spending like
there’s no tomorrow.”
Along with repealing some
of the state’s gas tax, Graham
requested that the state elim
inate a half-cent sales tax
increase enacted in 2001 as a
temporary revenue somce
dming a state budget
squeeze. The tax has since
been extended two times, and
is now on the books through
2007.
HAm emiDiNi
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Thursday
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8:23 p.m.
Thursday
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11:00 am.
Friday
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8:24 p.m.
Friday
1:46 a.m.
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Monday
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Monday
3:19am.
3.40 p.m.
Tuesday
615a.m,
8:27 p,m.
Tuesday
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Wednesday
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Wednesday
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Moon Phases
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Lynchburg, VA
City
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City
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Thursday
Hi Lo W
81 56 s
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82 60 s
80 58 s
79 58 pc
80 57 pc
73 55 pc
73 51 t
Thursday
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Saturday
Hi Lo W
82 56 pc
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82 63 po
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73 51 pc
76 53 pc
74 55 po
67 45 pc
Satu rday
Thursday
Hi Lo W
83 61 pc
Sunday
Hi Lo W City
85 61 pc Memphis, TN
86 62 pc Myrtle Beach, SC
86 67 pc Norfolk, VA
85 64 pc Raleigh, NC
79 58 pc Richmond, VA
75 60 pc Roanoke, VA
78 63 pc Savannah, GA
78 63 pc WImington, NC
75 53 pc Wnston-Salem, NC 77 57
79 61 pc
82 60 S
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80 60 po
68 50 pc
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Sunday
Hi Lo W City
81 64 pc Miami
65 51 pc Minneapolis
64 46 s New Orleans
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87 68 s Orlando
79 48 c Pittsburgh
64 46 s Phoenix
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78 62 pc Seattle
74 57 pc Washington, DC
Johannesburg
London
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Moscow
Thursday
Hr Lo W
65 53 r
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59 45 r
88 62 s
70 52 8
64 40 pc
67 52 c
71 52 sh
50 29 pc
Friday Saturday Sunday
HI Lo W Hi Lo W Hi Lo W City
61 47 pc 60 45 r 61 47 pc Pans
63 47 c 61 49 sh 63 47 po Rio de Janeiro
55 46 s 57 47 pc 63 54 pc Rome
88 65 pc 90 64 s 93 65 s San Juan
71 53 pc 73 57 s 80 59 s Seoul
48 33 0 49 31 pc 50 33 pc Sydney
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66 52 c
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