TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

In short, the TCI is flawed. As mentioned by many environmental justice advocates and professionals; this and programs like RGGI do not go far enough to ensure that pollution is reduced at sites where exposure is most significant. A policy that exercises the use of the market to determine reductions allows only further loopholes into the process of assuring reductions at large, nonetheless controls over increased pollution in areas needing immediate ceasing of pollution. For these reasons, and with consideration for RGGI having been adopted, I think that we are too far along to reinvent the wheel on mechanisms similar in this policy to an ideal one, so I propose that it be changed drastically to accord with the proponents of this information or not adopted at all: https://climatejusticealliance.org/carbon-pricing-toolkit-vol-2/

The TCI should stipulate a reduction clause and anti credit stockpiling directive to ensure that communities already exposed to multiple forms of pollution, namely Newark, NJ, are enforced substantive and progressive reduction in pollution firstly and uninterrupted, all while the assurance of no overages in pollution limits and renewable energy implementations are inserted in such a locale that faces the most pressing need for intervention.

First of all, I want to thank Governor Lamont for his part in this initiative. His leadership is so important to achieving a significant reduction in greenhouse gases in our region. With transportation in the state contributing nearly 40% of these climate endangering emissions, we need to make a commitment to regional planning. Greenhouse gases and air pollution do not take much notice of political boundaries. We need to make our cities more livable, especially for those low income residents who don't have the luxury of moving out to the suburbs to escape polluted air and often have to rely on spotty and inadequate public transportation services to get to work and take care of ordinary chores. Electric vehicles are becoming more common, but we need to increase their use by both the public and by state government, and we need to make sure the infrastructure is there to encourage their adoption by putting charging stations in convenient locations at libraries and government parking areas and ensuring that renters and condo owners also have access to them. We should encourage ev sharing ventures in communities where owning a car is prohibitive. We should shoot high, adopt an ambitious goal with across the board examination of every aspect of transportation to make significant progress. Such progress will not only cut our greenhouse gas emissions but bring improvements in the health of our cities' residents.

I believe the proposed TCI is a useful starting point for action on carbon reduction but not nearly aggressive enough. To actually effect a critical reduction in VMT the "price at the pump" needs to start higher with assurances it will go even higher.
There should be explicit measures to address the inequitable hardship on low-income and rural households using some portion of the auction income to cushion this inequity. I hope Pennsylvania will join in this regional effort.

I'm grateful that Virginia is working on reducing transportation emissions—it's time to make bold moves. Given that transportation is Virginia's top source of greenhouse gas emissions, we should consider more aggressive goals (i.e. greater than 25% reduction) and prioritize zero tailpipe emissions investments. Let's make it happen!

TCI is very important for Maryland and for the world, because climate change is real and it's having an increasingly negative impact on our lives and on the environment. Because transportation is the leading emitter of greenhouse gases, it's really essential that we work collaboratively through TCI to reduce greenhouse gases and to leave a sustainable world for future generations.

I vehemently oppose the proposed widening of I495, I270, and building a third Bay Bridge. As a native Californian, I have repeatedly experienced the increased congestion that inevitably follows road expansion. Let's learn from their experience and build our public transportation.

In addition, widening and building roads will removed huge numbers of trees that help to mitigate climate change. We should be planting trees instead of cutting them down. Let's get out of our cars and go public!

I agree with the Transpiration Climate Initiative in concept, but not with the timing of it. Vermont is one of the most environmentally clean states already and will struggle to meet the goals set by this plan. I include the following comments:
I. In Rural Vermont, this tax (that you say is not a tax) is discriminatory and will place an undue burden upon most lower and middle class citizens who are already working two jobs to make ends meet and pay their taxes. This initiative will drive more businesses and people out of Vermont.
II. Even with the incentive that Governor Scott has added to his budget to enable Vermonters to purchase an electric or hybrid vehicle, most Vermonters will not be able to afford to get out of their current car payment (usually a car with 150K miles on it that they are working another job to pay for) and purchase a new, electric vehicle. Also, there are no used electric or hybrid vehicles on the market now.
III. There is not an adequate mass transportation system available to enable people to get to Rutland to work an off shift. Even if there were, if someone was required to work an additional shift to provide additional funding support for their family, the current system doesn’t operate after 8:00 PM.
IV. Now that NH has dropped out of the regional initiative and NY has not committed to it, when the price of gasoline and diesel goes up because of TCI, Vermonters will simply go to those states to buy their fuels. You are naive to think that you will be able to force people to comply with your initiative. You probably haven’t noticed that fuel stations in the states along the Vermont border have been adding more gasoline pumps in anticipation of this CARBON TAX!
V. I understand that there is a plan for Vermont to sell carbon credits for businesses who don’t comply with this initiative. I also understand that the forests of our state which sequester the carbon will be used to calculate this carbon off-set. 89% of Vermont forest land is privately owned. You can’t sell carbon credits from trees that you don’t own. I own 250 acres of timber land. I asked the question last night; “Will the state pay me for my trees and the carbon they sequester” and was told that I didn’t own enough to be considered. I was also told that maybe if I joined with adjacent property owners to combine our acreage, that maybe the initiative would provide some offset to me. This seizure of property rights in unconstitutional and will not be allowed.

In 35 years we will run out of fossil fuel and we will have developed the technology to be mobile and competitive in a new world economy. Why do we have to comply with an unreasonable, futuristic standard now? We have already cut emissions and found alternative methods of going to meeting through advances of the internet. Workers are now able to telecommute to work and stay at home, work and care for their young children in the process.
Why don’t we develop a plan for phasing out the internal combustion engine over the next 10 years and let technology advance along the way so that when we get to the point of no fossil fuel, we can have everyone on board with the new plan? We can do this for the next 10 years as technology advance and our forests continue to sequester carbon from the other pollution sources in the world.

I support TCI. Fossil fuel companies have been too slow to research and develop alternative fuels and this could help that process. I also think that we have a lot to gain from the investment of funds that Vermont will receive. Developing alternative transportation modalities, improving the ability to live closer to town centers and helping Vermonters to see the benefits of driving more fuel efficient vehicles are critical and can be assisted by TCI.