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From: WFSB.com, 1 July 2008

New Tax Will Push Diesel Over $5

HARTFORD, Conn. -- A state tax that took effect Tuesday has pushed the state diesel average above $5 per gallon, and officials said fuel prices are taking a toll.

In the first quarter of this year, officials said, 935 trucking companies have gone under.

Martin Morola said he’s looking for some relief. He said sales at his Torrington truck dealership have fallen.

They're down 10 percent from last year, he said.

State Sen. David Cappiello, R-Danbury, said the U.S. can’t keep looking abroad to solve the energy crisis. He said we need offshore drilling and conservation.

Prices at the pump are going up, too, officials said. By not capping wholesale prices, they said, fuel taxes have increased by 4 cents a gallon.

As Morola, whose family business has been around for more than 70 years, he said something must be done to decrease the nation’s dependence on foreign oil.