Driver ticketed for using biofuel

The Charlotte Observer ^ | Jun 11, 2007 | Bruce Henderson

[antiRepublicrat]

Vegetable oil sticks him with $1,000 fine

Bob Teixeira decided it was time to take a stand against U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

So last fall the Charlotte musician and guitar instructor spent $1,200 to convert his 1981 diesel Mercedes to run on vegetable oil. He bought soybean oil in 5-gallon jugs at Costco, spending about 30 percent more than diesel would cost.

His reward, from a state that heavily promotes alternative fuels: a $1,000 fine last month for not paying motor fuel taxes. He has been told to expect another $1,000 fine from the federal government.

To legally use veggie oil, state officials told him, he would have to first post a $2,500 bond.

[antiRepublicrat]

Your government at work. Ain't ya proud?

[Pelham]

Bureaucrats Gone Wild.

What’s with NC? Isn’t that where Nifong is from?

[af_vet_rr]

Waitaminute. So let’s say there is a public transit system in Charlotte, and you live in town and there is a bus that can take you to work, and you take it. Are you going to get fined as well, or is that tax included in the cost of your bus fare? This just sounds nuts. What if you ride a bicycle, etc.

[SteveMcKing]

They’d tax walking if we couldn’t drive.

[SandRat]

Notice it was the GOOBER-ment that came to price-gouge him and not the evil oil companies.

[upsdriver]

No good deed goes unpunished!!

This shouldn’t surprise anyone on this forum. Government bureaucracy is insane! Of course anyone who believes that burning vegetable oil in their car is going to solve our energy “problem” is insane also.

[coydog]

In ancient Egypt, they did just that (toll roads)

If the guy had just done it and shut up about it, he might have gotten off. There’s a lesson in that somewhere.

[Jack Hammer]

Figure out a way to propel yourself along the road with the methane from your f*rts, and some an*l retentive, egomaniacal commissar somewhere will insist you wear a meter on your butt. And rent the meter from the government.

Such are the times in which we’re living.

[Political Junkie Too]

Isn't this like the "imputed rent" scheme that Congress tried to pass decades ago? "Imputed rent" was going to be a tax on homeowners, with the thinking that if homeowners didn't live in their homes but instead rented them out, then they would pay tax on the income from the rentals. Congress essentially wanted to tax homeowners for renting their homes to themselves. The idea went nowhere.

So now NC wants to tax this guy for the fuels he would have used?

-PJ

[upsdriver]

“They’d tax walking if we couldn’t drive.”

LOL!! George Harrison was way ahead of them on this one!!

If you drive a car car) I’ll tax the street
(If you try to sit sit) I’ll tax your seat
(If you get too cold cold) I’ll tax the heat
(If you take a walk walk) I’ll tax your feet

Taxman!

‘Cause I’m the taxman
Yeah, I’m the taxman

[microgood]

State policies firmly endorse alternative fuels.

Wow. Just think what they would have done to him if they didn't.

[enraged]

and when you die, I’ll tax the pennys on your eyes
Yeah I’m the taxman!

[maine-iac7]

There’s a lesson in that somewhere.

Yeah. It's time for another tea party

Up here in Maine, the Governor (dem)got passed a tax on waitresses meals that they get at work - they get about $2,50-3.00 an hour - not even half of minimum wage. (His family owns a restaurant in his home town - bet he hasn't been paying taxes on meals there)

Now he wants to tax services. For ex: if I pay someone to owe my lawn, I'll owe sales tax on it -

I hope he's not too up on history. In the olden days, the reason many houses didn't have closets, but started using armoires instead is because the governments taxed closets - and soap was a scarcity - it too was taxed. (Don't anyone let the cat out of the bag...)

[bamahead]

Teixeira's story began near Lowe's Motor Speedway on May 14. As recreational vehicles streamed in for race week, revenue investigators were checking fuel tanks of diesel RVs for illegal fuel.

His reward, from a state that heavily promotes alternative fuels: a $1,000 fine last month for not paying motor fuel taxes. He has been told to expect another $1,000 fine from the federal government.

Gubermint OUT OF CONTROL ping.

[tflabo]

I give the 2 handed middle finger salute to these intrusive, tyrannical government agencies. Puke on them ALL as they rip us off immensely.

[live+let_live]

Like it or not, we’ve decided to pay for our roads with fuel taxes.

If you don’t pay fuel taxes but use the roads, you should expect to pay the road taxes.

I believe off-road use (farm and construction equipment) would be road tax free. In fact off-road use of diesel gets you a tax credit to pay you back for the road tax built in that you’re not liable for.

[RichInOC]

Okay, am I the only one who keeps wanting to read that as “brothel”?

[traviskicks]

As recreational vehicles streamed in for race week, revenue investigators were checking fuel tanks of diesel RVs for illegal fuel. <.> To legally use veggie oil, state officials told him, he would have to first post a $2,500 bond.





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[JamesP81]

They’d tax walking if we couldn’t drive.

They'd tax breathing if they could find a way to enforce it.

[Marauder]

If the guy had just done it and shut up about it ...

There you go. The key to success, especially where you're dealing with the government.