Councilman Noach Dear recently announced that he would renew efforts to have his plan to scale back the sales tax on gasoline considered in New York State legislature. The Dear proposal to cut the gas sales tax by establishing a permanent sliding scale seems to be in the best position to be enacted. The proposal was recently introduced as Bill S. 6814, sponsored by Senator Serphin Maltese (R-Queens), and as A.9736, by Assemblyman Mark Weprin (D-Queens).

Dear initially proposed the idea at a press conference in February when gasoline prices at the pump were averaging near their current level of $1.60 in New York City. The proposal was the first to address the gas sales tax issue. The basic principle is to protect New York City drivers from increased taxes as prices rise while preserving city and state revenue in the process.

With prices at the pump far higher than usual, the government takes in revenue at a higher rate than during periods of average gas prices as a result of the percentage base of the sales tax. The Dear plan would permit consumers to save that extra tax money by capping the tax at its average by sliding back the percentage requirement. Under the Dear initiative, with gas prices near $2.00 per gallon, New Yorkers would save more than a dollar each time they fill up their tanks.

The Dear bill has unusually extensive bipartisan support in the State legislature. Thirty-one Assemblymembers and 15 senators have already signed on to the bill.

Dear explained, "We have the opportunity to set aside politics and do what’s right for New Yorkers. Now is the time to scale back the unreasonable sales tax on gasoline so consumers can keep their hard-earned dollars and enjoy the summer."