Some Florida Democrats, including gubernatorial candidate Nikki Fried, tried to get another narrative ball rolling with some help from these tweets from a Politico reporter:
Also noted in Playbook….
As gas prices remain high – Florida's Department of Revenue announced on Wednesday that the state's gas taxes will go up on Jan. 1. Move came the same day @CharlieCrist called on @GovRonDeSantis to suspend those taxes for the holidays.— Gary Fineout (@fineout) November 18, 2021
Florida will raise its main gas tax on Jan. 1 from 18.5 cents per gallon to 19 cents. A second related gas tax will go from 8 cents to 8.3 cents… https://t.co/LjL1UXu2VZ
— Gary Fineout (@fineout) November 18, 2021
This is just something to remember if Gov. DeSantis talks again about the high cost of gasoline. State government will also be pushing up the cost for motorists. State gas taxes also went up in Jan. 2021 as well
— Gary Fineout (@fineout) November 18, 2021
Fried and others used that in attempts to distract from reality:
With gas prices higher than ever, Ron DeSantis is RAISING gas taxes. He calls himself a fiscal conservative, but we know what he really is: a fraud https://t.co/dHUYrhG53Y
— Nikki Fried (@NikkiFried) November 18, 2021
PSA for everyone in Florida who is wondering why gas prices are so high: DeSantis keeps raising the gas tax. https://t.co/iLt0eggV8p
— Caroline Stonecipher (@caroline0902) November 19, 2021
Nice try, but no.
Florida Dems are claiming DeSantis is responsible for high gas prices lol https://t.co/Guili7OAto
— Jordan Schachtel @ dossier.substack.com (@JordanSchachtel) November 19, 2021
Again, Nikki Fried is lying. @GovRonDeSantis never raised the gas tax. Dept of Revenue, a CABINET agency, has to raise the tax if inflation occurs—per Florida Statute. Biden’s irresponsible policies, that Fried cheers on, are causing inflation (nationwide, obviously). Stop lying! https://t.co/0hq6YUOcbn
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 (@ChristinaPushaw) November 19, 2021
PSA: Revenue is a Cabinet agency. Your own boss, @NikkiFried is also a member of the Cabinet. Florida Statute requires gas tax to be raised as inflation occurs. State governments don’t control currency; the federal government does. Biden/DC Dems are causing inflation. Stop lying. pic.twitter.com/VxtnocCfph
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 (@ChristinaPushaw) November 19, 2021
Candidate for Governor displaying her abject ignorance of the law and state operations.
The Governor is not raising it, there is a law on the books requiring the gas tax to be pegged to inflation.
The law was written by a Democrat.
The inflation is due to our Democrat President. https://t.co/R9o4Zokcon— Brad Slager – Incontinent On Another Continent (@MartiniShark) November 19, 2021
For an attorney, this shows a complete lack of understanding of law. It may be convenient to believe cabinet agencies have the authority to wave a magic wand & suspend it, but the law provides no remedy for the inflationary pressures emanating from fiscal mismanagement from D.C. https://t.co/T5KFLSoVaG
— Taryn Fenske (@tarynfenske) November 18, 2021
“Complete lack of understanding” is what these Dems hope will allow them to get away with these total falsehoods.
This is completely dishonest. The annual gas tax adjustment is required under a ore-existing law enacted long before @GovRonDeSantis took office. 🤦♂️ @ChristinaPushaw
— Richard A Harrison (@RAHarrisonPA) November 19, 2021
We had $2 gal last year at this time and DeSantis had nothing to do with it. Their gaslighting is pathetic.
— trad_kat (@tradkat) November 19, 2021
Gosh what in the world would have caused gas to get so expensive??
— Federalist Muskrat 🇺🇸 (@Muskrat__) November 19, 2021
The author of the report you intentionally misquote has called you out as a liar @NikkiFried @NikkiFriedFL https://t.co/gond5sisu2 pic.twitter.com/HBgEGSmbZd
— GWardHome (@gwardhome) November 19, 2021
Gas has gone up $1.30 cents in a year because of Biden. A one penny hike from a bill passed 32 years ago based on rising inflation that Biden has also caused… but we must remove Rob DeSantis! 🤣🤣🤣
— Corneilious Rumpkin (@kevino70119500) November 19, 2021
Never fails! The Dems (and media) reek of desperation and DeSantis press secretary Christina Pushaw calls them out on a daily basis:
What else do they have besides blame-shifting? Have you ever seen Biden take responsibility for anything? Dems don’t do that. https://t.co/i4LzULbAlh
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 (@ChristinaPushaw) November 19, 2021
Nikki Fried based her false statement on your tweet, and QTed you. She is a politician. You’re a journalist. It would have been appropriate for you to correct her. https://t.co/aeIwfxppcu
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 (@ChristinaPushaw) November 19, 2021
And yet no mention of CPI or Florida statute in your Tweet thread, and no correction of Nikki Fried using your Tweet to spread a political narrative that you know to be false? https://t.co/ZmMhk1h43W
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 (@ChristinaPushaw) November 19, 2021
Politico journalist gets called out for enabling @NikkiFried propaganda; tries to walk it back; does not convince. pic.twitter.com/rtz45I4CDa
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 (@ChristinaPushaw) November 19, 2021
Dems and the media can always be counted on to try and work together.
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