A massive gas tax increase that was part of the Haslam Administration’s IMPROVE Act, which raised fuel taxes over $300 million a year, is becoming an issue in the 6th District Republican Primary congressional race. Former judge and conservative businessman Bob Corlew is hitting fellow Republican contender John Rose for supporting the huge tax increase in a new digital ad that may soon find its way to broadcast and cable outlets in the district.
According to a Corlew campaign spokesman, the ad was rejected by “Gas Station Television” because, as a representative at Gas Station Television told the campaign, “they didn’t want to run anything that would shine ‘a negative light on the gas space (or oil industry).’ So this ad never got to run on their air.”
A transcript of the ad:
“HEY! HEY YOU PUMPING GAS! DO YOU THINK YOU PAY TOO MUCH AT THE PUMP? WELL, IF JOHN ROSE HAD HIS WAY YOU WOULD BE PAYING MORE EVERY TIME EVERY TIME YOU FILL UP. THAT’S RIGHT, JOHN ROSE SUPPORTED INCREASING FUEL TAXES BY 33%. JOHN ROSE SAID YOU PAYING MORE EVERY TIME YOU PUMP GAS ‘MAKES GOOD SENSE’. AND ‘I HOPE THIS CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED.’ JOHN ROSE: WRONG ON FUEL TAXES, WRONG FOR TENNESSEE”
At the time the legislature passed the tax increase, Andrew Ogles, then director of Americans for Prosperity-Tennessee said: “Raising the gas tax is hurting the people who need the tax relief the most.” Ogles acknowledged that funding issues will have to be addressed, but said state government “needs to tighten its belt and look for ways to save before looking for ways to spend.” [Chattanooga Times Free Press, June 14, 2015]
A new Tennessee Star statewide poll of 1,040 likely Republican Primary voters conducted by Triton Polling from June 25-28, 2018 indicates that voters are not supportive of the fuel tax increase.
The poll asked: “Last year, the Tennessee General Assembly passed a bill, signed into law by Gov. Haslam, to increase the gas tax by 6 cents per gallon and the diesel tax by 10 cents per gallon, to fund road construction. Do you support this gas tax increase?”
35.4 percent of likely GOP primary voters support the tax increase while 51.3 percent oppose the increase. 13.3 percent were not sure of had no opinion.
Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill has said the issue of the fuel tax increase is a great opportunity for those running against legislators who voted for it and those who supported it.
“Gas prices have risen dramatically, Republican primary voters generally oppose tax increases — particularly when they are seen as unnecessary, and drivers who are having their teeth jarred by potholes and are still stuck in traffic jams are seeing no benefit from the tax increase,” Gill noted.
When it is a conservative or right-wing ideal, John Rose has all the cliches down to a single internet meme.
But ask him about his ideas on immigration, gay marriage, pederasty, abortion, and federal farm subsidies. You’ll find John Rose to be a liberal Democrat who won’t allow himself to be put into a situation where anyone can ask his position on those issues.
Apparently you’ve been under a rock!
Beth, I wish I read your response earlier. Your terse reply to Joshua seems to imply that you actually have found yourself in “a situation where anyone can ask” Rose a question about the issues and you heard him answer in a way in which he simulated a real conservative which Joshua conceded he has learned to do at least passingly well. How exciting!
Since Rose has no record that I know of supporting conservative causes or candidates nor have I seen any evidence that he has contributed to any conservative candidate before deciding to try to buy a seat in the U. S. congress do you have any hard evidence that leads you to expect he will be anything more than a feckless centrist Republican in Congress if we’re lucky? And oh by the way, since you apparently actually heard Rose answer questions did anyone ask him why liberal Democratic bundlers are so enthusiastic about his candidacy that they give him maximum contributions? If so, what did he say?
No question about it, John Rose is the candidate partial to taxes and big government, that’s why he receives campaign contributions from prominent liberal Democrats. Bob Corlew, on the other hand, talks a conservative game but has no record to support the talk despite being wealthy enough and old enough to have established one. Fortunately, conservatives in the Sixth District have Judd Matheny to vote for as their next U. S. Representative whose conservative credentials accumulated since 2002 in the General Assembly has drawn the endorsement of the House Freedom Caucus.