At $4.07, Illinois is still the extreme outlier east of the Rockies when it comes to gas prices. Gov. Pritzker, where’s the relief? – Wirepoints

Remember when Gov. Pritzker promised gas price “relief” – just in time for his reelection campaign last year? He temporarily postponed the automatic 2 to 3 cent increase in gas taxes that was supposed to occur in July of last year.

Well that’s come and gone and Illinoisans are still getting stiffed, paying the highest gas prices of any state east of the Rockies. That’s in large part because Illinois has the second-highest gas taxes in the country, according to the American Petroleum Institute. Only Californians pay higher gas taxes.

Gov. Pritzker has done nothing about those taxes since his campaign gimmick ended. 

Data from AAA shows average gas prices in the Prairie State at $4.07 on April 17. The only state to come close east of the Rockies is Pennsylvania, at $3.77.

For comparison, here are the gas prices of Illinois’ neighbors. Everyone of them have significantly lower prices, with residents of Missouri paying 72 cents less. On a single fill-up, that’s about $11 less.

So what contributes to that difference?

  • When Gov. J.B. Pritzker took office in 2019, the state’s motor fuel tax was a flat 19 cents per gallon. That same year he doubled the tax to 38 cents.
  • Pritzker also added a new feature which increases gas prices by inflation each year going forward.  
  • Then there is the sales tax on gasoline in Illinois. Illinois is one of just seven states to tack on a sales tax to gasoline prices. That’s on top of the motor fuel taxes. So as gas prices go up, so, too, do the gas taxes Illinoisans pay. 

It’s not even summer yet, but prices have jumped once again. Gov. Pritzker can’t do anything about the base price of gas, but he can do something about the state’s taxes.

There is no reason why Illinoisans should be paying the nation’s 2nd-highest gas taxes –  something every resident should be reminded of every time they fill up their cars.

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john
11 months ago

Yesterday I paid 3.59 for gas in South Suburb of Milwaukee, today I noticed that Sam club was 4.49 a gallon in Des Plaines.. Most be some other reason, not just Illinois taxes at the pump. Shortage of Illinois gas at the refineries or maybe a switch from winter gas to summer gas in Illinois?
Just asking!!!

K6
11 months ago

Promises made , Promises broken.

Poor Taxpayer
11 months ago

Some of the worst roads, along with High taxes. Only thing better is the crime rate. Got to love the great job Illinois is doing. Expect higher taxes on everything as the State is Broke.

Nostradamus
11 months ago
Reply to  Poor Taxpayer

Round boy in the Governors mansion says what’s the problem? I have plenty of money!

Marie
11 months ago

There will never be any relief with our pension debt.

Nostradamus
11 months ago
Reply to  Marie

There will never be any relief while Democrats control the State.

87Saluki
11 months ago

Face it, the people making policy are immune from its consequences. Nothing changes until that does.

Pat S.
11 months ago

This past weekend we filled up in WI at $3.39/gallon. In some areas of Chicago that’s $0.70+/gallon cheaper.

And I didn’t feel guilty at all.

Last edited 11 months ago by Pat S.
Old Joe
11 months ago

One thing I miss about Michigan was lower gas prices, no toll roads or wheel tax stickers. Yep it’s possible, even in a blue state.

Riverbender
11 months ago
Reply to  Old Joe

No Chicago and Chicago voters in Michigan

Riverbender
11 months ago

Pensions Paid First. You seem quite educated on lost tax revenues so perhaps you might indulge me on this one. I assume abortions, being services, generate no significant sales taxes. However could it be possible that with abortion so easily obtained condom sales, that generate sales taxes, decline?
Just asking for my neighbor who is a budding gender studies student.

Aaron
11 months ago
Reply to  Riverbender

Fewer people and a poorer tax base and less revenue from selling fewer condoms does not necessarily lead to less revenue. That is what I understand from PPF anyway. Not even aborting tax payers decreases tax revenue.

Last edited 11 months ago by Aaron
Riverbender
11 months ago

I live near another state where I can go to get excellent medical care as well as lower gasoline prices and sales taxes. A multi win trip including some very good doctors who fled the State over the malpractice cases brought by the Democrat trial lawyers. Illinois keeps a lot of Medicaid doctors though if you are into that sort of thing

Pensions Paid First
11 months ago
Reply to  Riverbender

“and sales taxes”

I’m sure you keep all of your receipts and pay the 6.25 percent use tax on your IL-1040. Or are you just another one of those common thieves like those that we see on TV looting items from stores? Thieves and thugs come in many forms.

Last edited 11 months ago by Pensions Paid First
GM
11 months ago

Yup, and those “thieves and thugs” are all Democrats… which forces normal – brained folks to seek financial “relief” wherever they can…

ProzacPlease
11 months ago

“Thieves and thugs come in many forms”.

Yes, the teacher’s union members have certainly proven that.

Riverbender
11 months ago

I didn’t know I was a law breaker until now relegating me to the hoards of other lawbreakers in Chicago as reported here. . I’ll bet you are the one that audited businesses requiring them to pay use tax on rolls of bathroom toilet paper that are added to many service companies’ bills these days. Keep up the good work! Those pension funds will be overflowing with money in no time.

The Golliwog
11 months ago

I guess that a 5 minute drive from my place to Wisconsin where last week I saved $0.60 cents per gallon with a 15 gallon fill up makes me some sort of violent felon. $9.00 in my pocket 3x a month equals over $300 a year in savings. While in the Land of Cheese we also do shopping and save again. So my ventures end up in + side of my economy with extra $$$ in my pocket. That’s just common sense to save money.

Pensions Paid First
11 months ago
Reply to  The Golliwog

Saving money…just like all the looters in Chicago. Thieves in different forms but both feel justified by their illegal activity. You do it because you don’t believe you’ll be caught, just like the looters.

ProzacPlease
11 months ago

You’re going off the rails here PPF. Feeling nervous about the political leaders your union supported all these years?

Pensions Paid First
11 months ago
Reply to  ProzacPlease

Not at all. My point is that everyone claiming they purchase goods over the border (and not claiming the tax savings on their IL return) because they have lower taxes are engaging in tax fraud. This board is filled with people frustrated by the crime in Chicago (rightfully so) but they think nothing of breaking the law when it serves them.

I’m just holding up a mirror for a different kind of corruption. Either you’re for stomping out corruption or you’re not.

Last edited 11 months ago by Pensions Paid First
Zephyr Window
11 months ago

You need some psychiatric help

Pensions Paid First
11 months ago
Reply to  Zephyr Window

So nothing of substance to counter my point and just a personal attack. Clearly showing that you can’t disagree with the actual point and have nothing to say to counter it. Got it.

Fight Harder
11 months ago

Buying gas in Wi and not paying the IL tax difference is not fraud. The gas was bought and consumed locally. Looting, on the other hand, is a crime in every state, county and city in this country. PPF, I know you can do better.

Pensions Paid First
11 months ago
Reply to  Fight Harder

Riverbender referred to getting other services such as medical care as well as saving money on “sales taxes”. Since he already discussed saving money on gas one is left to infer that he is making purchases that also require sales taxes. If you read it as he only gets medical care and fills up gas but doesn’t make any other purchases then I can see your point but that is not how I interpreted it and Riverbender didn’t clarify that in any of his follow up posts. It would seem odd that anyone that is willing to drive over the… Read more »

Last edited 11 months ago by Pensions Paid First
ProzacPlease
11 months ago

Even if he spent $10,000 at Target, he would owe the grand sum of $125, Inspector Javert. And that’s equivalent to looting?

Pensions Paid First
11 months ago
Reply to  ProzacPlease

Equivalent to looting $125 worth of goods. I’d prefer both just follow the law but some only want the other guy to follow it. Clearly that’s your idea of fair.

GM
11 months ago

You would have made a dandy “apparatchik” and loyai party
member in the old communist USSR or East Germany, lol…!!!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apparatchik

“An apparatchik (/ˌæpəˈrættʃɪk/; Russian: аппара́тчик [ɐpɐˈrat͡ɕːɪk]) was a full-time, professional functionary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union or the Soviet government apparat (аппарат, apparatus), someone who held any position of bureaucratic or political responsibility. James Billington describes an apparatchik as “a man not of grand plans, but of a hundred carefully executed details.”The term is often considered derogatory, with negative connotations in terms of the quality, competence, and attitude of a person thus described…”

Pensions Paid First
11 months ago
Reply to  GM

Another comment that can’t counter my point so instead you resort to name calling. I’m not a supporter of democrats or their policies. I support the peoples right to vote for representation, create their constitutional rules to live by and then live with the results that they’ve created. I also appreciate discussion that is based on truths not maid up lies such as Wally’s whopper. I also believe that we should follow the laws on the books or society will break down. We are seeing that with crime in the city and politicians excusing it as reparations. I also enjoy… Read more »

debtsor
11 months ago

Calling you an apparatchik not a name, it’s a description of your behavior.

Pensions Paid First
11 months ago
Reply to  debtsor

So calling someone an idiot is not a name but a description of their intelligence. Got it. You really do love semantics.

It’s also not a good descriptor as I am not a supporter of the Democratic Party. I just don’t believe lies told from the other side either. I hold no allegiance to either party.

debtsor
11 months ago

Fair enough. Point taken.

Jon F
11 months ago

The sales tax only applies to the place where the purchase is made. If I buy in WI and use in Illinois I do not owe tax. Sales tax is not a use tax

Pensions Paid First
11 months ago
Reply to  Jon F

What is Use Tax?Use tax is a form of sales tax designed to distributethe tax burden fairly among consumers and ensure fair competition between in-state and out-of-state businesses.You owe Illinois Use Tax if you purchase an itemfor use or consumption in Illinois,from an out-of-state retailer who charges no IllinoisSales Tax or charges sales tax at a rate lower than the Illinois rate, andon which sales tax would normally be collected if purchased from a retailer in Illinois.Examples Includeitems purchased while you were– in another state from a retailer who charged sales tax at a lower rate than the Illinois rate, or– in… Read more »

Tom Paine's Ghost
11 months ago

You are right. Count on an IL public sector pensioner to point out right and wrong. Purchasing an item out of state and not indicating it on your Illinois income taxes is a crime. A minor crime – like jaywalking maybe – but a crime. Regardless its a vastly different crime than the massive votes-in-exchange-for-bribes scam that Illinois Public Sector Unions and Illinois Politicians perpetrated upon the Illinois taxpayers for decades. That is a massive criminal conspiracy and Illinois taxpayers have zero reason to pay for those criminally ill gotten gains. IL taxpayers owe ZERO to the criminal Public Sector… Read more »

Pensions Paid First
11 months ago

Public sector employees voting for candidates that support public sector employees is not a crime. It’s called voting for your own self interest and completely legal. They haven’t committed any crime and in fact are exercising their constitutional right to form a union and collectively bargain as well as their constitutional right to vote. They also will exercise their constitutional right to not have their pension impaired so no deal. I will make you a counter offer though. You can leave the state or if you choose to stay you can expect higher taxes and less services because the pensions… Read more »

debtsor
11 months ago

It’s not a crime, but Democrat soft corruption, no different than Hillary Clinton taking huge donations from foreign countries to her Clinton Foundation while she was secretary of state and a presidential candidate, and then hiring her daughter a high salaried job. Legal, but corrupt.

Pat S.
11 months ago

Hi PPF – I have a question. When you purchase a vehicle in IL you pay sales tax. You drive the car for a couple years and decide to sell it. The new buyer pays sales tax on the vehicle for which sales tax has already been paid. And so on. Does this strike you as fair? Collecting sales tax on the same vehicle over and over again? Tax collecting aside, a big problem I see regarding pensions is that the pensioners are being vilified, instead of the politicians who gave sweet deals to their donors and then failed to… Read more »

James
11 months ago
Reply to  Pat S.

A few here have said that over and over again only to be vilified at nearly every exchange. Go figure!

Pensions Paid First
11 months ago
Reply to  Pat S.

“Does this strike you as fair? Collecting sales tax on the same vehicle over and over again?” Fair is relative. I don’t think it’s fair that someone that makes millions of dollars per year is taxed at a higher rate than those making 50k per year. That’s why I’m against a progressive tax in Illinois. I don’t think it’s fair that retirees in Illinois pay zero income taxes to the state while some hard working guy making 50k per year owes $2500. I don’t think it’s fair that someone that diligently saves their money over the course of their life… Read more »

debtsor
11 months ago

Just for once admit, for the love of god, admit that IL’s pensions are too lavish compared to the federal government, most other state governments, and nearly every other westernized country on the earth. It’s OK to admit that IL overpays its pensioners AND, despite the lavish pensions, the pensions should be paid in full. No one would agree with you, but, at least you would be taken seriously. I’ve never seen you address the lavish $100k pensions that are SO outside of the norm, and it’s a form of compensation that every other states and country on earth doesn’t… Read more »

Pat S.
11 months ago

Some random thoughts: Are voters who are left ‘holding the bag’ to blame? I’m torn on that one … because politicians will say anything to get elected. But ultimately those politicians are the ones who determine voters’ ultimate financial responsibilities. And you state that the Republicans in Springfield supported Amendment One to please their constituents. How on God’s green earth can they know what constituents want over the braying (and worse) of lobbyists? I don’t recall ever being asked my position on ANYTHING. I suppose the only way to voice our opinions is by voting, protesting or leaving. Politicians move… Read more »

Freddy
11 months ago

Just to clarify on a some of your comments on other articles. I believe you said many times the “State” did not make the required contributions. So the problem lies between the elected politicians (which the voters voted for) and the pensioners not the taxpayers. You and I and everyone else make the required payments year after year thru property and other taxes but the pols appropriate those funds somewhere else. Where? Who knows? The pols said whatever it took to get into office then like magic they turn into Bernie Madoff or worse George Santos. Who is keeping the… Read more »

Nostradamus
11 months ago

Taxation is theft.

Marie
11 months ago

Oh for God’s sake…get over yourself.

Pensions Paid First
11 months ago
Reply to  Marie

Nothing of substance per usual. Well done.

Wally
11 months ago

We are outraged here in SC when gas prices went up to $3.30/gal, “unfortunately” our property taxes went down by $100 due to the influx of so many new residents. Will IL ever learn? Anyone near any of the IL border states is filling up outside IL. Think of the revenue lost by buying gas outside of IL, as well as any groceries or other items that are bought for less sales tax than IL while you’re there. Every time they raise cigarette or alcohol taxes, they get less revenue than before the raise. Same with gas.

Pensions Paid First
11 months ago
Reply to  Wally

“Think of the revenue lost by buying gas outside of IL, as well as any groceries or other items that are bought for less sales tax than IL while you’re there. Every time they raise cigarette or alcohol taxes, they get less revenue than before the raise.” That’s simply not true. Yes some sales are lost around the border but overall revenue for the whole state is more. The truth is most residents don’t have the ability to make purchases over the border in a convenient manner. Illinois was collecting about $1.35 billion per year in fuel taxes in 2017,… Read more »

debtsor
11 months ago

Those numbers are kind of sad, actually. Don’t even cover inflation.

Pensions Paid First
11 months ago
Reply to  debtsor

The point is raising the taxes resulted in an immediate increase in total revenue collected. Before the motor fuel tax increase, annual revenue collected was flat for several years because it didn’t adjust for inflation. Also, what world are you living in where going from 1.35 billion to 2.32 billion in one year is “sad” when comparing to inflation. This was also done in the middle of 2019 while people starting working from home. If you double the tax rate you will lose some money around the border towns but ultimately the state will collect more overall revenue. Fuel is… Read more »

Joey Zamboni
11 months ago

To me, the bigger question is –

Where does all the $$ go…?

We keep feeding the beast of a government, with little to show for it…

Taxes only keep going ⬆️⬆️⬆️

Fight Harder
11 months ago

PPF – Your argument is misguided for several reasons. First, the gas tax is regressive so the Dem policies hurt those they are trying to help. Second, gas is taxed as a % therefore inflation’s impact on the price at the pump should give the Pol’s the extra money they need to pay for the roads. Third, gas is an inelastic commodity which means demand is relatively stable over time as there is limited demand destruction by raising costs. Fourth, the automatic gas tax increases Pritzker put in are on top of inflation driven price increases. Fifth, there are state… Read more »

Pensions Paid First
11 months ago
Reply to  Fight Harder

You’re assigning arguments that I never made. My only argument that I made was that Illinois did not receive less revenue when they raised the per gallon gas tax. They went from 1.35 billion to 2.5 billion. I countered Wally’s false statement that said Illinois would collect less revenue from this tax hike. You’re trying to move the goal posts which is a common theme among people here when they don’t like the true statements I write. Nothing you wrote has anything to do with my argument so nothing you wrote shows my statement as misguided. Try again and do… Read more »

ProzacPlease
11 months ago

Don’t mess with PPF’s revenue!

Pensions Paid First
11 months ago
Reply to  ProzacPlease

Actually just don’t lie about tax increases causing less revenue. There is no point in lying.

Plenty more revenue out there to get. With all the additional electric vehicles on the road and more people working from home maybe Illinois will start taxing electric cars by the mile and maybe they could raise the vehicle registration costs per vehicle again to make up for people driving less. Lots more revenue out there.

$200,000 Pension Couples
11 months ago

PPF, this is just a crazy (and orignal) thought . . . I’ve never studied electrical engineering, but would it be possible to tax the output from 240v charging devices that are in residential garages? It could go 100% to pensions – Tier 1 only of course.

Aaron
11 months ago

Can we use the money from the plate on Sunday too?

Pensions Paid First
11 months ago

The Illinois Constitution was changed in 2016 to force fuel taxes to go exclusively towards transportation infrastructure and operation. So you can’t use it towards pensions.

debtsor
11 months ago

The Lock Box nonsense should have been called UBI aka Union Basic Income. It was billions of dollars a year guaranteed for unions. Tax money earmarked exclusively for them.

Pensions Paid First
11 months ago
Reply to  debtsor

I agree that it was nonsense. And the people decided that it should be guaranteed by the constitution. As always, we are getting the government that we choose.

Marie
11 months ago

Sure, I remember the constitutional change but can you honestly tell me they haven’t figured out how to get around it?

Aaron
11 months ago

New tax ideas brainstorm: Garden licensing and tax for those defrauding the pensioner by not paying tax on grocery purchases. Shoe licensing and tread tax for those defrauding the pensioner by not paying gas tax and or not purchasing new shoes in a timely fashion. Melanin tax based on the inverse consent in one’s skin. Public cursive education classes for those who dare to read Thomas Jefferson’s handwriting. Dictionarys for everyone to better understand the ambiguous meaning of “budget” and “balanced”. Thought crime tax for every online error in thought. Viewing tax for observing publicly funded events such as high… Read more »

Pensions Paid First
11 months ago
Reply to  Aaron

Don’t forget about a reading comprehension tax for those that quote the constitution regarding balanced budgets when they have no idea the words that are actually in it. Your idea of what’s in the constitution and what’s actually in there are two different things. Perhaps a tax on those ignorant ones.

Aaron
11 months ago

Ha, I covered that in the publicity funded dictionary part. “Budget” and “balanced”. Soon they will change “pensioner”. I will then qualify as I identify as a pensioner.

Pensions Paid First
11 months ago
Reply to  Aaron

The word balanced doesn’t even appear in the Illinois constitution. We don’t need a separate book just teach people to actually read it. A tax on constitutional ignorance should pay for many initiatives.

$200,000 Pension Couples
11 months ago
Reply to  Aaron

Those are all quite creative, Aaron. All that JB and BJ need to do – and they are free to steal this idea – is set up an outside consulting firm comprised of relatives and friends (you know, the Chicago Dem Way) and have them scour the tax sources of the other 49 states. What the heck, make it all 200 (?) countries on the planet. After the data in gathered, they could then sort it by who JB and BJ want the taxes to primarily fall upon. Out-of-Towners and the wealthy folks would be at the top followed by… Read more »

Wally
11 months ago

Why did Preckwinkle and Cook County abolish the soda tax so quickly? Because people went outside Cook County to buy soda and also groceries, leading to a loss of sales tax revenue. So much, that the law was repealed. There is currently an article in City Journal about taxing the rich. They raised the tax rates in CA and over 5 years, so many high income earners, like Musk and Wahlberg, left, that CA never got the income it projected. I’m not saying IL lost revenue by raising gas taxes, just that it’s not getting all the revenue projected. Everyone… Read more »

Pensions Paid First
11 months ago
Reply to  Wally

“Every time they raise cigarette or alcohol taxes, they get less revenue than before the raise. Same with gas” This is your original statement. I point out that it was a flat out lie not by pointing out statistics but by pointing to actual revenue collected pre and post tax. Yes people near the border of Illinois can choose to save money by not purchasing in Illinois but ultimately more revenue is collected. The dollars collected prove that point. “I’m not saying IL lost revenue by raising gas taxes, just that it’s not getting all the revenue projected.” That’s exactly… Read more »

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“We are not in good shape” Wirepoints’ Ted Dabrowski told ABC 20 Champaign during a segment on Illinois’ latest population losses. Illinois was one of just three states to shrink in the 2010-2020 period and has lost another 300,000 people since then. Ted says things need to change. “It’s too expensive to live here, there aren’t enough good jobs and nobody trusts the government anymore. There’s just other places to go where you can be more satisfied.”

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