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Tuesday, May 28, 2013

U.S. Border Entry Fee Study Sparks Opposition

SEATTLE (AP) - By Michael Hill's estimation, 90 percent of the people pumping gas at his station just south of the U.S.-Canada border in Washington state are Canadians.

Gas north of the 49th parallel, he said, is about $1.30 per gallon more expensive than in the United States. But that's not the only product that Canadians seek in visits to Washington state: Beer, wine and milk are significantly cheaper (beer and wine alone are roughly half the price in the U.S.).

Add a strong Canadian dollar and the result is a key element of the economy in the towns of Whatcom County. For example, the town of Blaine, population just shy of 5,000, generates over $225,000 from a penny per gallon gas tax, which is about 30 percent of its street maintenance budget.

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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Same thing is happening in Delmar. Most of the cars and trucks buying on the Delaware side have Maryland registration. My friends that are in business in Delaware say O'Malley is the best thing that Maryland has done for us.