An emissions test on an 08 vehicle? Really? (sales, vehicle registration)

[Hesster]

Just got my registration reminder, and a notice that I have to take my car in for an emissions test. My question is... Why? It's highly unlikely that a car that's two years old is going to have emissions problems. I got it in August of 07. The warranty isn't even up yet.

The state I used to live in had it so all cars newer than three years were exempt.

[jwest09]

Originally Posted by Hesster

Just got my registration reminder, and a notice that I have to take my car in for an emissions test. My question is... Why? It's highly unlikely that a car that's two years old is going to have emissions problems. I got it in August of 07. The warranty isn't even up yet.

The state I used to live in had it so all cars newer than three years were exempt.

This is true. In AZ. new vehicles are exempt for 5 years, then testing is done every other year. They know that most newer cars should not have any emission issues. But unlike AZ.,Idaho vehicle registration is cheap.(for now). And I am for emission testing in Canyon county too, for better air quality in the whole Treasure Valley.

[DrummerBoy]

Yeah...that whole emissions-testing deal is just another example of a beaurocratic money-making scheme. If it was required for cars older than say 10 years or so, I would say, fine, amybe it'll help the air quality around here a bit, go ahead and take my $16. But the fact that, as you say, they require ti on even new cars with catalytic converters and ultra-efficient fuel injection and exhaust systems, proves they're just out for money. And woe betide you if you accidently miss an inspexction! I was out of state for a few months last year and missed mine and they cancelled my vehicle registration. I only found out about it when I got pulled over for no seatbelt (another money-maker law, BTW) and the cop told me.
And then you get your new car needlessly inspected and you see some 30 year-old clunker going down the road spewing black smoke like a chimney and wonder wtf?
I think this is the sort of thing you see alot in Blue counties, eh? Big government at work.

[Hesster]

Actually, I don't think it has anything to do with how blue the county is. I lived in WA and the county I used to live in was bluer than a smurf and when I bought my previous car, I didn't need to have it inspected for four years due to the way the model years worked out.

Sure, the sales tax, gas tax, and property taxes are a bit lower in ID, but really... Between stuff like this, the income tax, and the sales tax also applying to groceries (WA has no income tax and sales tax doesn't apply to groceries) I think I end up paying just as much if not more taxes here in Idaho. :/

[cleatis]

I'll have to agree with Hesster. At first it may look cheaper to live here, and in some ways it is, but really it's about like anywhere else.

As far as the emissions testing goes, I am all about clean air. But it's going to shut a lot of people out of their only transportation. People don't drive dirty cars with the intention of polluting, much of the time they drive the old crappy cars that can't pass emissions because that's all they can afford to drive. In canyon county especially there are a lot of 500 dollar wonder cars that wouldn't pass emissions with a miracle. I'm sure that these people would love to have a car that would pass emissions but they can't afford it. And given the nature of cars today they aren't even worth the money it would take to fix them. It would be senseless to put $500 into a car to pass emissions when the car is barely worth that.

If the emissions testing gets passed, what are all these people going to do for transportation? They aren't going to be able to afford a new car just because they are supposed to...

[Jarndyce]

The real joke is that this is not a statewide issue. Why only 1 county has to do it (with other counties maybe coming along) is beyond me. And why does it have to be a yearly thing, especially with a car less than 5 years old...

This state is backwards in many ways.

[Deena160]

Which county is this? :~/ D

[jwest09]

Originally Posted by Jarndyce

The real joke is that this is not a statewide issue. Why only 1 county has to do it (with other counties maybe coming along) is beyond me. And why does it have to be a yearly thing, especially with a car less than 5 years old...

This state is backwards in many ways.

Its the federal government that puts pressure on the states for more and better emission testing. If the states do not comply, they could stand to loose valuable $$$ from the feds.

[DrummerBoy]

Originally Posted by Hesster

Actually, I don't think it has anything to do with how blue the county is. I lived in WA and the county I used to live in was bluer than a smurf and when I bought my previous car, I didn't need to have it inspected for four years due to the way the model years worked out.

Sure, the sales tax, gas tax, and property taxes are a bit lower in ID, but really... Between stuff like this, the income tax, and the sales tax also applying to groceries (WA has no income tax and sales tax doesn't apply to groceries) I think I end up paying just as much if not more taxes here in Idaho. :/

Wrong. A Blue--or Democratic--governing entity will always find ways to impose more taxes and user fees on its citizens than will a red--or Republican one. Of course it depends on which particular entity happens to have jurisdiction in the specific taxable matter at hand; it could be trickling down from either the state, county or city level.
After all, That's the whole raison d'etre of Dems, is it not? Tax and spend! See, Big government, often craftily uses the guise of public health or safety to extort fistfuls of tax dollars. The emissions testing is an example of this. We in the political science arena call this a "nanny state."

[cleatis]

Originally Posted by DrummerBoy

Wrong. A Blue--or Democratic--governing entity will always find ways to impose more taxes and user fees on its citizens than will a red--or Republican one. Of course it depends on which particular entity happens to have jurisdiction in the specific taxable matter at hand; it could be trickling down from either the state, county or city level.
After all, That's the whole raison d'etre of Dems, is it not? Tax and spend! See, Big government, often craftily uses the guise of public health or safety to extort fistfuls of tax dollars. The emissions testing is an example of this. We in the political science arena call this a "nanny state."

I wouldn't say that the blue politicians are the only big spenders we had an 8 year conservative reign of a cash fire-hose that even the bluest of the blues had to shake their head at. You are right in that tidy righties don't impose more in taxes, but they do have a history of running up massive amounts of debt that we are all saddled with. The national debt adds up to almost $40,000 per person and that is certainly no better than higher taxes. Not to mention, they also made government quite a bit bigger, father reaching and more in our face.

I will grant you that the dems to support more taxing and spending, but they surely aren't the only ones who spend money like it's going out of style. But mostly, where is the democratic influence in Idaho? Sure we may have a democrat in office here now, but he surely doesn't act like one and the only reason that he was even elected is because the last guy was so far right that even the best of the tidy righties couldn't stand the guy. In short, All I am saying is that the democrat influence in Idaho is pretty much nonexistent.

I'm not trying to make a red and blue debate here, I am simply saying that neither side can really say that they live up to their motto's...