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Virginia "NoHybridTax" Petition signatures needed

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by wjtracy, Mar 1, 2013.

  1. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    Virginia "NoHybridTax" Petition

    If you are with us in spirit, I am officially endorsing signing (on-line) of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network's (CCAN) version of the NoHybridTax petition. The goal is to collect 10,000 names by next week. So far they have 5000 signatures. If you already signed the earlier version of the petition, you are covered.

    CCAN are the good folks who picked up the baton and conducted the "Hybrid Protest Parade" in Richmond, in the apparent lack of any public policy advocacy group for hybrids. Amazing.

    I am told out-of-state signers are fine, especially if you live in the area, used to live in the area, or just want to make a statement. The petition is at www.chesapeakeclimate.org/nohybridtax

    [​IMG]

    > If you experience any trouble with the link above, you can also go to NoHybridTax.com
    > We will try to keep this thread mainly on Petition mechanics/questions and problems.

    For discussion of the VA issues, the two threads active at the moment are:
    Virginia Transportation Funding Deal | PriusChat
    Are Annual Hybrid/EV Owner Fees Fair? | PriusChat

    Thank you!
     
  2. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    More graphics (if you want to share)

    [​IMG]



    [​IMG]
     
  3. jameskatt

    jameskatt Member

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    The fairest thing to do is to simply raise the gas tax for ALL people to make up for the loss in tax revenue by people using Hybrids, public transportation, car pools, bicycles, and other means to help the U.S. free itself from foreign oil and air pollution.

    If Virginia raises the gas tax by $1 a gallon, then it stands to make a huge profit instead of taking a loss. And it would encourage saving the environment and freedom from foreign oil. Duh.
     
  4. KeinoDoggy

    KeinoDoggy Member

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    Instead of penalizing those who are trying to reduce our dependence on oil, our representitives should be rewarding them. It would make more sense to raise the tax /gallon so that those still buying gas hogs, like SUVs, would find it more sensible to purchase more fuel saving vehicles. It would also force the auto industry to concentrate on bringing larger hybrid vehicles, for those who actually need them, to market.
     
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  5. Ratoncita

    Ratoncita New Member

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    In Japan, government provided $1000 to the buyers of hybrid/electronic cars and they are also continuing the vehicle-related tax reduction for hybrid/electronic car owners.

    This thing in VA does not make any sense at all.
     
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  6. AtoyotA

    AtoyotA Junior Member

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    Thanks for posting this. I signed the petition.
     
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  7. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    Signed.
    OP, consider adding a poll so that we can have an idea how many people sign.

    Good Luck !
     
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  8. Silver bullit

    Silver bullit Right Lane Cruiser

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    Signed
     
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  9. Alice Mya

    Alice Mya Junior Member

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    Signed :)
    This tax does not make any sense.
     
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  10. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    Thank you!!!...and don't forget to spread the word to your green car supporting friends, they can come here, or they can just go to NoHybridTax.com
     
  11. iClaudius

    iClaudius Active Member

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    All true but VA has a nut case for a governor and legislature to match. Only way to get rid of the anti-American tax on fuel efficient cars is get rid of the nut cases who passed the legislation.
     
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  12. winnertakesteve

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    signed from ontario, canada!
     
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  13. ItsNotAboutTheMoney

    ItsNotAboutTheMoney EditProfOptInfoCustomUser Title

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    Sorry, not signing. The "stable climate" part is simply too divisive and completely unnecessary.

    People understand fairness. (Fee unrelated to total use, excessive compared to conventional efficient vehicles, fee unrelated to vehicle weight)
    People understand double taxation (pay a charge instead of gas taxes, pay more sales tax to get gas savings, pay sales tax on gas savings).
    People understand gas imports (efficient cars import less and keep money in the economy longer)
    People understand clean air (hybrids are cleaner than their counterparts)

    I did like the Monroney-style Civic comparison though.
     
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  14. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    iClaudius I appreciate your support, but in my mind, I am substituting the word "Republican" for your first derogatory term, and I am substituting the words "Republicans and Democrats" for the second instance. That makes it a very good post, because the Washington Post today called these folks who passed the bill the heros, and the folks that voted no as the villains.

    Thankfully, the Washington Post did say the VA hybrid tax was "nonsensical", but apparently they see this as a minor point.
     
  15. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    I understand that emotion and feel we probably need our own Hybrid policy advocacy organization, assuming we don't have one.

    >>But please note: you can go to NoHybridTax.com and take part in the original Petition version posted by several politicians who were brave enough to vote "No" on this bill. Those guys just got hammered by Washington Post today, so I am sure they would appreciate a little support.

    P.S.- We are charting new territory here, maybe next time we could have a non-partisan or PriusChat version.
     
  16. iClaudius

    iClaudius Active Member

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    But inaccurate since it was the goal of the GOP governor and GOP legislature to punish fuel efficiency and to promote oil use by taxing fuel efficient cars.

    It has nothing to do with money for roads since gas use is up and hybrids are very, very small percentage of cars.

    It is a purely political move by one party, the GOP. We've seen it before in Federal MPG and pollution standards, even in car safety.

    Claiming it is equal when one party in power legislates tax credits for fuel efficiency and one part in power taxes fuel efficiency is inaccurate and dishonest.
     
  17. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    Is someone here trying to defend the GOP as an environmentally and national energy policy responsible party ? LOL

    I demand that the governor add annual fees to all taxis, buses, and multi-passenger use vehicles like car-sharing. Clearly, all of them are skirting paying their fair share of road costs by unfairly lowering their GPM.
     
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  18. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    Sign a check, $100, to those supporting your point of view; send it, and; a photo copy to those who oppose your point of view. Then call the opposition offices a couple of days later to make sure they got the message.

    Point out that if you have to pay this unfair tax, you will simply write the check for the tax and another $100 to any candidate who opposes this tax.

    Bob Wilson
     
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  19. austingreen

    austingreen Senior Member

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    Completely agree. I don't like petitions for state matters signed by out of state voters. It moves things to the extremes and the well funded, although I do agree this is a stupid tax and tax level. No reason to include emotional and unrelated junk on an issues petition.

    It should simply stick to the issues - this is a tax change that will likely decrease tax revenue in order to encourage less efficient cars. The civic graphic is a good one. Will the new tax, which taxes a civic hybrid more than a conventional civic be enough to encourage the purchase of the non-hybrid? Will the loss of sales tax and property tax on these new cars be offset by the higher road tax on fewer of them? It seems that the state of Virginia is trying to create an anti hybrid tax complexity to shift buying behavior to tax oil. That is another special tax by politicians. If you are against politicians simply trying to complicate the tax code for their own nefarious means you should be against this part of the tax code.

    If say the tax was smaller - say $20/year it might seem like the slightest attempt was put out there for fair share, but again this is only a tiny bit of revenue. Sometimes lower taxes are better than some bizarre new tax policy that tries to do fairer taxes. If this extra $20/year started to make a difference in tax revenues, I really would not object to it. Revenue from raising the fuel tax or sales tax is much higher than registration fees on efficient cars unless you drastically over tax them. New taxes are the politicians favorite ploy, and whenever someone says it is to be fair they are really trying to pick your pocket. The solution to lower fuel tax revenues because of more efficient cars is to increase the per gallon gas tax on the 99.9% of cars that use fuel. That way the tax per person can stay stable with the more efficient shift, but those with the least efficient cars will pay more. This may not seem fair to those that want to encourage low tax rates and more SUVs, but in total dollars it is most effective and fair to the great majority of drivers.
     
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  20. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    ^^^OK I understand...well I thought some out of state flavor would show the whole world watching but obviously it's not good if too many from out-of-state...I wonder if Gov will veto this fee and look like a hero. But in my mind we now have to erase the green car stigma created. If he vetos I hope he says on further analysis hybrids are already over-taxed in VA.