TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

Below I site the major reasons for my opposition to the TCI.

1. TCI returns 0% of the money raised back to the consumers and businesses that would pay for it: Under the current plan, revenue generated by purchasers of fuel is slated for improvements to transit, electric charging station infrastructure, and infrastructure vulnerable to climate changes. While these are worthy infrastructure projects, it is not right to take money from the working folks who use a gas or diesel vehicle and not return it to the roads and bridges they use.

2. Current forms of Revenue are not being collected: Transit in the form of Commuter Rail needs to collect current fares for revenue before asking for more. The $10/mo cost per driver that TCI has been projected to generate is less than the $12.50 one-way ticket to Boston from my district. Many times a month these fares are not collected by the commuter rail operators. New forms of revenue should not be pursued until we get the current form of revenue collection working.

3. Carbon Reduction achieved by TCI is minor: Carbon emissions from automobiles will already be reduced 19% below 2022 emissions without TCI. This is due to ongoing improvements to fuel efficiency and shifts to electric cars. TCI is being proposed in case those reductions don’t happen and to add another 1-6% reduction. (See graph in photos) The range of cost to the consumer for this additional carbon reduction is projected to be $0.05/gal of fuel for an additional 1% up to $0.17/gal of fuel for an additional 6%. I believe that the additional reductions are not enough to justify the cost to the consumer.

4. TCI does not compare well to other Cap and Trade programs: The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is a similar cap and trade program focused on reducing emissions from power plants. RGGI gives INCENTIVES to the power companies to reduce their carbon emission levels. Power companies have options to do this by making improvements, switching to cleaner fuels, etc. as they are the carbon “emitter”. TCI puts the cap on fuel wholesalers who do not control the carbon “emitters” (vehicles). RGGI has been successful because the power companies are given the ability to make money while reducing carbon emissions but it does not appear to be the same case with TCI.

My husband and I pay enough taxes in Massachusetts and we oppose this tax. We are both registered as Independent voters but lately leaning
toward voting Republican. With that said, we have also considered moving out of this state.

Please do not burden working people with another expense that they can’t afford. If you want to make the cities cleaner stop giving tax breaks to corporations to move there. Too many people in concentrated areas is the biggest cause of pollution on the planet. The more comfortable and easier that you make living in the city the bigger the problem gets.

Everyone thought Columbus was nuts when he claimed the world was round. They told him he would fall off the edge of the earth. The world is flat. Co2 does not cause global warming. Proof? Watch the great global warming swindle on you tube. GAS TAX INCREASE WILL JUST BANKRUPT THE WORKING CLASS. I TRAVEL 120 MILES A DAY. BECAUSE I WORK. THIS GOES TOO FAR. PLEASE NOTE THE YOU TUBE VIDEO HAS 2 MIT PROFESSORS EXPLAINING HOW IT ISNT POSSIBLE. BASED ON SCIENCE. TAX IS NOT THE WAY.

Man made Climate Change is a hoax! It is a way for elitist Politicians to take working peoples money and to restrict their movements. There has been many periods in the earths history where it has been a lot warmer than it is now. We can start with the Dinosaurs. Also Eric the red in the founding of Greenland had 2 settlements but one had to be abandoned because of the advancement of a glacier which over ran the settlement. Politicians are trying to make working people slaves.

‘let them eat cake” has been the motto of these ridiculous, arrogant politicians for too many years. I work very hard for my living and I am beyond sick and tired of them treating me like their personal ATM for their idiotic schemes. This tax must not be passed. The prices of commodities rise and fall and what will they do when prices rise again? People will not be able to commute to their jobs! This tax will destroy the economy. Always remember - the power to tax is the power to destroy.

We pay enough taxes with little to no exchange for our end. Do not proceed with this money grab. I do not agree with it.

Perhaps the best way to pay for the TCI initiative would be to tax the wealthy by making the administrators at UMASS pay for it.