DAVIS SIGNALS PLAN TO SIGN SUV LEGISLATION

THE RUSH LIMBAUGH SHOW | M. Garrett

[MattGarrett]

Rush Limbaugh read a story today which states that Gray Davis plans to sign the SUV Tax Bill. AB 1493 (formerly known as AB 1058) will give California Air Resources Board the go ahead to work on ways to reduce "greenhouse gases." In one report CARB authored, they suggested the per mile tax, gas tax increase and SUV tax. Proponents of the bill are quick to argue that this bill does not raise taxes and CARB does not have the authority to enact any of their suggestions.

The bill will affix a tax of 2 cents for every mile driven in an SUV, MiniVan or truck, 50 extra cents per gallon of gasoline, and $3500 on all SUV, Minivan, or truck purchases.

Politicians pulled a dirty trick and changed the bill number, reinstating AB 1058 as AB 1493 late on a Friday night. They ran it through the legislature and passed it a Monday afternoon - with no comment from the public.

Stating that the bill creates the perfect balance between driver choice and responsible environmental policy, Davis indicated his intention to sign the bill.

[SamBees]

"Stating that the bill creates the perfect balance between driver choice and responsible environmental policy, Davis indicated his intention to sign the bill."

Pure Communism.

[Sender]

The road is overrun with them, not to mention their brainless, dangerous drivers.

Although it's wrong to stereotype all drivers of a particular type of vehicle, it DOES seem that the most arrogant, inconsiderate, overspeeding, tailgating drivers gravitate toward expensive SUVs...

[Ditter]

What does Greyout Davis plan on doing to luxury sedans like Lexus & to limos. Both of those vehicles swill gas. I know, my husband had an Infinity.

[Shryke]

Well Dave, I am including ALL SUV's in my post, not just the "enviro-pussy" ones, although I very much enjoy the term.

I happen to agree with part of what you are saying: very large SUV's are safer than smaller ones. They are actually pretty good in normal collisions as they have standard ladder frames and most cars do not. The fact that they are THOUSANDS of pounds heavier also helps (simple physics). But if you want to tell me that they can break or steer, etc. better than a normal car, I'm going to laugh my a$$ off - that is why they get in more wrecks, they cannot avoid accidents well. You are just a proponent of giant sized automobiles, and I'm telling you that they are only safer in one aspect: hitting a smaller car. Yay. Let's all get 10 MPG behemoths. Guess what? Your safety evaporates.

And if you wish to label me a BSE because I think proponents of 10mpg vehicles are OPEC-loving fools, be my guest.

[Grampa Dave]

The Porsche two seater aeroplane/convertible that flies around the hills and roads. The guys in the hills around us get one when they turn 40, 50 or 60. Then, they keep them until one more ticket, and their insurance company will drop them with one more violation.

One guy my age has a new red one, and I have seen him getting two separate tickets written out by the same motorcycle cop with radar to keep these clowns from killing people in 30 mph zones. Both tickets were on the same street and same area. He has had it 2 months. His wife is ready to leave him. The cop has been staying out here to nail these performance car seniors.

As a conservative, I feel that they can drive anything that they can afford to drive.

My bone of contention here is simple.

The SUV drivers and pickup drivers are getting screwed by Davis et al because of the hatred generated against SUVs and SUV drivers by the lefties enviral Nazis. Then, a couple of so called conservative jokers who don't like SUVS pile on us. Just don't relate bad driving to SUV drivers. We have some bad drivers and so does every group.

[Shryke]

I am not debating the rights or wrongs of the proposed tax Granny. Just the idea that SUV's make your kids safer.

[jiggyboy]

Good instinct. These, and a few other less-alarmist possibilities are specifically prohibited in the current proposal:

(d) The regulations adopted by the state board pursuant to subdivision (a) shall not require any of the following:

(1) The imposition of additional fees and taxes on any motor vehicle, fuel, or vehicle miles traveled, pursuant to this section or any other provision of law.

(2) A ban on the sale of any vehicle category in the state, specifically including, but not limited to, sport utility vehicles and light-duty trucks.

(3) A reduction in vehicle weight.

(4) A limitation on, or reduction of, the speed limit on any street or highway in the state.

(5) A limitation on, or reduction of, vehicle miles traveled.

AB 1493 text

The article artfully obscures that this was only in previous versions.

[mhking]

Anyone who packs their kids into an SUV thinking they are "safer" suffers from some serious misconceptions.

Anyone who stands over 5'10" and has more than two kids and tries not to drive comfortably in anything short of an Urban Assault Vehicle (and I don't mean one of those cutsy Hondas or Toyotas either - I drive a Jeep Grand Cherokee) is suffering from some serious misconceptions as well.

To hear the enviroweenies tell it, we all should either be in econboxes or minivans. I've driven both at various times, and I am much more comfortable and I dare say safer in my Jeep than I ever would be in anybody's econo-enviro-box sedan that the tree huggers would rather see me drive.

My big question is how many of them (the tree huggers) are driving UAV's as opposed to what they would have me drive?

[RightWhale]

They'll have to have a special SUV pump and an attendant. Especially if you pay by card. This will get expensive for station owners. Nope, looks like they haven't thought this out.

[glasseye]

changing lanes without signaling or even looking -- often across a solid white line

ah, just to let you know, it is not an infraction to cross a solid white line....yellow yes, white no. Or have you ever noticed cross-walks are white, and solid. But I suppose if you drive a Yogo you could always drive up on the sidewalk and go around the cross-walks.

glasseye

[mhking]

I've been given dirty looks because I refuse to drive at 60mph or faster in a 45mph zone.

I got no problem with that -- provided you keep your slow butt out of the left lane on the &$%#@#$ freeway! When people like you stick your noses haughtily in the air and drive at 45 in the left lane, you have the nerve and audacity to get mad when I and every other lead-footed AJ Foyt-wannabe in civilized America pull up right behind you with our brights blazing in your rear-view mirror. You are just as much (if not more) an accident waiting to happen, simply because you force the rest of us to pull around you and pass you on the right!

And another thing, while I'm up on my soapbox -- those of you with those damned blue-tinted halogen laser-guided bright lights on your cars...they don't work any better than the basic headlights the rest of us have. The only thing that they do is blind anyone coming toward you on a dark two lane road.

I can see the conversation with the police now: "No, officer, the last thing I saw was this bright bluish light. Next thing I knew, I was upside down in the ditch!" That's one of the quickest ways to trigger one of my migraines!

[Grampa Dave]

Again show me/us the stats.

Skills are required to drive a big suv, and they are not bullet proof as evident in any big snow storm and the suvs that go off the road because the new drivers assumed that their 4 wheel drives could handle snow and ice at high speeds. The reality is at high speeds, they aren't in 4 wheel drive anyway.

My wife has a 96 Sable, and I can turn my OJ Simpson Bronco in a shorter radius than I can her Sable. I'm sure that I could go to Sears Point and do a shalom better with the Bronco than the Sable.

I have made panic stops in both of them (both have abs) when some idiot has pulled out in front of us. I believe that the Bronco stops faster/better and tracks better than the Sable does in these situations.

The biggest safety advantage of the Bronco and the Navigators and big GMC's is that you are up high and see bad conditions and bad driving developing far ahead which enables you to slow down or change lanes. I can't do that in a Taurus, Sable, or any medium size cars. Forget even trying it in a smaller car.

The bad big SUV drivers are the bullies and those who think that they are bullet proof. I'm sure that then you guys with their higher rates after accidents they caused or after tickets change a lot of their behavior.

Last but not least, and I don't have to tell you this, there are people who never should be driving anything from a bicycle to a Big Suv. They are dangerous in any vehicle.

I have a female neighbor with a new Honda smaller suv. She is an accident waiting to happen. Of course she was one in her Honda civic. She leaves late on everytrip and plans more to do on a trip than she should. She is constantly on the egde of losing her license regardless of what she drives.

[Gophack]

Rush also stated that 48% of the vehicles on CA roads are SUV's, looks like Davis will put the final nail in his own coffin. I sure hope so.

DUMP DAVIS!!!!!!!!!!!!

His Republican opponent Bill Simon came out AGES ago against this evil bill.

[Gophack]

ping ping ping

[cajun-jack]

i drive an 18 wheeler and have spent a lot of time in californicommuist.....their roads are no better than the 2-lanes in mississippi.....why those socilaist,, uninformed,, liberal, homosexual klintoon buttboys think they know anything....just continues to amaze me......give it back to mexico...it ain't worth keeping anyway!!!!!!! but then that is just my own opinion.....i went thru basic training in ft polk in 1967....the DI would always ask "who's from calif"??? hands would go up and then he would say "aint nuthing from calif but picnicers abd *ic*ers and i don't see picnic basket anywhere

[szweig]

Since the a$$hole legislature here in Kalifornia did not give this bill the required three day period for discussion could not the bill be deemed unconsitutional on its face?

[reillyoburbank]

Freedom. Does that word mean anything to you. It's all about freedom. We have the right to drive what we want to drive. Since when does anyone in goverment have the right to tell us what to drive. If I want to drive the biggest, honkin' gas guzzling SUV, the government doesn't have anything to say. It's not their business nor is it yours. Maybe you should go back to lurking.

[NormsRevenge]

Yup, Simon's folks need to have an ad where all ya see is everybody's SUV's up on blocks in the back yard with a family of illegals living in it with a state subsidy.

[kellynla]

I'll be laughing when we DUMP DAVIS on November 5...

[ElkGroveDan]

Contact Gov. Davis at 1-800-988-2588 or email him at governor@governor.ca.gov to let him know this is bad tax policy plain and simple.

"Why are all those phones ringing?"