SUV fees

[Moi]

Originally posted by eric
I have an interesting idea. If were are going to have an additional tax or fee placed on SUVs, why not mandate that the extra money go into a fund to research alternative energy.

That would be great. I have been investigating putting solar panels on my house so that some of our electricity could be diverted. Listen, I'm no standard "granola hippie" but I just don't understand why the heck we don't use all the brains in this country towards doing something beneficial!????

And I agree with Mountain Biker that there are idiots who drive other cars than SUV's; however, in a car versus car or a car versus SUV situation- one guess as to who loses!

 

[eric]

I'm no standard granola hippie

How about the alfalfa sprouts kind ?? ONLY KIDDING.

Just like I am not the typical Republican, especially when it comes to the environment. I see no reason that business and the environment can not co-exist and even be mutually beneficial to one another. I must admit I am not a big fan of government regulation but unfortunately when it comes to the environment self regulation just does not seem to work.

 

[Moi]

Originally posted by eric
How about the alfalfa sprouts kind ?? ONLY KIDDING.

Just like I am not the typical Republican, especially when it comes to the environment. I see no reason that business and the environment can not co-exist and even be mutually beneficial to one another. I must admit I am not a big fan of government regulation but unfortunately when it comes to the environment self regulation just does not seem to work.

Eeeewww! Alfalfa sprouts. Even when I was a vegan I hated them- nasty things!

But seriously, I am not a Republican or Democrat. I am a conservatist when it comes to government. The less, the better. That goes for all kinds of things. I agree that when it comes to the environment, greed tends to cloud the issues. What I don't get is that don't the car manufacturers and other industry realize the untapped potential? Heck, I'd pay for the solar panels if there were any qualified installers in my area- I'm not afraid to spend the money (I'm afraid to get my head wet from holes in the roof). But I suppose Jimnyc will tell me to start a different thread for this. Not a bad idea.

 

[eric]

Not a bad idea

In contrast, a very good one !

 

[MtnBiker]

Eric, you may be interested in this, if you didn't already know about it and how it might apply to your business.


Energy Bill Fails to End SUV Tax Loophole

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican leaders on Monday killed a Senate plan to close a loophole allowing small-business owners to deduct up to $100,000 from their taxable income for buying a luxury sport utility vehicle.

Language eliminating the SUV loophole was inserted into the Senate's version of a broad energy bill, which also has $23.4 billion in tax breaks for oil, natural gas, coal and other energy sources.

But the provision was dropped after House negotiators rejected the Senate's change.

Republican leaders swiftly moved to ensure no mention of the loophole was included in the final version of the energy bill, which is expected to go to the full House and Senate for votes later this week.

Republican Sen. Don Nickles of Oklahoma offered the proposal to drop the tax break for doctors, lawyers, real estate agents and other business owners who buy expensive SUVs. "There is enormous abuse of this provision. People are driving SUVs through this loophole," Nickles said.

The deduction of up to $100,000 from taxable income dramatically cut the price of a Hummer H2, Land Rover and other expensive, gas-guzzling SUVs for small business owners in the highest tax bracket.

The loophole was part of the $350 billion Bush tax cut enacted in May and applied to the purchase of a vehicle for business use weighing 6,000 pounds or more.



http://news.findlaw.com/politics/s/20031118/energycongresssuvdc.html

 

[tybalt]

I looked at state-by-state statistics for number of fatalities and number of SUVs. Western states (Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho, etc.), which have the largest percentage of SUVs and pickups also have the highest fatality rates per capita. Even the introduction of advanced safety features (ABS, air bags, improved crumple zones) can barely offset the death and injury rates resulting from the popularization of SUVs and pickups as "all-purpose" vehicles.

 

[MtnBiker]

What are the numbers?

 

[tybalt]

Fatality Rate per 100K Population in 2001:

National average: 14.79

Wyoming: 37.63
Montana: 25.43
New Mexico: 25.31
Idaho: 19.61

Illinois: 11.33
NY: 8.14

 

[tybalt]

Excerpts from Frontline Magazine on PBS.org

"Ford published a report that was distributed to shareholders in which the company acknowledged that SUVs are environmentally unfriendly and can be a danger to drivers in smaller vehicles.

"The Explorer and other sport utilities are built in such a way that makes them extremely dangerous to cars. In fact, a federal study found that the Explorer is 16 times as likely as the typical family car to kill the other driver in a crash. If you look at the numbers, almost as many people are being killed unnecessarily, additionally, in cars each year by Explorers as died in tire-related crashes of Explorers over the last decade.

"It's a myth that SUVs are safer than cars. People in SUVs die just as often as people in cars; they just die differently. They are more likely to die in rollovers, and they are much more likely to kill other people."

If you look at the safety features that are built into vehicles today, they're far greater than they were ten years ago. So why are accident rates and fatality rates going up in the same markets where SUV and pickup sales are rising? It's quite obvious. And the Republicans are offering tax incentives for people to buy more of those Slow Unstable Vehicles.

 

[MtnBiker]

Originally posted by tybalt
Fatality Rate per 100K Population in 2001:

National average: 14.79

Wyoming: 37.63
Montana: 25.43
New Mexico: 25.31
Idaho: 19.61

Illinois: 11.33
NY: 8.14

Where do these numbers come from, any reference?
Any mention of road condtions associated with these fatalities, the first 4 states are mostly rural.

 

[MtnBiker]

Also, any mention of ratio of drivers to non drivers in each state?
In a state such a Wyoming almost everyone of driving age has a vehicile of some sort and drives. Not true in states such as New York.

 

[Moi]

Originally posted by MtnBiker
Also, any mention of ratio of drivers to non drivers in each state?
In a state such a Wyoming almost everyone of driving age has a vehicile of some sort and drives. Not true in states such as New York.

Although perhaps true that not everyone in NY has their own car, there are certainly vehicles in which they enter every day- buses, taxis, gypsy cabs, etc. so that statistic may not be easy to figure out. I've seen a lot of people injured in taxis!