Larry Sharpe was nominated for governor by the Libertarian Party of New York (LPNY) at our February convention to tackle the many crises facing the great state of New York. One major crisis facing New Yorkers daily is the price at the pumps, and the crumbling roads they use to get there—problems chiefly caused by government lockdowns championed by Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul and sanctions at the Federal level championed by Republican Congressman and presumptive gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin.
What solution do the two major parties offer to this problem they caused?
- Republicans, including Congressman Zeldin, advocate for a temporary suspension of the gas tax until either September or until next March (depending upon which proposal you look at).
- Governor Hochul & Democrats says this idea is “under review” due to concern that retailers won’t actually lower prices but simply pocket the added profit (in essence offering no solution).
When asked about this, gubernatorial candidate Sharpe explains, “This is a hole that Governor Hochul has dug with unnecessarily harsh lockdowns, no recovery plan, no rainy day fund and too much debt! This Republican suspend ‘plan’ is just a temporary band-aid and sad virtue-signaling in a feeble attempt to be relevant and to distance themselves from their joint failures.”
The average New York family spends over $1,000 per year for this tax, which when broken down amounts to approximately 50 cents a gallon, 20 cents of which consists of other fees including local sales tax and federal taxes. With this tax, New York State raises over $500 million per year intended to go towards “infrastructure”, with very little to show for it.
The Libertarian answer to this problem can be found in Larry Sharpe’s three-point plan to fund infrastructure & reduce gas prices:
- Repeal all NY State gas taxes & fees
- Recover $500 million & generate new added revenue by leasing naming rights to infrastructure (such as bridges & tunnels & subway stations)
- Repair our roads using “adopt-a-highway” sponsorships by large companies.
By voting for Larry Sharpe in 2022 and allowing him to implement his three point Sharpe plan, we can pay for infrastructure, gain income from large companies that want to do business in New York, and END the gas tax completely. We’ll produce real long-term relief for people who commute to work and transport goods, and we’ll encourage tourism. This will allow for more business transactions across the state, and support our local communities and tax bases. These are plans Larry Sharpe proposed in 2018, and they’re clearly still relevant today.