Jones Still Has Not Spoken About Georgians Being Forced to Pay More at the Pump
Days after the gas tax went back into effect, Burt Jones continues his refusal to fight for relief at the pump – and in new reporting from Courier Georgia, Jones has again flatly declined to respond when asked about his position on the elimination of the gas tax suspension.
And in an interview with Savannah’s WJCL Thursday, Rick Jackson called bringing back the gas tax “the right and prudent thing to do” – even as Savannah residents are paying the highest prices in the state.
The Courier Georgia also highlighted Jones’ and Jackson’s ties to the gas and oil industry, which has made billions in excess profits since gas prices have increased since February.
As Courier Georgia notes, Jones’ “silence is notable given his past comments” praising President Trump for lowering gas prices. In fact, Jones told a Rome crowd in February that “[w]e’ve had enough of people telling us $4 for gasoline is okay,” even as the end of the gas tax suspension makes it likely that many people across Georgia will soon face that same price point.
Watch Jackson say that bringing back the gas tax is the “right
Meanwhile, Keisha Lance Bottoms has made clear she would push for a gas tax suspension as governor – and urged Jones and Jackson to join her in calling for price relief at the pump.
Read more from Courier Georgia about Jones’ refusal to fight for relief at the pump.
Key excerpts:
- Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who is headed to a June 16th runoff to be the Republican nominee against Rick Jackson, has not said on the record whether he supports extending the gas tax suspension. The silence is notable given his past comments.
- “We’ve had enough of people telling us $4 for gasoline is okay,” he said during an event with President Trump in February, before the Iran war began.
- Since the war started, however, Jones has not criticized the resulting price increases and has instead expressed his support for the conflict.
- “I trust President Trump and what he’s doing over there in Iran,” he told 11 Alive News.
- Jones is the heir to Jones Petroleum, a major gas station operator with locations across the state, and a sector that has been exceptionally profitable during the Iran conflict. According to a report from the Groundwork Collaborative, oil and gas companies recorded roughly $23 billion in excess profits in the first month of the war alone.
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