[X] NO -- CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 10 (2008) ALTERNATIVE FUEL VEHICLES AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
Do you want your hard-earned money to be used for cash payments of between $2,000 and $50,000 to purchasers of certain vehicles with high fuel economy and clean alternative fuel use, with the bulk of the rebates for trucks and other medium-and-heavy duty vehicles.
This is a bad bill which attempts to do at the state level what the federal government is planning to do at the national level.
There is no rational reason why we should subsidize the cars of our neighbors, contribute more money to politicians to hand out in the form of grants and subsidies and to pay for alternative energy fuels which should be developed by their own proponents as a commercial venture.
Or pay out hard-earned money coerced from California’s taxpayers for cash subsidies for those who will purchase trucks in California and operate them out of state. How stupid is that?
Why we should subsidize people like T. Boone Pickens, who seems to be providing funds for this proposition, so that he can make another multi-billion dollar fortune is beyond me. He has the money, let him pay for his own research and development.
According to the opponents of Proposition 10, they point out that the majority of the subsidy money will be used to support the purchase of heavy trucks powered by non-renewable natural gas (CNG or compressed natural gas) which is a form of corporate welfare.
The fact that the trucks can be purchased in California for a subsidized price and then move out of state is just another boondoggle in a State that is struggling to solve its 16-BILLION dollar deficit with more borrowing.
For those who worry about global warming, cow farts and other such matters, under Proposition 10, natural gas cars and trucks would be exempt from air pollution and greenhouse gas reduction requirements.
Creeping socialism
Are you willing to pay a higher sales tax and higher car license fee in order to provide a subsidy to your neighbor to purchase a new car or continue to fund energy initiatives which do not even consider nuclear energy … the cleanest, most sustainable and economic method for gaining energy independence.
“Clean alternative fuel” means natural gas and any fuel that achieves a reduction of at least 10 percent carbon intensity as contained in Governor Schwarzenegger’s Executive Order S-01-07.”
What the legislation will do …
- Provides $3.425 billion to help consumers and others purchase certain high fuel economy or alternative fuel vehicles, including natural gas vehicles, and to fund research into alternative fuel technology.
- Provides $1.25 billion for research, development and production of renewable energy technology, primarily solar energy with additional funding for other forms of renewable energy; incentives for purchasing solar and renewable energy technology.
- Provides grants to cities for renewable energy projects and to colleges for training in renewable and energy efficiency technologies.
- Total funding provided is $5 billion from general obligation bonds.
Impact on the State’s citizens …
- State costs of about $10 billion over 30 years to pay off both the principal ($5 billion) and interest ($5 billion) costs of the bonds. Payments of about $335 million per year.
- Increase in state sales tax revenues of an unknown amount, potentially totaling in the tens of millions of dollars, over the period from 2009 to about 2019.
- Increase in local sales tax and vehicle license fee revenues of an unknown amount, potentially totaling in the tens of millions of dollars, over the period from 2009 to about 2019.
- Potential state costs of up to about $10 million annually, through about 2019, for state agency administrative costs not funded by the measure.
What can YOU do?
Realize this is another special interest proposition that has little or no benefit to the average citizen and is being used for the purposes of corporate welfare and political handouts.
Vote NO on Proposition 10!
-- steve
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Reference Links:
PROPOSITION 10: ALTERNATIVE FUEL VEHICLES AND RENEWABLE ENERGY BONDS
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