And another one. The guy sponsoring this bill, Senator Florez, drives a 12mpg GMC Denali. Even my Pinz does better than that.
Please vote NO on SB 708.
A few old cars owned by poor people and hobbyists are NOT the problem.
Over the years, I’ve owned and restored half a dozen old Land Rovers and other utility vehicles. Rather than paying $30,000 for a new SUV, I have chosen to save old vehicles from the scrapyard, clean up and maintain them and drive them occasionally, adhering to the community standards of “Tread Lightly” and “Leave No Trace”.
I currently own a 1972 Steyr-Puch Pinzgauer. It is insured, it is in great mechanical condition, and I drive it on weekend camping trips. I pick up trash and repair trails and leave natural areas in better condition than I find them. People who own old vehicles and take care of them are MORE likely to care for the environment than conspicuous consumers.
New smog equipment for old cars is unreasonably expensive and generally causes worse performance. If I could purchase smog equipment, catalytic converters, new engines, or even propane, biofuel, or electric conversion systems for these vehicles at a reasonable cost, this might be an acceptable compromise. Sending these few old vehicles to the scrapyards and forcing me to purchase a new vehicle is NOT going to protect the environment.
Not enough public transportation, and decentralized communities forcing massive commuting is the problem.
This bill blatantly supports new vehicle manufacturers and auto dealerships while penalizing hobbyists and the poor.
Please, consider sponsoring more bicycle commuting paths, more subsidized public transportation, more support of earth-friendly communities, instead of this legislation.