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Democrats around the country, including California’s Gavin Newson, are up in arms over spikes in gas prices caused by President Donald Trump’s war against Iran. <\/span><\/p>\n Missing in their condemnations is any acknowledgement that nobody is better at spiking gas prices than Democrats.<\/p>\n An analysis of AAA gasoline prices found that drivers in states led by Democrats are paying an average of 41 cents more than drivers in Republican states. Blue states currently average about $4.78 per gallon while red states average $4.37 per gallon<\/span><\/p>\n Drivers are hit by the blue-state premium regardless of whether the United States is at war with Iran or not.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n States such as California, Washington, Oregon, and New York have implemented various carbon pricing systems, low-carbon fuel standards, emissions mandates, or cap-and-trade programs that place additional costs on fuel producers and refiners. <\/span><\/p>\n Consumers in those states often see those carbon emission fees reflected at the gas pump as producers pass the costs on alongside already high state taxes. <\/span>California charges a $0.70 tax per gallon of tax, Illinois $0.66, Washington $0.59 with the rest trailing from there with a majority of these states having automatic increases for inflation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Leading the pack is California, where gas is currently $6.14 per gallon. The price is driven up by massive taxes, and costly green initiatives that make high gas prices inescapable for drivers.<\/span><\/p>\n Economist Severin Borenstein of UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business Energy Institute <\/span>said<\/span><\/a> that California’s gas is over a $1.50 higher than the national average \u201c<\/span>due to the higher taxes we have, the environmental fees we have and that we use a cleaner burning gasoline.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n California law requires that the only fuel allowed is California Reformulated Gasoline, a highly regulated gasoline blend that is more expensive.<\/p>\n Yet Newsom has used the increase caused by unrest in the Middle East as a political cudgel against Trump. Earlier this year he said that the \u201caverage price of gas is up 50 cents nationally since Trump launched his war with Iran \u2014 the fastest spike at the pump in years.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n \u201c<\/span>No amount of spin from Trump and his lackeys can cover up the fact that Americans shelled out an extra $1.5 billion for gas this past week because of his disastrous war with Iran,\u201d Newsom said.<\/span><\/p>\n Democratic Senator Patty Murray, who represents Washington, home of the second-highest gas prices in the country, said<\/a> last month, “Gas prices and energy prices are surging. Trump wants to totally defund programs that help drive down costs.”<\/p>\n She added that the Trump administration has blamed Joe Biden\u2019s clean energy policies for causing price increases, saying, \u201cI guess I missed the part where Joe Biden declared war on Iran.\u201d<\/p>\n Washington has a 55 cent tax on every single gallon of gas, and also has strict mandates for special blends of fuel that are more expensive.<\/p>\n When it comes to energy prices, Democrats regularly fight against initiatives that would make things cheaper for consumers.<\/p>\n New York’s Kathy Hochul, for example, blocked a new pipeline from being built that would dramatically reduce costs for energy in her state.<\/p>\n The American Energy Alliance says “residents are stuck with higher natural gas prices due to having to import natural gas from overseas as a result of regulatory restrictions preventing the construction of much-needed pipeline infrastructure.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Hochul was backed by liberals in the U.S. Congress, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). Their statement lists concerns about “environmental justice,” “climate goals,” and “marine ecosystems,” without mentioning cost of living.<\/p>\n \u201cThis project, which would bury 17 miles of fracked gas pipeline under the ocean floor in ecologically sensitive waters near Staten Island and the Rockaway Peninsula, poses significant and far-reaching implications for public health, environmental justice communities, climate goals and marine ecosystems,\u201d they <\/span>said<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Yet Hochul and other top Democrats in New York are slamming Trump for the Iran war.<\/p>\n “War with Iran and tariffs are driving up gas prices across the state,” Hochul said. \u201c New Yorkers shouldn\u2019t have to foot the bill for the mess Washington Republicans created.\u201d<\/p>\n Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) similarly argued<\/a> last week that \u201cAmericans are paying over $4.50 a gallon for gas because Trump refuses to end this war.”<\/span><\/p>\n