Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom called upon Californians to skip Chevron this holiday weekend after the company began posting signs blaming his government for high gas prices.
The governor issued his call in a post on X, advising Californians to purchase “unbranded” gas instead.
“Californians, if you’re hitting the road this holiday weekend, be sure to AVOID Chevron. Pro tip: unbranded gas comes from the same refineries, storage tanks, and pipelines, and it meets the same state standards to keep your engine running clean, even if it doesn’t have a fancy name like ‘Techron,’” he said. “Big Oil is already making billions off Trump’s Iran War; don’t let them rip you off even more by overpaying for the brand name.”
Though Newsom made no mention of it, the governor issued his call after Chevron began posting signs at various stations blaming him and Democrats for high gas prices in the Golden State due to taxes.
“Sacramento policies did this. Now you pay more,” the signs say. “California politicians are choosing foreign oil and fuels over local jobs and lower costs.”
As noted by NBC News, the average gas price in California “sat at $6.14 per gallon on Thursday, about $1.58 higher than the national average, according to the American Automobile Association.”
“The state taxes consumers about 70 cents per gallon of gas, according to the state’s energy commission. That is the highest gas tax in the country,” it noted.
“Newsom, who often touts the state’s status as a global climate leader, has passed policies in recent years aimed at cracking down on oil company profits and reducing gas prices,” it added. “He signed a law in 2023 allowing the state’s energy commission to penalize oil companies for excess profits, declaring the state had ‘finally beat big oil.’ But regulators voted last year to hold off on plans to penalize businesses until 2030 and prioritize other efforts to protect consumers at the pump.”
Chevron spokesman Ross Allen previously said that the company launched the campaign three years ago to inform drivers about California’s policies.
“We’ve been very vocal about the importance of customer education in California so that our drivers and our consumers understand where their tax dollars are going,” Allen said.
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