BOSTON – Last night, Maura Healey responded to a question at a WBUR forum with State Senator Sonia Chang Diaz, that she “favors programs like TCI.” Healey went on to say that she is “committing to revisiting” TCI if elected Governor. The Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) was a failed scheme to restrict the supply of gasoline and diesels fuels by 30% over ten years in Massachusetts and a dozen other states. For motorists, their prices would increase and shortages would be expected. In essence, TCI is a gas tax that would also eventually result in fuel shortages. TCI would not be governed by elected officials, but the scheme would have the authority to raise prices and restrict the supply of fuel into a region. Healey’s comments are made around the 1:21:25 mark and you may watch them here.

“With every state in the TCI scheme rejecting the program and now many of those same states suspending their state gas tax to provide relief for motorists, it’s more than puzzling as to why Attorney General Maura Healey would commit to revisiting TCI as Governor, which will only create more economic harm for Massachusetts motorists. The Attorney General and anyone else running for office should be keeping TCI in their rear-view mirror right now. Massachusetts motorists cannot afford another gas tax hike, which TCI hopes to deliver. In fact, they need the opposite. Our state’s middle class and small businesses need lower fuel costs, not higher TCI gas taxes,” stated Paul Diego Craney, spokesperson for MassFiscal.

“All the candidates running for Governor and Lt. Governor should be clear on where they stand with TCI. Do they support raising a gas tax through TCI? Do they support restricting the supply of gasoline even though it means creating fuel shortages? Voters should know this before they are asked to weigh in on a candidate,” concluded Craney.