Gas Prices Explained
Government can impact gas prices. For example, in Pennsylvania, the Oil Company Franchise Tax and the Liquid Fuels Tax add $0.576 per gallon to the price of gasoline in 2022. There’s also an $0.18 federal tax on gasoline, or about $0.76 in taxes on a gallon of gas. Most of these taxes are either used directly to fund road/bridge improvement, or disbursed to local municipalities for similar projects.
Conversations are currently underway here in Pennsylvania and at the federal level about a temporary moratorium on these taxes. Whether that happens remains to be seen. (See PA Transportation and Vehicle Code Omnibus Amendments, 2013 Act 89, and the PA Department of Revenue’s website on Motor Fuel Tax Rates.)
That said, sudden gas price changes are more directly affected by supply/demand issues, and not by the actions of any government official. Approximately 3% of sweet crude imported to the U.S. comes from Russia, with a total of 8% of imported oil or petroleum distillates coming from Russia. Therefore, cutting Russian imports has more impact on Russia’s economy than on U.S. gasoline prices.
Finally, the U.S. produces enough oil to meet its needs if one looks at total gallon production, but economics and type of oil complicate matters. The March 8, 2022, article, “America Produces Enough Oil To Meet Its Needs, So Why Do We Import Crude?” by Matthew Tiller explains why.
And remember that when experts say “the U.S.” imports or exports oil, they’re referring to U.S. companies, not the federal government.
Jason Moser,
Bellefonte
Dictatorial Scheme
“What utter hypocrisy!”
That’s what came to mind when I read House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff’s recent editorial, which appeared in several newspapers around Pennsylvania.
Benninghoff was right to criticize Vladimir Putin, the Russian dictator. But apparently Benninghoff wants us to forget that he, with other Republican politicians, tried to overturn the results of our 2020 presidential election. This anti-democratic, dictatorial, scheme was worthy of Putin himself.
Benninghoff, along with Jake Corman, president pro tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate, and eight Pennsylvania representatives—John Joyce, Fred Keller, Mike Kelly, Daniel Meuser, Scott Perry, Guy Reschenthaler, Lloyd Smucker and Glenn Thompson—tried to convince Congress to not count Pennsylvania’s electoral votes. This, despite zero evidence, then or now, of systemic voter fraud.
Even after state and federal courts shot down lawsuits, and Donald Trump and his legal team failed to produce a shred of evidence to support their baseless claims, 99 Pennsylvania congressional and state GOP lawmakers in all got behind the Big Lie that’s been promoted by rich and powerful conservatives determined to win at all costs.
State Senator Doug Mastriano, who was subpoenaed by the Jan. 6 Committee for his involvement in Trump’s election scheme, thinks he should be our next governor!
One of these seditionists, Fred Keller, won’t be on the ballot this fall. Good riddance.
Let’s hope enough people still believe in democracy and fair elections and will send these conspirators packing—and into the dustbin of history, where they belong.
Robert Baillie,
State College
Do You Call This Supporting Our Veterans?
How valuable are the U.S. veterans to the country? Not so much if you check the voting records of Rep. GT Thompson (15th District) and Rep. Fred Keller (12th District), our representatives in Congress.
A bipartisan bill has passed the House that would expand health care for veterans who have been exposed to toxins during their service. Some veterans have had cancer, chronic bronchiolitis and emphysema, a result of serving the country in unhealthy environments.
Critics of the bill fear that too many veterans would be eligible and it would cost too much. There’s a simple and obvious solution to that “problem.”
The real question is why wouldn’t a country use every resource to protect the very soldiers who would fight and die for us? Is the “value” in lives or money?
A good question for Thompson and Keller: “Why did you vote against veterans’ health care?”
That’s like…like…I can’t even think of a metaphor for these disgusting representatives. I’m appalled by their no vote on this legislation.
Janet Friel,
Ferguson Township
No Way to Treat Vietnam Veterans
President Obama signed into law in 2012 to have March 29 as Vietnam Veterans Day. A few years later, President Trump made it a national holiday to honor those that earned the title “Vietnam Veteran ” for their service in the War in Vietnam. Rep. Mike Hanna paid respect to central Pennsylvania Vietnam Veterans by dedicating the road from Livonia to Centre Hall as the Central Pennsylvania Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway.
Please note the title Vietnam Veteran was earned by their/our service in country or in combat in the Vietnam War theater. Veterans who served during the time the war was going on are identified as ” Vietnam Era Veterans.” One set of veterans was in combat and in harm’s way and the other wasn’t. Both served their country honorably.
For over 10 years numerous Vietnam Veterans have ask for the etched star to be replaced beside their names on the local Miles Township Veterans Monument. They were there to show respect and identify those local veterans that served in the Vietnam War and earned the title “Vietnam Veteran.” This was done by the local historians who were on the original committee that designed the monument. After Miles Township took over the monument, the stars were there for everyone to see. Only after a pillar with all the Vietnam Veterans names was replaced, the stars were not re-etched beside these local heroes names.
I have asked for over 10 years why this happened and why the Miles Township supervisors flat refuse to replace the etched stars. Why don’t they want future generations to know who were the real veterans that fought in the Vietnam War? As it is, all the veterans named on the monument are incorrectly listed as “Vietnam Era Veterans.” With Vietnam Veterans Day approaching, now is the time for Miles Township residents to demand that the Veterans Monument be corrected once and for all. They need to replace the etched stars, even if it means asking for proof of service in Vietnam, which was not done the first time and led to mistakes that led to the original pillar being replaced.
You must ask yourself who was responsible for this happening and why have the Miles Township Supervisors refused to make these corrections and Honor their Vietnam Veterans correctly. They refuse to give a valid answer when asked and flat refuse to say who made the decision in the first place. This is not the way to treat any Vietnam Veteran, ever.
Jim Hironimus,
White Hall, Md.
