The Census Bureau cheerfully notes the passage of the first federal gasoline tax on this date in 1933 (Bonus credit: Under whose administration?). It was one cent per gallon. (HT: WPTF-AM)
The federal gas tax is 18.4 cents today, and state taxes range from 7.5 cents (Georgia) to 30 cents (Rhode Island). North Carolina, “The Good Roads State”, is first in the Southeast at 24.2 cents.
At least there’s some direct linkage (most of the time) between the consumers of the product and the proposed expenditure of the tax.
