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unfprtunately the law was written before trucks and heavy suv's were used as common personal transportation; therefore they fall into a loophole and are not affected by the gas guzzler tax. and no one wants to rewrite the law either
unfprtunately the law was written before trucks and heavy suv's were used as common personal transportation; therefore they fall into a loophole and are not affected by the gas guzzler tax. and no one wants to rewrite the law either
Thanks for the link, yo vanilla. I thought there was a gas guzzler law that went into effect after the gas shortage, back in the 1970s, but you're right, too, in that the SUVs, and big trucks, and Hummers, that some choose to drive fall into the loophole to which you allude.
I don't mind anyone choosing to drive anything. I just contend that some -- not all -- choose to drive what they do for very selfish reasons, and often at the expense of others. If you can afford the gas guzzler, and the price of the gasoline to put into it, and that's what you choose to drive, that is certainly your choice, but your choice shouldn't be at my expense.
The tax and/or penalties could go into research on alternate fuels, for that matter.
I really didn't mean to step on anyone's toes, and I haven't said anything here that I haven't brought up to my own family -- my sister with the Suburban, and my father-in-law, who owns, and drives, alternately, three of the things. Granted, at one time he used them for work, but he hasn't needed them for work for 5 years now.
"""I contend if people want/need/have to drive the gas guzzlers, fine, but for all of the benefits they think driving one affords them, the penalties should offset it. My sister argues she needs a Suburban for her three children, and I have no problem with that, but because she drives what she does, at the expense of others and the environment, she should be eating up that benefit in, say, taxes. The tax breaks she gets for those 3 children should be lost in a gas guzzler tax. """""
I find the above post very interesting. My interpretation is that this person thinks SUV owners should be penalized due to driving an SUV at the expense of the environment.
So my question is, should the person who gets 20 plastic grocery bags to (Because they insist on double bagging) to carry 10 things, also be taxed. What about the family who, twice a week, puts 7 bags of trash on the curb; yet never has any recycling to be picked up. Should they be taxed? How about the mother who wants to easily pack her kids lunch and buys the value pack juice. You know the pack that comes in box with 20 small plastic containers of juice. Which her kid drinks at lunch time and then uses the container to play basketball and dunks it into the trash can. Should they be taxed? I think you get my point but I will throw another one, the employee who makes tea and coffee everyday in a styrofoam cup and uses plastic silverware to eat his lunch...should he be taxed?
So, I am not disagreeing or agreeing with the suggestion of taxing. However, I want to point out that there are many, many things that people do that are also detrimental to the environment. So one might want to look first at themselves and ask what can I do better. Or am I doing everything that I can do.
Because, I would argue that a person who:
drives a "non gas guzzler", yet throws their cigarette butts out of the window, never recycles, leaves all of the lights on, runs the shower to heat it up and then stays in there for another 30 minutes, runs the dishwasher while half empty, washes half a load of clothes, stands in front of the fridge for 5 minutes at a time, etc etc.....
is doing a lot more damage than someone who....
drives a "gas guzzler", yet works from home 2x per week so they don't have to drive, buys the 64 or 84 ounce size juice and refills the kids reuseable juice box and brings their own bag to the grocery store, gives away things instead of throwing it away, buys from garage sales, recycles as much as possible, reuses, resale and regifts rather than trash, etc, etc.
I had a chevy truck with 350 eng 4 barrel carb..I got way better gas milage than my friend did in her little 4 cly car & her with a lead foot! This was before the gas was over $1. So dont knock what you consirder gas burnners watch the way you drive you drive. And I would love to have a small car but my mobility scooter just dont fit....Handicap people need those big vans!
Yeah, I'm amazed at how some people are still driving aggressively. If I avoid jack rabbit starts and stick to 55-60mph I can get over 30mpg in my minivan. It's funny when someone just has to pass me and then I pull right up next to them at the next stop light.
Shoot Ive pulled up beside people that past me just sitting at lights burning gas I am out & gone by the time they start to move!! I am turtle saves lots of gas!
Shoot Ive pulled up beside people that past me just sitting at lights burning gas I am out & gone by the time they start to move!! I am turtle saves lots of gas!
Yes that's true, being a turtle can be a good thing. I tend to have a lead foot however.
. . . My interpretation is that this person thinks SUV owners should be penalized due to driving an SUV at the expense of the environment.
So, I am not disagreeing or agreeing with the suggestion of taxing. However, I want to point out that there are many, many things that people do that are also detrimental to the environment. So one might want to look first at themselves and ask what can I do better. Or am I doing everything that I can do.
Because, I would argue that a person who:
drives a "non gas guzzler", yet throws their cigarette butts out of the window, never recycles, leaves all of the lights on, runs the shower to heat it up and then stays in there for another 30 minutes, runs the dishwasher while half empty, washes half a load of clothes, stands in front of the fridge for 5 minutes at a time, etc etc.....
is doing a lot more damage than someone who....
drives a "gas guzzler", yet works from home 2x per week so they don't have to drive, buys the 64 or 84 ounce size juice and refills the kids reuseable juice box and brings their own bag to the grocery store, gives away things instead of throwing it away, buys from garage sales, recycles as much as possible, reuses, resale and regifts rather than trash, etc, etc.
I agree with you completely, pennylove.
There are probably plenty of people who choose to cart their families around for whatever reasons in large vehicles, and I have no issue with it at all. But if they are consuming a larger % of a resource that so many others rely upon, too, it should cost them something. Likewise, with the people who abuse the environment in all of the other ways you mention.
I hope that eventually plastic and paper bags will be outlawed, and people will carry their own canvas shopping bags with them when they go grocery shopping, and for many purchases, such as large boxed items, will opt-out of needing a bag altogether.
I also read that in some areas, people are allowed only so much trash weekly, and are charged for more than that. When we started making a truly conscientious effort to recycle, we reduced our trash to having to roll the cart out to the street every other week, and I am placing things in the recyclables more. Even still, it only goes to the curb each week.
I'm not exactly sure how you would try to encourage and/or penalize in a lot of cases, but taxing a driver who chooses a vehicle that only gets 10-15 mpg as opposed to 30+ or more, would be fairly easy to do.
But, in response to your observation(s), yes, something needs to be done about all of those examples of waste and consumption. Much of it is at the expense of others.
I drive probably a whopping 4,000 miles per year (if even), so the price of gas isn't killing me. I can afford to keep my SUV. If my driving habits were to change, then you bet I'd find myself a better car for gas mileage. I have a Honda CRV, so it's definitely not one of those big monstrosities some people drive. I actually prefer tiny cars, but have to haul kids around and the hubby hates minivans and wagons.
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I tend to have a lead foot however.
