TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

In Vermont, the transportation sector has the largest contribution to statewide greenhouse gas emissions. Many Vermonters must also drive long distances between their homes and their jobs, making affordable transportation a critical economic equity and social welfare issue. I strongly support the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) as a tool that can quickly reduce regional transportation GHG emissions. However, we must be careful to design TCI so as to make affordable, low-carbon transportation options available to rural citizens in the region.

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

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"?

It is easy to see that rail travel is the future of transportation, as it is the greenest and most efficient form of travel. Having an extensive high or higher speed rail network throughout the east coast is absolutely critical to a sustainable future. This also means making sure the majority of the network is electrified with overhead catenaries, and powered by renewable energy. As a volunteer at the Train Campaign in Western Mass, we are trying to bring rail travel to a region that currently relies heavily on cars as a primary mode of transport. Here is a link to an op-ed that I wrote on the topic, and is very relevant to extending the rail network across MA, CT, and NY.

https://www.berkshireeagle.com/stories/letter-make-views-known-on-berkshire-rail-plans,575360?

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.

It’s wrong for the Governor to pursue this tax increase without a legislative vote. Lawmakers are being completely excluded from the process, despite this being the exact task they were elected to carry out.