Rapidly increasing gas prices are making North Shore residents anxious.
As the pain at the pump continues across the nation ― partially as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine ― local residents are now questioning whether they can afford the cost that daily driving now brings.
Some of these residents are calling upon their state and federal lawmakers to take action aimed at reducing gas prices. State lawmakers say they are debating ways to reduce the burden on their constituents, such as temporarily suspending the state’s gas tax.
AAA reported an average price of $4.36 per gallon in Massachusetts last Friday, 12 cents more than an average price of $4.24 per gallon reported last Tuesday. Over the last week, the average price of gas in Massachusetts went up by 61 cents, according to AAA.
“It’s crazy — everybody is complaining about this,” said Crystal Mercedes at a gas station in Swampscott last week. “Wherever you go, everybody is talking about it — it’s too much.”
Mercedes said she was finding it difficult to fill her entire gas tank because prices have become too expensive.
“Now I spend double of what I used to spend on gas per week,” she said. “It used to be that you could fill at least half a tank with $20, and now it’s only a quarter. It lasts me one day, maybe one and a half.”
At a gas station in Lynn, Muhammad Farooq said that his job requires him to travel 100-120 miles daily, and if this trend continues, he will have to start using public transportation.
“If the gas prices will continue to grow, I will have to stop using my car and use buses instead,” said Farooq. “The gas prices are too high, and it becomes less and less affordable for me.”
Tom Nelson, who was filling up at a gas station in Saugus last week, also made note of the high gas prices.
“That’s expensive,” said Nelson. “I spend about $20 more per week on gas now, but I don’t drive much.”
The Massachusetts State House debated a supplemental budget bill last Wednesday. House Republicans proposed suspending the state’s gas tax until prices fall below $3.70 a gallon.
“This is one small step that we as a commonwealth can say to the people of this state that we feel your pain,” said state Rep. Peter Durant (R-Worcester).
However, the bid was overwhelmingly defeated by the House.
“I certainly feel all the concerns of my constituency of rising prices across the board,” said state Sen. Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn). “I understand their frustration and anxiety. I think certainly, we in the legislature are trying to find ways to help families. But it’s a global issue — the war in Ukraine and many complications with Russia.”
Crighton explained that the gas prices are not something that an individual state controls.
“There are serious concerns that any suspension of our gas tax would damage our bond rating as a state,” he said.
Revenue from the gas tax is among the guarantees the state makes when it borrows money for transportation projects, he said.
“Gas tax suspension would limit our ability to be able to borrow,” said Crighton, who explained that any suspension of the gas tax would only provide a small benefit to drivers, and at a very high cost for the state as a whole.
“Every month the state brings in $65 million from our gas tax,” he said. “If we were to suspend the gas tax, we would cut significant revenues that go to transportation. When I am talking to constituents, they want better roads, better bridges, better public transportation; they want more funding to put towards transportation, not less.”
According to state legislators, the real relief to families could come from reviewing estate tax changes and the rental deduction increase.
While some higher-income residents might be able to sustain the recent increase in gas prices and plan ahead, others are struggling to make ends meet right now.
“I used to live in California, where prices are higher,” said Nick McGrath, who was fueling his car last week at a gas station in Lynn. “For me, it is not too bad right now.”
But Mercedes sees things differently, saying that wages are not going up to stave off the effects of inflation.
“We must work, and we have kids that we have to drive to school, we have errands to run, we have to go food shopping and things,” said Mercedes. “It’s not like we are getting paid more money to be able to afford everything that is more expensive. We still get the same amount of money weekly and monthly, and we must figure it out.”
Some residents interviewed expressed hope that the U.S. would become more self-reliant when it comes to fuel.
“I don’t know why we get so much oil from Russia,” said Brian, who asked that his last name not be mentioned, at a gas station in Salem. “It shouldn’t affect the prices here as much. I can’t afford it.”
