Susan Crabtree of the Washington Free Beacon describes a man-made obstacle to California’s potential repeal of a gas tax.
The leading organizer of California’s gas-tax repeal on Monday pledged to lead a recall effort against state attorney general Xavier Becerra for writing what he called a purposefully deceptive title for the ballot measure.
Carl DeMaio, a popular conservative radio talk show host and former San Diego city councilman, said Becerra was responsible for the language that would be printed on the ballot describing the gas-tax repeal as a proposition that “eliminates certain road repair and transportation funding.”
DeMaio accused Becerra of committing intentional voter fraud by using that language, citing an independent analysis showing that after repealing the most recent 12-cent gas-tax increase, the amount of the remaining gas tax would increase road funding by $2.3 billion a year.
“That is not an opinion. That is fact, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst Office,” he said. “In other words, it is a lie to suggest that a ‘yes’ vote on Prop 6 would in any way leave us short of funds to complete any of the road projects that are planned or underway.”
The controversy should sound familiar to those who have followed N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein’s role in describing constitutional amendments on North Carolina’s ballot.
