GOP hits Symington over gas prices

The gubernatorial race intensifies as state Republican officials released a statement today that criticized Democratic candidate Gaye Symington's attempt to increase gas taxes two years ago as Speaker of the House.

Early this afternoon, the Vermont Republican Party said in the statement "if Gaye Symington had her way, Vermonters would be paying a 20% higher tax at the pump."  Vermont's GOP officials added that the "high gas prices squeezing Vermonters' household budgets" were "already an unbearable burden" to which Symington's past tax-hike proposal would probably worsen.

The accusations stem from comments Symington (D-Jericho) made in early 2006 about supporting legislation that would increase gas taxes, which ultimately failed.

In the statement, Republicans claim that as recent as August 2007, Symington said she "had a number of issues on the table" and she was seriously reconsidering raising the gas tax as a way to increase funding for repairing roads and bridges.

While Vermont GOP officials are unsure if Symington continues to support a gas tax increase or would propose tax hikes if elected as governor, they claim that the "past is a pretty good indicator for the future."

Symington was first elected to serve in Vermont's House in 1996 as a representative for the Chittenden-8 legislative district.  In 2003 she was elected as House Minority Leader and two years later she became Speaker of the House before stepping down to enter the gubernatorial race.

She was not available for comment.