View Public Input on TCI-P

1) I’m opposed to Virginia joining the TCI. It will cost consumers and businesses too much at the gas pump.
2) Virginia should not join TCI. It will impact average citizens, truckers and businesses alike.
3) Virginia cannot afford to join the TCI. The cost to the energy sector will trickle down and impact all Virginians using fuel.
4) This will slow the economic recovery from the COVID crisis
5) I fear the funds from such a liberal minded action will not be well used for the public good.

I saw neither definitions of overburdened nor underserved, which make up the basis for section xx-3. I assume that overburdened refers to that segment of the population which is taxed at a higher rate than a specified percentage of the median burden rate.

Virginians simply cannot afford to start this program at this time. Given COVID shutdowns and additional expenses many Virginians are in a very bad financial situation. Adding all the additional expenses that this program will cause a major hardship on the people of Virginia.

I urge the Vermont Legislature and Go. Scott to sign on to the TCI-P initiative. It is critical we provide momentum to this key effort not just to save the planet, but because it will invigorate our economy in the short term as well. I also hope Vermont will join the effort to address disparities by setting aside significant revenue to balance inequities in impact.

I wholeheartedly support the collaborative effort by TCI-P to reduce carbon emissions and invest in cleaner, more equitable and sustainable transportation systems. Multi-jurisdictional programs can help assure that projects are implemented and funded. We urgently need this kind of collaboration to save our earth and way of life.

For a decade, the UU Congregation of Fairfax has acted to address climate change and environmental injustice. We believe that climate change is the moral, ethical and spiritual challenge of our age that must be confronted -- not only for the health and welfare of ourselves, our children and grandchildren, but also for the whole interconnected web of life that is threatened by humanity's burning of fossil fuels. Transportation accounts for a huge proportion of greenhouse gases. To sharply curtail this pollution that is forcing climate chaos already, governments must act to disincentivize carbon pollution and incentivize alternative, non-polluting transportation.

Consequently, I strongly urge Virginia's adoption of the TCl. It will reduce carbon emissions in the transportation sector in Mid-Atlantic and New England states, and the TCI-P will establish a “cap-and-invest” program. TCI-P will decrease air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, improve public health, and generate substantial revenues to promote environmental justice and enable swifter progress toward a clean-energy economy. I understand that there may be small increases in gasoline prices. Those small increases will be more than offset by the benefits of the TCI-P in moving the commonwealth off fossil fuels and into a non-polluting economy.

TCI-P is a smart, proactive, fair and innovative piece of legislation that will create jobs & require that polluters do their share to create accountability, economic and environmental justice. We should be proud to support TCI-P. Do your homework -- you'll see! It is NOT a tax on gasoline. Businesses support it, 70% of CT residents support it, and we all should let our state senators and legislative leaders know that we want to make our state a leader in fighting climate change and supporting just solutions!

Consider outreach initiatives to car dealerships, service garages and the public to educate on the merits and workings of Electric Vehicles;
Partner with electric service providers to upgrade power grid and allow for off-peak rates to consider EV charging impact to power grid;
Prioritize maintenance of EV charging network - charge stations have a high rate of down time. Install fast chargers at every highway service area.
Require all dealerships which sell or lease EV's to install a fast charger. Bear in mind dealerships are slow to accept EV promotion as low maintenance translates into lower revenue for them.
Governments have to consider loss of revenue from gas taxes as more EV's are on the road. Possibly consider transportation tax based on miles driven.

Please see the attached file for The Nature Conservancy's comments on the TCI-P Draft Model Rule