TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

It's adding tax on me a guy who owns a small business which uses a vehicle to get around this isn't helping anyone except janet Mills feel warm and fuzzy follow the money she is lining her pockets enough is enough we are already in the worst business climate !!

Are you folks crazy. We voted a gas tax down, you people are not listening. Your driving us into New Hampshire again.

It is critical that Massachusetts addresses its climate emissions! Transportation emissions are 40% of the state’s overall climate emissions. Thus, it is important that we tackle them and I am glad there is an effort to do this. Whatever we do, though, has to be effective and based on science, has to be equitable and must require an honest assessment of the challenges ahead.

Honesty
Starting with honest assessments, the current proposals are described as cutting transportation emissions by 25%. A quick look at supporting TCI analysis documents shows that the state’s business-as-usual transportation emissions are expected to drop 19% over a decade. But this is actually the rosiest possibility. It might only be 6%. On top a very optimistic expectation of business-as-usual transportation emissions, if the TCI process reduces emissions an additional 6%, then, we would get 25% reductions. But states are being asked if they want to reduce emissions 6%, 3% or only 1% over business-as-usual transportation emissions. So, 25% reductions over a decade is based on totally rosy numbers (business-as-usual reductions of 19% and the states all choose bold(?) action to get an additional 6% reductions. Actually, the results might, with equal probability, only be 7% reductions over a decade, or less!

How can have an honest conversation in the state about TCI if TCI proponents are providing misleading information about emissions reductions? Information must be transparent and honest. In this era of misinformation and given the seriousness of the effects of climate change, we cannot afford to be less than honest with ourselves about the potential results of different efforts to address climate change.

Effectiveness
The TCI process must provide policy options that address science-based requirements for climate mitigation which limits global warming to 1.5C over pre-industrial levels. That will require emissions reductions around the globe and in Massachusetts on the order of 40% of current emissions levels per decade. The TCI process is only considering efforts to reduce transportation climate emissions by 1%, 3% or 6% over business-as-usual emissions reductions, over a decade. And we have no assurance at all that business-as-usual emissions reductions will be significant. This is totally unacceptable! We need much steeper emissions reductions than those TCI is considering!

Equity
The TCI process must assure that policy options that address transportation needs in each state are equitable in the sense that they address the impacts policies on low-income communities, environmental justice communities and other disproportionately affects groups. Policies must address equity regarding access to public transportation, cost-effectiveness of public transportation, traffic congestion and its effects, the reduction of transportation climate emissions and related health impacts, impacts on access to new jobs, access to greener transportation options, and access to greener automobile technologies.

We need to be honest about the magnitude of the problem, the effort needed to solve it and the impact that our policies are having. That TCI has created a consortium of states trying to act in concert to address climate emissions from transportation is laudable. Now it needs to step up to the challenge and design effective and equitable policies to address it.

The time has passed to do something and take credit for it. It is time to stand up for our children and do what is needed.

Stop the madness! Foisting a 17 cent per gallon tax on gasoline will do absolutely nothing in the greater scheme. Is it your intent to further pauperise the residents of an already poor state, many of whom are forced to travel distances for employment. Shame on you. Get out of the TCI now! Your profligate spending and disguised taxation will be remembered on election day.

This initiative is pure liberal climate hoax poppycock. Mainers don't have, nor do we want, a huge public transport infrastructure that ships us around like cattle. Take your out of state ideology and GO AWAY.

NO to the Gas Tax! NO to increasing burdens on a poor, rural, remote state like Maine! California can't afford it and Maine even less so.

The US public transportation system is antiquated, unsafe, untimely, polluting and fails to appropriately serve the public at large. It is time to develop an electrified high speed comfortable rail system serving long distance, as well as well connected metropolitan light rails, metro, and electrified bus systems that serve all zip codes. This is allow children to attend school on time, will broaden access to food for underserved communities, and expand access to job opportunities while decongesting roads. Americans spend more than a month yearly behind the wheel. This increases stress, pollution, and decreases family time which is already abysmal compared to other developed countries.

It is about time to for Maryland to tackle its public transportation deficiencies, renovate aging infrastructure and come into the 21st century. Public transportation is a human right: students have the right to timely and safe transport to school. Workers are spending more time behind the wheel each year, decreasing productivity and affecting quality of life. The environment suffers via increased pollution.