TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

I strongly object to this initiative as it will only raise taxes and kill jobs and do absolutely nothing to stop the climate from changing. The climate has been changing for millions of years and for anyone to think they can affect it is crazy.

I am in favor of this proposal. Maine, especially Aroostook county, suffers mightily from a lack of public transit. It affects everyone and limits the economic growth of the area, especially of services such as medical, recreational, educational and shopping. A thoughtfully-designed system would be a great help to elders and others by reducing isolation, enabling employees of all kinds of companies, and aid and health workers to reach rural areas, etc. of course it will vastly improve air quality which impacts everyone’s health. I do realize it may necessitate increases in fuel taxes, but I think we need to see the bigger picture: the era of a car in every garage is rapidly coming to a close and causes more pollution and expense for most people. As generations age, elders become unable to drive, and that is a serious problem too.

The intent of your initiative is most laudable, but as the old saying goes "the devil is in the details". And in that initiative I see numerous details that provide opportunities for the devil to do what the devil does.

A cursory examination of your website reveals that you intend to reduce carbon emissions from the combustion of transportation fuels through "a cap-and-invest program or other pricing mechanism".

Please define "other pricing mechanism". Is there more than one? And just who will pay for the monetary needs of the "other pricing mechanism"? I think I can make a pretty good guess.

Your Draft Regional Policy Proposal decrees that:

Spring – Fall 2020 – Participating jurisdictions develop a “model rule” and take any legislative steps that could be needed to implement the regional program.

2021 – Jurisdictions conduct rulemaking process to adopt regulation

So how do you define “jurisdiction” what “legislative steps” will the “jurisdiction” take? Do you mean a mandated increase of the excise tax that Massachusetts taxpayers are already paying for gasoline? We Taxpayers will have something to say about that, and it won’t be “Yassa, Boss.

I recommend that you review the history from which you have obviously not learned. In 2013 the Mass legislature tried to tie future increases in the state gasoline to the CPI – in other words an Automatic Gas Tax Increase. The very next year the people of Massachusetts successfully put on the ballot a referendum question on that fuel tax increase and threw it right back in the legislators' faces. And the minute you try to shove your “other pricing mechanism” down our throats you had better brace yourselves for the very same reaction.

Having reviewed the many implications and the expected results of your planned "initiatives" I have just two words for you -- and those two words are not "Happy Birthday". Those words also apply to the horse you rode in on.

Sincerely yours,
Cornelius Horan

I am excited to see the TCI moving along— it is time for a group of concerted states to lead on climate. I am also glad to see that diverse stakeholders are being sought out so that the need still of each state can be met. This is the sort of work we desperately need. I fully support the TCI!

Sustainable Tourism Opportunity
One of the few threads of commonality among the northeast states is their interest, investment, and dependence on tourism. The state of New York is developing a world-class sustainable tourism product called The Empire State Trail where the Governor and his DOT partners are building 400 mile bike and pedestrian trail. All because the Erie Canal Trail brings in over $250 million a year. Every year. More such places are needed.
The longest rail trail in the northeast is contained totally in the small state of Massachusetts. A state with a highly dense population that is either near this trail—or is in a community with a developing rail trail that is connecting directly with this region’s signature trail. The Mass Central Rail Trail (MCRT) is 104 miles from Boston to Northampton.
There is also another long trail terminating in Northampton. The New Haven to Northampton Canal Greenway Trail. 84 miles long. Every few years, there is what is called a Golden Spike Event, a conference about the developing MCRT and the tie-in to the New Haven to Northampton Canal Grenway. In July 2018, that event, GS2018 was held at Northampton. Here’s a link to the conference booklet produced for the event. Here’s a link to all the presentations—town by town from the event.·
This trail is highly marketable to families originating from either Boston or NYC to go for a week’s vacation and then take the train back to their home city. This will be the greenest vacation opportunity imaginable. Attached is an infographic that quantified the usage and $$/ of that one trail.
More details about the MCRT
• Around the same time that NY began to buildout the Empire State Trail, Governor Baker in Mass became a big fan of multi-use trails. He created the Governor’s Trails Team. An internal, inter-agency working group was formed and they’ve done a lot to develop the network here. In fact, the Governor and other top level staff have been in high profile ribbon-cuttings and ground breakings—all over the state.
• This past week another ½ mile opened in Ware under the stewardship of a visionary land trust. East Quabbin Land Trust is both a linear thinking and a rectangular thinking land trust. While saving forests, farms and open space parcels in their service area, they also have acquired and developed over 4 miles of the of MCRT and have renovated 4 former railroad bridges into being safe for families on this trail alignment.
• Another six miles opened in Weston and Wayland two weeks ago.
• The MCRT now has over fifty miles open with over 80 miles in a protected ownership status. This is a tipping point.
• Mass DOT hired a consultant this winter who began a detailed look at the missing gaps from Berlin to the west side of Belchertown where the Norwottuck section of the MCRT terminates at Warren Wright Road.
• The study looked at three primary issues.
1. Who owns the land.
2. What are the physical impediments [like missing bridges and sold-off corridor]
3. What are the work arounds to piece together the missing gaps. This study is about to be released.
• And here is the biggest, high altitude, take-home. Building an end-to-end, community-long, multi-use path like this transforms the place to be greener and more sustainable. It also leads to more sustainable businesses in a community. Local businesses. It has been said that the indicator species of life in a downtown is the number of bikes and pedestrians you see. If you don’t see many, it is because the community is too auto centric and the down won’t prosper. Having the trail there will start to transform the community. It will also become a place where neglected, forlorn, blighted residential properties near the trail become attractive places for millennials to purchase, renovate and launch a renaissance in a neighborhood that probably needs a new breath of interest.

I would point out that the science is crystal clear that anthropogenic climate change IS warming the planet. Just ask the fisherman/women, farmers, those who tap Sugar maple trees, skiers and anyone else paying attention to or depends on the climate and the outdoors for their livelihood. I would remind people that the tobacco companies took the same tact toward cigarette taxes, controlling advertisement, regulation, etc. With oceans becoming more acidic and contributing to the decline of lobsters and clams, with "Acid Rain" returning to the eastern slope of the Adirondacks poisoning native trout habitat, all directly due to coal-based electrical generation, in addition to a warming Northeastern US, it is time for the TRUTH. It is something that 45 and most republicans have a hard time with, the TRUTH. Much easier to be a "Lazy Liar." The Ozone Hole is closing and Bald Eagles have made historic comebacks, all due to science-based and incentivized supports for chlorine- based coolants as well as science-based regulations to stop the use of certain pesticides. In New England, over 60% of the population desires reasonable steps to protect our environment and protection from the "NO NO NO" crowd. People who are against this approach should move to a part of the country where the predominance of residents don't care about their environment.

Please move to adopt the TCI as soon as possible. Past delays on addressing the causes of climate change have put us in a very difficult situation where we have no more time to lose.

Please include the following in structuring a strong TCI:
1. A cap on carbon emissions of at least 25% by 2032
2. An increase in the minimum investment in overburdened and underserved communities (>35%)
3. Request that investments be put towards active transportation like better sidewalks, bicycle infrastructure, and high quality public transit Sincerest Regards,