After tax suspension, gas prices still high

Rochester, New York – The New York State suspended the excise tax on motor and diesel fuel on June 1st.

On Monday, some gas places were a bit lower, some still climbing – almost at the $5.00 mark for a gallon of regular.

According to Valerie Puma with AAA, you might be seeing a fluctuation in the prices at the pump, but it all depends on the current oil prices. “When the current oil price jumps up, then the gasoline prices at the pump are going to jump up immediately afterward,” Puma said.

The prices will stay up until that supply is used up. “And then once we get to that kind of cheaper fuel and we’re seeing New York State’s sales and excise taxes, that discount there, that’s when we’re going to start seeing those prices really go lower,” she says.

According to Uber Driver Marcus Birdsong, he’s waiting. “I find a couple of cheap places, you know and I try to just stay faithful when I find them,” he said.

The solution is right beneath our feet, Raymond Goulet said. We need to simply drill and unleash the natural resources in the US again. He was no fan of former President Donald Trump, but said, “We had oil in the United States, he was using what was available. Gas was what? $2.15? We’ve more than doubled the price.”

According to Nick Minnoe, thank Russian President Vladimir Putin and the war on Ukraine for the high prices. “There’s a lot of strife and stuff, so it’s affecting a lot more than just us from what I’ve seen, so I can’t imagine it’s coming to an end any time soon,” he said.

High gas prices and the reasons behind them are a global problem right now. “It definitely is several variables,” she said.

According to AAA, the European Union is moving to ban 90% of Russian oil imports by the end of this year, increasing crude prices over market concerns. Further, China lifting COVID-19 restrictions in Shanghai led to more demands, and storage levels are roughly 13.5% lower than a year ago, also contributing to higher prices.

The suspension of the excise tax in New York State runs through until December 31st.