Group behind Initiative 2117, and other initiatives, wants voters to see what it would be like to pay for cheaper gas
Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com
Saving people money is always popular. So why not do it again?
Organizers with Let’s Go Washington saved drivers quite a bit of money on Tuesday when gas prices were cut by a dollar per gallon for a two-hour shift.
One person filled up his older Ford pick-up truck and brought two gas canisters fill in order to use for his boat at home. In total, about 24 gallons, making it a $24 discount.
Another person filled up 28.5 gallons on his truck. A nice savings.
The saving continued as drivers pulled in, one after another, to the Chevron at 39th Street in Vancouver.
This was Let’s Go Washington’s way of showing potential voters that gas prices will be lower if they vote yes on Initiative 2117, to stop the hidden gas tax.
To be fair, no one from Let’s Go Washington is saying that gas prices will be a dollar cheaper per gallon if I-2117 passes. But organizers do want to get the word out on just how much in taxes drivers pay, and the Climate Commitment Act, they say, has increased gas prices by nearly 50 cents per gallon.
Let’s Go Washington also is in favor of three other initiatives: 2066, to stop the natural gas ban; 2109, to stop the backdoor income tax; and 2124, to give workers a choice in regard to the state’s long-term care insurance.
Certainly, one big way to get their point across about the gas tax is to pay the gas tax for customers for a couple hours at a time.
The Gas Price Rollback has been a popular event for Let’s Go Washington all over the state. In September, organizers held one on the corner of Andresen Road and NE 25th Street in Vancouver. On Wednesday, the organization will hold events in Bellingham and in Everett. Five more are scheduled for next week.
Hallie Balch, communications director for Let’s Go Washington, said she expects at least one more rollback will be held in Clark County prior to Nov. 5.
“We’re going to keep doing them until the election. We’re going to keep having events and letting people know the prices don’t have to be this high,” she said.
She advises people to sign up on an email list at the Let’s Go Washington website — https://letsgowashington.com/ — and follow the organization on social media.
John Ley, the Republican candidate for state representative in the 18th Legislative District, was at Tuesday’s event to meet people and cheer on the initiative process.
“It’s showing the people of Washington state how much they can save if they vote yes on all four of the citizen initiatives, one of which is 2117 which stops the hidden gas tax,” Ley said. “The most important thing is this is the people of Washington state saying the legislature did something they disapprove of.”
The initiative process gives the power back to the people, he added.
Eric Alderman of Vancouver said he has been frustrated with prices and new laws that have increased the prices.
“It’s annoying,” Alderman said of the normal gas prices in Washington. “You’re paying more here than you are in Portland now. It used to be the other way around.”
He added that he believes most tax money is wasted.
This event was great, he said, because his truck gets “thirsty” and every little bit helps.
“I really appreciate this. It was fortunate … that it is in my neighborhood,” he said.
“I think it’s awesome,” added Emma Foster of Vancouver. “I’m a new mom. I don’t need to be spending more money on gas. It’s all about having cheaper gas.
She heard about the rollback event on Monday so she made sure to fill up her vehicle on Tuesday. She said she was telling other family members to get to the station, too.
At one point, there was a logjam of vehicles trying to get into the station, waiting for a space at a pump to open, but drivers at the rolled back prices, drivers were patient.
All drivers, whether they support I-2117 or not, were given the $1 per gallon discount. All drivers were welcomed by Let’s Go Washington volunteers and pamphlets were available to those who wanted more information on the initiatives.
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