TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

Please, now is not the time to increase taxes, especially on the TCI gas tax. I am very much opposed to it and find it irresponsible on the part of the governor to persist in this attempt.

Enough with the taxation !!! Citizens are fed up with being over taxed !! This is especially a heinous tax !! We are fed up with government over stepping their boundaries with the taxpayers !!! Climate change has NOT been proven to be a problem and to consider this tax to prevent something that is NOT proven is a serious hoax perpetrated on the citizens ! Shame on the politicians that support this hoax !!!!

I think it is wrong for Governor Baker to bypass the democratic process by pushing through a tax increase without forcing the legislature to take a vote. Please stop the Transportation and Climate Initiative.

Human caused climate change is one of the biggest threats to life on earth and we need solutions now. We cannot keep stalling when it comes to doing something about this great problem we are facing. Transportation is one of the leading causes of carbon pollution and we need the TCI to address this problem. I am grateful that I live in a state that is willing to do something about this great threat while the federal government is choosing to worsen the problem. I hope that Massachusetts, along with other states, joins this much-needed initiative.

I am writing to ask that you support the Transportation and Climate Initiative. As a mom with two young kids, I am increasingly concerned about the impact climate change will have on the potential of their future. I know that the actions we take today will determine if they witness a world that crumbles under the weight of an unstable ecosystem OR a world that meets the challenges we face with innovation and commitment to the common good. The transportation and climate initiative can help move us toward a livable world AT THE SAME TIME it creates jobs, puts money back into the pockets of Maryland residents and saves lives. This is a slam dunk win-win-win for us all. Please make it a reality.

Mariners can not afford a new fuel tax. It’s hard enough to pay for fuel now. Any new tax is bad for business in our state.

(my company which employs 95-108 people) is strongly opposed to the "framework for a draft regional policy proposal" which seeks to expropriate the petroleum marketing industry. Over time this plan proposes to move Virginia from simple rationing and new taxes to the ultimate prohibition of fossil fuels.
•This plan does not assess the collateral damage it will inflict on state revenue, local tax collections, Virginia's Transportation Trust fund, and consumers.
•Many of the advocates of these policies support regulation to electrify transportation. Those advocates somehow forget to mention that a major component of batteries powering these vehicles is cobalt, 90 percent of which is mined in third world countries under unfavorable working conditions.
•As the number of electric vehicles grows, petroleum marketers will likely have to battle for a share of the electric vehicle charging market with utility companies that see EV charging as a new business opportunity without cost. When utility companies install charging stations, they may seek the ability to include that cost as part of their capital investment. When these costs are approved by governmental regulatory agencies, they can then be passed on to all ratepayers as part of their monthly electric bills.
•(my company) believes this would provide regulated utilities an unfair competitive advantage that Virginia based small businesses simply cannot compete with. I must economically justify and self-fund at risk investments in new equipment like EV charging stations and so should my competition.
•Another likely competitor under this scheme is the state government itself. This is not a concept, as just this past session the General Assembly passed legislation to allow the Departments of Conservation and Recreation, General Services, and Transportation to install electric chargers. Fortunately our association was able to narrow this initiative considerably by limiting the number of state agencies involved and mitigating the threat of unfair competition by requiring the state to sell the power at prevailing market rates including taxes.
•All Virginians, particularly the petroleum marketing and convenience industries, support a clean environment. There are many ways to achieve this without rationing. Incentivizing the sale of electric vehicles does nothing to meet your stated goals of "equity, environmental justice, and non-discrimination." As one example, the stated goals could be achieved far faster and cheaper via efforts to assist low-income Virginians to purchase more fuel efficient vehicles that meet current and future CAFÉ standards.
•History has proven that rationing followed by prohibition - the ultimate goal of TCI - has led to black markets, unregulated and untaxed sales, and undue burdens on law enforcement.
•The impact of these proposals will not be solely on fuel sellers and convenience stores - what about the auto repair industry, muffler shops, service facilities at new car dealers, quick lubes etc.? What about agriculture, construction and watermen who will be forced to scrap present equipment or pay artificially high prices due to rationing? What about the consumer who will experience not only higher prices to operate their personal vehicles, but higher prices for consumer goods and services?
•(my company) opposes the TCI plan to ration, tax and ultimately eliminate fossil fuels.
Finally, this initiative is based on very questionable "science", and ultimately does little to reduce carbon output, because utility companies still burn mostly fossil fuels to produce the electricity. The massive battery industry that will be required to support such an initiative also exposes the environment to hazardous chemicals, and this will be an ongoing risk as "shade tree" electricians and mechanics are left to alter or dispose of these massive batteries wherever recycling is impractical.
The best way to let good technology become better technology is through competition in the market place. Just look at how much improvement has been made in average fuel mileage and emissions over the last 3 decades. The air and water is far cleaner today than it has been in past recent decades, while at the same time economic output has gone up by orders of magnitude.
This is a dangerous political agenda that will cost millions of American Jobs in an ultimately futile effort to force the economic workload from fossil fuels and onto an industry that is no where near ready to take it on! Better fuels, and more efficient cars have come a very long way in a relatively short period of time. This improvement will continue as long as normal competitive markets are not interfered with. Electrified transportation will ultimate gain a significant place in the market as long as it becomes cost effective and convenient. The free market will sort this all out over time without government interference or subsidy.
This initiative is a total waste of tax payer dollars, and amounts to the government using our tax dollars against our own better interests!