"Dubbed the "Clean Air Discount Act," the bill is sponsored by Ira Ruskin, D-Redwood City, and faces a vote Friday in the state assembly. It would require drivers who purchase new vehicles that emit high levels of greenhouse gases to pay a fee of up to $2,500. The money would be used to pay rebates of up to $2,500 to buyers of more fuel-efficient models." "The automakers also have a Web site, wedrivecalifornia.com, that tells people how to contact their state legislators." "The ad is the latest skirmish in battles between Detroit and California over fuel economy mandates." http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a.../706060383/1148
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(HBO6 @ Jun 6 2007, 10:17 AM) [snapback]456504[/snapback]</div> The irony is that GM is part and parcel w/ defeating this kind of legislating ... all the while claiming they are now on the green bandwagon.
Good I hope this gets passed! This bill will hasten the ultimate implosion of California. Everyone will just go to NV or AZ to buy cars, why? Because it is unconsitutional for CA to not let you register a car bought in another state! (CA got burned bad by this a few years ago because they used to charge out of state cars more to register. They had to refund billions of dollars) GoGoGoGoGoGoGo!
We have something similar up in Canada, where inefficient vehicles pay up to $4000 and efficient vehicles like hybrids get $2000 back. It's a federal program, so there's no way around it. I'm sure they'd make you pay the $4000 here if you import a vehicle too. I guess it doesn't work well, if it's only at the state level.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(HBO6 @ Jun 6 2007, 07:17 AM) [snapback]456504[/snapback]</div> Fat chance that'll get passed. Dave M.
Personally I'd rather that SUVs simply lose their "Light Truck" classification since a majority of them are not used for any sort of commercial type work which requires additional horsepower.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Devil's Advocate @ Jun 6 2007, 12:17 PM) [snapback]456629[/snapback]</div> Why wouldn't the state be able to collect the fee when the out of state vehicle is registered in CA? They do this with sales/use tax now.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(HBO6 @ Jun 6 2007, 08:17 AM) [snapback]456504[/snapback]</div> I thought there was already a "gas Guzzler" tax added to the window sticker of Cars? I was looking at an 07 Audi S4 last year and it had a $1,500 mark up for just that. or is this different?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JimN @ Jun 6 2007, 09:30 PM) [snapback]457014[/snapback]</div> All they would need to do is turn it into an excise tax. When I lived in South Carolina, they had an excise tax on cars that you paid every year and was based on the value of the car. California could impose an excise tax that is based on emissions. In fact, they could probably even tie it into the results of the emission testing that I'm sure they already do. Since such an excise tax would be paid every year for cars registered in the state, it wouldn't matter where you bought the car.
The State of Connecticut does not collect sales tax on the sale of a hybrid or low-emissions vehicle. And that's new or used. That does amount to a considerable savings on a $27,000 vehicle. When I purchased my used Prius, I did pay sales tax on dealer thingies, like vin-etch and other nonesense. But the car itself came free of sales tax. I saved some $1,156.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mhollis @ Jun 7 2007, 10:34 AM) [snapback]457281[/snapback]</div> Doesn't CT charge property tax on cars? And isn't that every year ?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(donee @ Jun 7 2007, 10:04 AM) [snapback]457424[/snapback]</div> I was gonna ask the same. The way I understand it the registration is cheap in CT but they have to pay taxes every year on the car.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Devil's Advocate @ Jun 6 2007, 01:17 PM) [snapback]456629[/snapback]</div> Well it must be terrible to see a layer of smog over some areas of California. Breathing in bad air day after day just might make you do something more drastic than another fellow American who enjoys clean air and blue skys. How are the whore houses in Nevada? Doing well I hope, perhaps you could send some profits to help SUV and light truck buyers in CA if the tax passes.
Bad air/smog is not a result of SUVs, as fuel inefficient as they really are if you replace all fuel efficient cars you'll still have problems. Those areas that have the smog/haze/poor air quality have either some geological feature which keeps the stuff in there (valley etc) or there is a large driving population in that area, Los Angeles, etc, hell even San Francisco with the ocean constantly blowing air through has bad air because there are so many drivers.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MikeSF @ Jun 6 2007, 08:07 PM) [snapback]456998[/snapback]</div> Hauling mulch back from Home Depot doesn't qualify??
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(donee @ Jun 7 2007, 12:04 PM) [snapback]457424[/snapback]</div> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(vdubstress @ Jun 7 2007, 12:16 PM) [snapback]457434[/snapback]</div> CT cities can (and do) charge property tax on cars. I'm not sure what the tax structure is and if any of that makes it back to the state (somehow I doubt it). However, the state of CT charges sales tax once when you buy a car. The state sales tax is waived for hybrids, but you still have to pay the city property tax (~$600/year for an '05 Package 3). <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MikeSF @ Jun 6 2007, 08:07 PM) [snapback]456998[/snapback]</div> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(N_IL_Priusfan @ Jul 13 2007, 02:37 PM) [snapback]478291[/snapback]</div> I'd like to see a law stating that something can only be considered a "light truck" if its owner routinely uses it for something that the Prius couldn't do. So, no. Hauling mulch back from Home Depot doesn't qualify.
Federal laws, State laws, Local laws - In this country, we have more laws (and government) than we know what to do with.... What we need are fewer laws and fewer people. Keith
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MikeSF @ Jun 6 2007, 08:07 PM) [snapback]456998[/snapback]</div> Yes! This is the federally-mandated loophole that's been exploited for decades...and which is at the root of a lot of the points of this discussion. It's also at the core of some safety issues, as well. Or...being a 'light truck' can be based on cargo capacity...betcha I can get more into my Prius than the owners of some SUV's!
