charlotte.com — His reward from a state that heavily promotes alternative fuels: a $1,000 fine last month for not paying motor fuel taxes. He's been told to expect another $1,000 fine from the federal government. And to legally use veggie oil, state officials told him, he would have to first post a $2,500 bond.
Jun 12, 2007 View in Crawl 4
slovenian6474Jun 13, 2007
A bicycle lane on a freeway? It's dangerous enough on regular (under 55mph speed limit) road with today's drivers! And you think a bike lane on a 60-70 mph speed limit road is a good idea?
hansningJun 14, 2007
@ sunsetter:aparently, USED vegetable oil cars cars smell like what they were cooking last, and even unused oil still smells different. maybe officers are trained to have sharp noses.
lembasbreadJun 14, 2007
While this guy is doing a very progressive thing, that doesn't make him above the law. Fuel tax taxes fuel. Plain and simple. Just because he is using an alternative fuel does not make him exempt from this tax. While it is extremely nieve to believe that fuel taxes go directly to roads (in my state they are wasted on special interest groups and unneeded metro transit), they are used somewhere. Not every tax exists to counteract a problem that caused its creation, that much should be obvious. In a perfect world, that would happen and all the numbers would work out. That is, for better or for worse, not the case in the real world. As such, that argument is void. I don't see any wrongdoing by the state in this case. They are simply equally enforcing the law. Just because he pays more for his fuel, doesn't mean he is exempt from the tax even though he may very well be doing a good thing. If I were to pick up trash on a highway, does that mean I don't have to pay my garbage pickup bills? Of course not!
fixedcomaJun 14, 2007
Lets all ride bicycles for a week to work and such! Come on lets save some money for once. I dare You. I triple dog dare you! lol
radiometricJun 22, 2007
They do.In the form of more sales tax.Hybrids are more expensive to buy than non-hybrids. If you are referring to non-hybrid cars that just get great mileage, they accomplish this mostly by weighing less.They can put less towards road maintenance since they do weigh less.On the flipside, if you have a vehicle that can carry much weight, you can be charged a vehicle weight fee as part of your vehicle registration. Another reason why stuff costs more than it could: Trucking companies pay huge weight fees. Stuff gets to your stores via trucks.
surflaunchJul 12, 2007
So, based on your explanation, how will the states balance the tax income if the stated goal of reducing fuel usage is realized through higher efficiency vehicle, higher CAFE standards and increased use of alternative fuels. And by the way, Fuel does not carry a sales tax like the oil does so if you require it then by rights the sales tax should be dropped. Otherwise it will double taxation of this commodity.
surflaunchJul 12, 2007
QUOTED FROM OUR CONSTITUTION:That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
surflaunchJul 12, 2007
QUOTED FROM THE FOUNDING DOCUMENT:That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
donna1234Jul 4, 2008
Waste food for oil.<a class="user" href="http://www.recipesblog.net">http://www.recipesblog.net</a><a class="user" href="http://www.foodencyclopedia.info">http://www.foodencyclopedia.info</a><a class="user" href="http://www.t30.info">http://www.t30.info</a>