From Paris to Sacramento

If you don't pay attention to foreign affairs, you may not be aware that for the past several days, there have been riots in Paris-serious riots. The cause? France's ultra liberal president, Emmanuel Macron, has put in place a 16% diesel fuel tax hike, and the everyday people who have to pay for it are not happy. Hence, we now have the "yellow vest" riots named after the vests donned by the rioters. Frankly, it looks like the revolt of the school crossing guards.


-Washington Post


I don't support riots, and I am not trying to defend these riots, but I hope our political leaders in Sacramento (the California state capital) are watching the events unfold in France. California has for years paid excessive fuel prices. The gas taxes we pay ostensibly for road improvement, have gone for other liberal purposes. We also pay extra for a costly blend that is supposed to cut down on air pollution.

Just last month, voters went to the polls to vote on Proposition 6, which would have repealed the last gas tax hike. The measure failed, largely because the Democrats, who rule the governor's house, the state assembly and the state senate and led by Attorney General Javier Becerra, deliberately mislabeled the measure. It said nothing about the gas tax, only that without funding, all sorts of terrible and dangerous things would happen to our highways. Now, with their veto-proof majorities, the Democrats can pass any tax they want without one single Republican vote.

Sacramento should look long and hard at what is happening in France. There is a limit-or should be- to how much government can squeeze out of its citizens.