Higher registration fees cost Gov. Davis his job in 2003

Q

Does anyone recall that Gov. Gray Davis was removed from office because he wanted to increase auto registration fees?

— Judy Paquin,

San Jose

A

Who can forget? Technically, Davis approved restoring the car tax, which had been lowered over the years, with a provision that it could be increased in a money crisis. Then the dot-com bust hit and the state faced a $23.6 billion deficit in 2003.

Davis wanted to hike car fees to license vehicles, with the average fee of $70 jumping to $210. Arnold Schwarzenegger used that to great effect in the election, and Davis was recalled in 2003.

The current average vehicle license fee is $84 per vehicle. The current overall total registration fee is $246.

Q

No one likes paying taxes, myself included. However, most don’t remember the start of the decline of our roads began with the recall of Davis and the elimination of the increase of auto registration taxes.

Today, people hate the increase of gas and registration taxes, but let’s be realistic. Our roads are heading toward Third World status. How else can we pay for improvement? People complain about potholes and the damage to their tires and rims, and that costs far more the 12 cents-a-gallon tax increase.

Be happy that improvements are coming. Delayed maintenance is the result of the lack of funds.

— Daniel Cook, San Jose

A

The road funding shortfall has reached $60 billion. That’s what happens when the gas tax isn’t adjusted for 25 years, and cars get so much better mileage than they did in the early ’90s.

Q

Gary, regardless of the estimated cost of $72 or $0.20 per day for the 12 cents-a-gallon gas tax hike plus higher registration fees, the real issue is “Taxation Without Voter Approval” by Gov. Jerry Brown and his cronies. If the people of California are in favor of the gas tax increase, let us have a vote. It’s time to stop politicians from taxing over taxed Californians without a say from the people who put them in office.

— Guy Ferrante, San Jose

A

It appears voters will have their say in November if a repeal measure gets on the ballot.

Q

I am in favor of the higher gas tax and car registration fees because they will be of the same order as the costs to repair my car’s suspension and tires and the contribution to the added depreciation to my car’s value that will result from even poorer roads than we have now.

— Roy Stehle, Palo Alto

A

The average driver pays around $700 statewide a year in repairs because of roads.

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Contact Gary Richards at grichards@ bayareanewsgroup.com or 408-920-5037.