TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

We can cut poverty and pollution at the same time. We urge you to move forward with a regional program that prioritizes the needs of communities overburdened with pollution and underserved in mobility options.

I own and operate a small business in Maine. To service our customers we travel many miles per year on our fleet of vehicles. Maine is already at a competitive disadvantage due to our geographical make-up, high cost of electricity and one of the highest overall tax rates in the Union.



We have limited public transportation which require most folks from Maine to commute via vehicle to and from work. In addition, we have to rely on our vehicles to purchase groceries, visit local clothing stores, transport our children to school events, etc.. This list goes on and on. We cannot simply park our vehicles and chose another mode of transportation.



To include Maine in this initiative will be catastrophic to our economy. As a business owner I will be forced to pass this cost on to my Customers. They in turn will have less disposable income to fuel the economy in Maine. My Customers already have a struggle to pay their fuel bills. I cannot speak to how this will impact other states, but I suspect outside of the large cities (Which already have large participation rates in public transportation) the rural areas will be in a similar situation as many of us in Maine.

It;s all a big scam so that the state and other federal agencies can line their pockets with our hard earned
money

For most Mainers we depend on the forestry industry, we have to travel to work, not just a 5 minute drive, more like an hour plus. My wife has to drive her and our son for appointments over an hour and 4 hours away. We are a 1 income family because my wife is disabled. For us to get any decent health care we have to go way out of town..

Our governor forcing this tax does more harm than good. Stop the nonsense and punishing poor and middle class which make up the majority of the state.

So, a group of well-meaning yet unelected people are pursuing a plan to impose new gas taxes on hard-working, tax paying citizens without following the legislative process. Ever heard of taxation without representation? It was kinda what inspired those who founded this great country and there are a lot of Northeastern citizens who will rally against your efforts. You people need to drop these crazy ideas that will certainly cripple our economy.

I attended the 11/4 session at Holyoke community college, and want to put some thoughts in writing.

Instead of emission caps and selling these to providers who would then pass the cost on to consumers and create a whole unneeded bureaucracy, it makes much more sense for to raise the tax on gasoline throughout the region. Selling permits to cap emissions sets the stage for widespread abuse and huge profits to middle men rather than benefit the publi.

The Regional policy should provide an analysis of what level of gas/carbon tax would result in the desired reductions in green-house gases, and couple that with how the revenue would be used to improve public transportation, infrastructure, promote a green economy, and other public good in each state.

In addition, revenue from a carbon tax (at the Regional and federal level) could help support health care costs. The cost to consumers of a gas tax could be much less than the tax due to reduced demand leading to reduced pre-tax gas cost and thus reduced profits to oil producers.

There should be support for efforts at the federal level to markedly increase the gasoline tax and return funds to states to support infrastructure/public transportation/health care. Some of the funds could help transition our country to Medicare for all.

There should be a whole-hearted endorsement of supporting increased fuel efficiency standards including California's proposals, and stand against Trump and Republican efforts to raise the use of fossil fuels.

In 2008 I advocated the following and had my legislator Byron Rushing file a bill the raise the Massachusetts gas tax by 25 cents a gallon. "A tax on gasoline is among the best type of taxes - unless you are an oil producer. The tax is largely offset by reduced oil producer profits, so a $1 a gallon tax might only raise the pump price 25 or 50 cents. If the tax had been adopted last year, it likely would have lowered the pump price. By promoting energy conservation and alternative energy use, the tax helps address global warming and take into account the hidden cost of CO2 emissions. A lower crude oil price will reduce the cost of home heating oil. The tax would improve our national security by reducing our dependence on Middle Eastern oil. The tax would bolster the economy by keeping American dollars in the US, markedly reducing our foreign deficit, and stimulating "green" jobs. The tax could overnight help turn the bear market into one of optimism for the US economy.
With states in financial crisis, states should raise their gasoline tax by 50 cents a gallon. That would raise $1.5 billion a year in Massachusetts, and $2.8 billion a year in New York - which would cover most of the projected drop in revenue. Congress should raise the federal gasoline tax by $1 a gallon. The revenue from an increased gas tax could go a long way towards funding our upcoming national priorities - health care coverage for all, investments in education, and new energy sources."

This TCI will increase the price of products being transported, what you are thinking of doing is not right to all businesses , but will hurt the little guy as well as consumers. What the heck is wrong that you don't see this. If you need money, stop supporting illegal immigrants. Stop giving tem everything for free, while your elderl and veterans suffer by the hands of you all. American citizens should be first to be taken care of.
I am so disgusted by m elected officials that I elected to fuck me over. If this goes through, I will never vote for any Democrat again.

I request that Vermont formally join the Transportation and Climate Initiative and reduce our transportation emissions, which is our largest source of global warming emissions. The TCI plan provides for equity by prioritizing clean investments in areas overburdened by pollution and/or for those who don't have access. The bipartisan nature of this project is a critical component of this plan, moving us forward while the federal government takes us backward.