TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

In his cornerstone speech: "Have Faith in Massachusetts," the vastly underrated President Calvin Coolidge pithily noted the following when he was President of the Massachusetts State Senate:

"Man is born into the universe with a personality that is his own. He has a right that is founded upon the constitution of the universe to have property that is his own. Ultimately, property rights and personal rights are the same thing. The one cannot be preserved if the other be violated. Each man is entitled to his rights and the rewards of his service be they never so large or never so small."

The full text of this inspiring speech which I hope you will memorize and take to heart can be found here:

https://www.coolidgefoundation.org/resources/have-faith-in-massachusetts/

Under the Massachusetts Constitution, It is the duty of the House of Representatives to first consider revenue bills and if approved then send them to the Senate for consideration.

As "climate change" is a fraudulent scheme to transfer American wealth to corrupt third world governments in Mexico, South America, the Middle East and Africa through the imposition of carbon taxes, a regional low-carbon transportation policy proposal that would cap and reduce carbon emissions from the combustion of transportation fuels through a cap-and-invest program or other pricing mechanism would be antithetical to and incompatible with our capitalist economic system, our Constitutional Republic and the system of ordered liberty that the brilliant systems experts John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and others gave us.

The Transportation Climate Initiative (TCI) proposal is a backdoor attempt to raise the gas tax that consumers will have to pay for at the pump. I urge you to demand that Governor Charlie Baker seek a legislative vote on the merits of TCI before Massachusetts moves forward in the process. I also have concerns with raising any gas taxes and urge you to vote against all gas tax bills. The TCI gas tax will mean less money in the taxpayer's pocket and an even higher cost of living where we are already near the highest in the nation.

It must be noted that implementing a TCI tax without having it first considered by the Massachusetts House and then sent to the Senate would be a gross violation of the letter and spirit of the Massachusetts Constitution.

Again, I urge you to demand that Governor Charlie Baker seek a legislative vote on the merits of TCI before Massachusetts moves forward in the process. I also urge you to vote NO on any new TCI gas taxes, any TCI regional policies or any other gas tax increases.

This is a tax on the people and MUST be put to vote. Do you recall "For the People, By the People"?

I am vehemently opposed to this tax cloaked in a fake "climate initiative". TCI is a TAX and Governor Baker should not even consider signing off on this craziness.

Adding more gasoline and climate taxes to already struggling families and those on fixed incomes will drive more people from the region. It’s not enough that MA, CT, NJ, NY are all in the top ten of states people are fleeing the fastest. These I’ll conceived taxes and fees and ever increasing property taxes are the reasons why. I’ll conceived idea.

Do not agree with the climate TCI!!!!!! This should not be implemented without a vote!

1. It is unconstitutional to impose new taxes unless a bill is introduced in the House of Representatives. This is a tax imposed by fiat.
2. The voters of Massachusetts made it abundantly clear that they reject an increase in the gas tax by a referendum just a few years ago
3. Since the mass dpw spends 4 times as much per mile as New Hampshire and twice as much as New York it is unconscionable to ask for more money until the most basic of fiscal controls are placed on their expenditures

I concur with my friends who oppose any attempt at revenue increases, i.e. taxes, without MA House approval. I will let my legislators know my thoughts on this also. Furthermore, spending some time in California, with their exorbitant gas taxes, and other "penalties" for owning combustible engine vehicles, I see these moves as nothing more than crushing expenses to everyone, which particularly hit lower income more (gasoline tops $4/gallon, a very large increase vis a vis current MA gas taxes.

Tax credits, desirability for EV, and cost reductions as the market finds ways to deliver at lower costs are doing much to reduce vehicle emissions. Though it doesn't matter what taxes or carbon exchange fees you charge, the average worker can not afford an EV yet.

If you want to focus your energies, somewhere, help India, China and other fast growing economies to reduce their carbon emissions. MA is flatulence in the breeze compared to the real global polluters. or you could try the US agriculture/meat industries. And let the MA House focus on taxes.

Thank you,

Chris Grande

I do not agree to increased costs to taxpayers of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by use of this proposed “Transportation and Climate Initiative”.

No more gas taxes no matter what they want to call them. Carbon foot prints come from people who fly and have pleasure boats not the working POOR. Governors are not Kings or Dictator and need to stop behaving that way.