$700 a year? Less than $10 a month? We analyze how much California’s gas tax increase really costs you

The no side argues a numbers-heavy case that the measure represents an “attack” on road and bridge repair work. The proponents make an emotional appeal that these increases are simply too expensive for Californians to bear.

Two recent television ads illuminate the sharp contrasts in campaign approaches to Proposition 6, the effort to repeal fuel tax and vehicle fee hikes on the November ballot.

“When I tell my kids we can’t afford that, I feel like I’m letting them down,” one woman says in a voice-over. Another adds, “It costs my family over $700 a year.”

That’s a staggering figure. It’s also based on extreme assumptions and faulty math. Most drivers are not looking at such a heavy hit to their pocketbooks.

But the calculation does make an effort to account for hidden costs of the gas tax increase, which businesses may pass on through higher prices for consumer goods.

Those who championed the new fees, including the Brown administration, ignored that ripple effect in the much rosier number they have cited: less than $10 per month per driver. That’s an average of about $118 per year, or $236 for a family with two cars.

The reality is somewhere between. Here’s a breakdown to help you better understand what these fees are costing you. Read more >>>