Transcript: Gaspricewatch Group's Brad Proctor

This is a partial transcript from "Your World with Neil Cavuto," May 3, 2005, that was edited for clarity.

NEIL CAVUTO, HOST: Well, wipe out that state tax and I want you to look at the difference. With us now from Cincinnati to explain is Brad Proctor. He’s the founder of GasPriceWatch.com. Good to have you, sir.

BRAD PROCTOR, FOUNDER, GASPRICEWATCH GROUP: Good to be here, Neil.

CAVUTO: I’m surprised when I look at all the states here besides just the state taxes, which — we`ll try to compare apples to apples, instead of apples and oranges. It’s ridiculously high. In Wisconsin, I know it’s sort of a collective fee. But New York and Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and this is just slapped on to every gallon?

PROCTOR: Absolutely. You know, every state has its own formula for its taxes. And it just gets added, whether — no matter what the price is.

CAVUTO: All right, Brad, let’s start looking at some of the more, I guess, notable examples. In California — I was in Los Angeles last week, and I could see $3 and over in some street corners here. What are we looking at in that state?

PROCTOR: Sure. Well, you know, California has an 18 cent state sales tax, but they have something also that`s very regressive. On top of that 18 cent sales tax, they also have a sales tax percentage, which is 6 percent of the gasoline price. You know, that means, at $2, the state is making 12 cents. At $3, the state is making 18 cents. The state loves it.

They also have a tank user fee also of 1 cent per gallon that gets levied in California, which, again, goes to adding up to highest cost in the nation.

CAVUTO: All right. How the heck are they running a deficit. But that’s a whole other issue. New York, same situation. What’s the deal?

PROCTOR: Same situation. They have got a 32 cent tax on the — for the state, but they also have another 1-cent-per-gallon tax on the state issue for — excuse me — a 0.3 percent tax on the underground storage tanks. So, again, it’s, again, regressive and moving up.

CAVUTO: All right, Wisconsin?

PROCTOR: Wisconsin, 32 cents also. But that’s a straight 32 cents that they have blended through the state, so they don`t have any additional taxes ...

(CROSSTALK)

PROCTOR: ... Wisconsin.

CAVUTO: So, they don`t have any clean air or any of that other stuff fees, right?

PROCTOR: That’s correct.

CAVUTO: OK. All right. Illinois.

PROCTOR: Illinois, 19 cents sales tax — or excuse me — state tax on their every gallon. Again, this is every single gallon that you buy.

CAVUTO: Yes.

PROCTOR: But they also have a fee for the underground storage tanks of 0.3 percent for everything.

CAVUTO: Well, all right.

PROCTOR: So, again, you start to see these regressive prices in there.

(CROSSTALK)

PROCTOR: But they also have, again...

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: Go ahead.

PROCTOR: Sorry. Again, I want to point out one other thing. They also have a 6.25 percent sales tax on top of that 19 cent tax that they have, so, again, very, very regressive.

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: I want to end very quickly with Rhode Island. That little state that I used to live in has big fees, right?

PROCTOR: Right, 30 cents per gallon.

CAVUTO: OK.

PROCTOR: Almost the highest in the nation, with a 1 cent-per-gallon EPA fee.

CAVUTO: Wow.

PROCTOR: The EPA again, clean air, clean water.

CAVUTO: Brad Proctor, thank you very much. We found out quite a bit, the reverend for this.

PROCTOR: Thank you.

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