Effort to repeal gas tax comes to Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Republican gubernatorial candidate John Cox brought his statewide push to repeal the gas tax to Fresno on Tuesday.

The San Diego businessman was trying to emerge from a crowded field in the race for California governor. Cox came to Fresno to deliver two boxes full of signatures to repeal California's gas tax.

Cox said, "This state is wasteful and it's inefficient. This gas tax is an effort by the politicians to cover that up and tell the voters that they need all that much more money."

In November the gas tax raised the cost of the gallon of gas by 12 cents and added new vehicle fees to fund road improvement and mass transit projects.

Stephen Qualls with the League of California Cities said we're already seeing benefits.

Qualls explained, "If they repeal this it's going to threaten public safety. It's going to cause more congestion in our streets and highways and it's going to force the citizens of California to keep driving on streets and roads that are deteriorating every day.

Fresno GOP party chair Fred Van der Hoof helped Cox turn in the boxes containing with 36,000 petition signatures to repeal the state gas tax.

Cox said he's helped collect 965,000 signatures statewide with the hope an initiative can be placed on the November ballot.

Cox added, "Our politicians keep spending money like drunken sailors and that's insulting to drunken sailors because at least they spend their own money."

Qualls countered, "There are 4,000 projects right now that are going on in the state of California that are being funded by the money already raised by SB1. These are projects to fill potholes, repair streets and roads, repair overpasses, our bridges and things like that."

Our latest Action News/SurveyUSA poll showed John Cox running a distant third behind democrats Gavin Newsom and Antonio Villaraigosa.

Cox though remained confident he can earn enough votes in June to make the two-candidate runoff in November.

Former LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will be at the Clovis Veterans Memorial building Wednesday at 2 pm to meet with local farmers.