Northern Colorado Gazette

Ritter, now Mead, Wy. Gov, increase new requirements

If you haven’t renewed you vehicle registration yet this year, you will soon learn that Weld County car owners have to hand government another fistful of their money. This time it goes for “Clean Air Clean Jobs”. That’s the “name” former governor Ritter gave the legislation formally known as the Regional Haze Plan. The emissions testing tax newly imposed here is the latest installment of the family budget busting environmental legislation enacted under former governor Ritter. In Ritter’s own New York Times op-ed he claimed his “legacy legislation” would create thousands of new jobs. But he could not identify one yet. Meanwhile we all have identified the Xcel rate increases we face every month. And now another phase of Ritter’s Raid on our Pocketbooks comes as we pay the ransom to drive to work – the emission tax. The reason for Weld and Larimer counties to be drawn into this huge transfer of wealth is to “prove” that emissions testing in metro Denver is working.

  

It works like this: the good, clear air in Weld County is averaged into the haze in metro Denver. Denver’s numbers improve and by the logic of most Colorado Democrats, that then proves that air in Denver is clear. Therefore the emission tax improves air quality.

More than a decade ago when then Florida Governor Jeb Bush signed legislation ending emissions testing in Florida, the EPA issued a confirmation report of Governor Bush’s statement that said, “The vehicle inspection program is not an efficient tool for reducing pollution and is an unnecessary burden to motorists.” ( Jacksonville Business Journal, 6/15/2000 )

During hearings on HB 1365 Ritter falsely claimed the federal government was preparing 11 regulations and was threatening to “take over” Colorado’s air quality programs ( HB 1365 testimony by CDPHE ) In fact, these 11 proposed regulations did not exist – and neither did any federal ’take over’ threat. These can not be considered accidental misstatements: they were planned, prepared lies by the Ritter administration.

Writing for his Independence Institute blog, William Yeatman, details the false data and unsubstantiated reports that lead to the passage of HB 1365. He details much of the accurate, yet unreported costs to Coloradans. But the expanded emissions testing program is even more expensive when we consider some history – both recent and reaching back 40 years. In the 1970’s, cars had carburetors – and gas had lead. Poorly maintained carburetors often allowed incomplete combustion and nasty exhaust. To keep people maintaining their cars, these testing programs might have made sense. But TODAY – is 40 years later. Lead has been gone from gas so long that even the parents of today’s new drivers may never have driven a car that burned leaded gas. Carburetors are only available on antiques. Major metropolitan areas all over the eastern U.S. have discontinued much of their emission testing programs because they have proven to be useless economic drains with no benefits. In 2007, Missouri stopped all testing of vehicles manufactured before 1996 because as Missouri Department of Environmental Quality spokesperson Leanne Tippett Mosby stated, “ cars are getting cleaner” as she explained the improvement in air quality resulting from continued testing of pre 1996 cars just wasn’t justified. ( USA Today )

We pay thousands of dollars more for cars to cover the huge costs of research and development of cleaner running cars and their fuels. Statistically, the number of vehicles that fail today is so small that no technology even exists to determine air improvement resulting from not having such a small percentage of vehicles not running. To do so would be as difficult as proving the nonexistence of God.

But lets look at this a different way. If Weld County’s clean air is averaged into Denver’s haze doesn’t that mean Weld County’s air is worse off than it was before the emissions tax money grab?

NO NO! Democrats who supported this tax won’t allow us to look at it that way. That wouldn’t justify the tax.

When Ritter’s Raiders passed the legislation that added this new money grab in Weld County, they produced a report signed by admitted socialist environmentalist Doctor Chris Urbina, Director of Colorado’s Department of Public Health and Environment. Largely as a result of Dr. Urbina’s now discredited report, the legislation passed mandated emissions controls that will cost Colorado residents at least 40 times more than the EPA’s estimated cost to reach their suggested air quality levels for the regions’ protected wilderness areas.

What is now obvious is that interstate natural gas industry interests beat down Colorado’s clean coal power programs already in place. Using clean coal technology, the EPA estimated new requirements for meeting proposed air quality regulations would have cost about $95.00 per ton of recovered emissions versus Ritter’s Raiders’ regulations that will cost you more than $4000.00 per ton and the Colorado coal industry untold numbers of jobs.

Some of that excessive cost has to be hidden from voters. So Weld County pays a car tax hidden behind the air quality label and buried in legislation based on open deceit and discredited science that Wyoming, Utah and the EPA all agree is an unwarranted cost burden on everyone.

Urge repeal of the Regional Haze State Implementation Plan (SIP) — and the Weld County emissions tax grab goes away. Allow this Clean Air, Clean Jobs Act illusion to continue and watch energy costs rise, the money transfer continue, jobs decline and clean burning, abundant coal becomes a booming business in neighboring states.

References:

Associated content from Yahoo, 6,20,2009, Paula Andra

Independence Institute / Freedom’s Front Line / Environmental Policy. 2,16,2011, 3/11/2011 – William Yeatman

USA Today, June 18, 2007, Older Cars Go Unchecked, Judy Keen

The Colorado Statesman, 6,24,2011 ref to hearing of 3,26,2009 – Ashley Chase Sinclair

 h jubv  

 

If you haven’t renewed you vehicle registration yet this year, you will soon learn that Weld County car owners have to hand government another fistful of their money. This time it goes for “Clean Air Clean Jobs”. That’s the “name” former governor Ritter gave the legislation formally known as the Regional Haze Plan. The emissions testing tax newly imposed here is the latest installment of the family budget busting environmental legislation enacted under former governor Ritter. In Ritter’s own New York Times op-ed he claimed his “legacy legislation” would create thousands of new jobs. But he could not identify one yet. Meanwhile we all have identified the Xcel rate increases we face every month. And now another phase of Ritter’s Raid on our Pocketbooks comes as we pay the ransom to drive to work – the emission tax. The reason for Weld and Larimer counties to be drawn into this huge transfer of wealth is to “prove” that emissions testing in metro Denver is working.

 

It works like this: the good, clear air in Weld County is averaged into the haze in metro Denver. Denver’s numbers improve and by the logic of most Colorado Democrats, that then proves that air in Denver is clear. Therefore the emission tax improves air quality.

More than a decade ago when then Florida Governor Jeb Bush signed legislation ending emissions testing in Florida, the EPA issued a confirmation report of Governor Bush’s statement that said, “The vehicle inspection program is not an efficient tool for reducing pollution and is an unnecessary burden to motorists.” ( Jacksonville Business Journal, 6/15/2000 )

During hearings on HB 1365 Ritter falsely claimed the federal government was preparing 11 regulations and was threatening to “take over” Colorado’s air quality programs ( HB 1365 testimony by CDPHE ) In fact, these 11 proposed regulations did not exist – and neither did any federal ’take over’ threat. These can not be considered accidental misstatements: they were planned, prepared lies by the Ritter administration.

Writing for his Independence Institute blog, William Yeatman, details the false data and unsubstantiated reports that lead to the passage of HB 1365. He details much of the accurate, yet unreported costs to Coloradans. But the expanded emissions testing program is even more expensive when we consider some history – both recent and reaching back 40 years. In the 1970’s, cars had carburetors – and gas had lead. Poorly maintained carburetors often allowed incomplete combustion and nasty exhaust. To keep people maintaining their cars, these testing programs might have made sense. But TODAY – is 40 years later. Lead has been gone from gas so long that even the parents of today’s new drivers may never have driven a car that burned leaded gas. Carburetors are only available on antiques. Major metropolitan areas all over the eastern U.S. have discontinued much of their emission testing programs because they have proven to be useless economic drains with no benefits. In 2007, Missouri stopped all testing of vehicles manufactured before 1996 because as Missouri Department of Environmental Quality spokesperson Leanne Tippett Mosby stated, “ cars are getting cleaner” as she explained the improvement in air quality resulting from continued testing of pre 1996 cars just wasn’t justified. ( USA Today )

We pay thousands of dollars more for cars to cover the huge costs of research and development of cleaner running cars and their fuels. Statistically, the number of vehicles that fail today is so small that no technology even exists to determine air improvement resulting from not having such a small percentage of vehicles not running. To do so would be as difficult as proving the nonexistence of God.

But lets look at this a different way. If Weld County’s clean air is averaged into Denver’s haze doesn’t that mean Weld County’s air is worse off than it was before the emissions tax money grab?

NO NO! Democrats who supported this tax won’t allow us to look at it that way. That wouldn’t justify the tax.

When Ritter’s Raiders passed the legislation that added this new money grab in Weld County, they produced a report signed by admitted socialist environmentalist Doctor Chris Urbina, Director of Colorado’s Department of Public Health and Environment. Largely as a result of Dr. Urbina’s now discredited report, the legislation passed mandated emissions controls that will cost Colorado residents at least 40 times more than the EPA’s estimated cost to reach their suggested air quality levels for the regions’ protected wilderness areas.

What is now obvious is that interstate natural gas industry interests beat down Colorado’s clean coal power programs already in place. Using clean coal technology, the EPA estimated new requirements for meeting proposed air quality regulations would have cost about $95.00 per ton of recovered emissions versus Ritter’s Raiders’ regulations that will cost you more than $4000.00 per ton and the Colorado coal industry untold numbers of jobs.

Some of that excessive cost has to be hidden from voters. So Weld County pays a car tax hidden behind the air quality label and buried in legislation based on open deceit and discredited science that Wyoming, Utah and the EPA all agree is an unwarranted cost burden on everyone.

Urge repeal of the Regional Haze State Implementation Plan (SIP) — and the Weld County emissions tax grab goes away. Allow this Clean Air Clean Jobs Act illusion to continue and watch energy costs rise, the money transfer continue, jobs decline and clean burning, abundant coal becomes a booming business in neighboring states.

References:

Associated content from Yahoo, 6,20,2009, Paula Andra

Independence Institute / Freedom’s Front Line / Environmental Policy. 2,16,2011, 3/11/2011 – William Yeatman

USA Today, June 18, 2007, Older Cars Go Unchecked, Judy Keen

The Colorado Statesman, 6,24,2011 ref to hearing of 3,26,2009 – Ashley Chase Sinclair

   

 

If you haven’t renewed you vehicle registration yet this year, you will soon learn that Weld County car owners have to hand government another fistful of their money. This time it goes for “Clean Air Clean Jobs”. That’s the “name” former governor Ritter gave the legislation formally known as the Regional Haze Plan. The emissions testing tax newly imposed here is the latest installment of the family budget busting environmental legislation enacted under former governor Ritter. In Ritter’s own New York Times op-ed he claimed his “legacy legislation” would create thousands of new jobs. But he could not identify one yet. Meanwhile we all have identified the Xcel rate increases we face every month. And now another phase of Ritter’s Raid on our Pocketbooks comes as we pay the ransom to drive to work – the emission tax. The reason for Weld and Larimer counties to be drawn into this huge transfer of wealth is to “prove” that emissions testing in metro Denver is working.

 

It works like this: the good, clear air in Weld County is averaged into the haze in metro Denver. Denver’s numbers improve and by the logic of most Colorado Democrats, that then proves that air in Denver is clear. Therefore the emission tax improves air quality.

More than a decade ago when then Florida Governor Jeb Bush signed legislation ending emissions testing in Florida, the EPA issued a confirmation report of Governor Bush’s statement that said, “The vehicle inspection program is not an efficient tool for reducing pollution and is an unnecessary burden to motorists.” ( Jacksonville Business Journal, 6/15/2000 )

During hearings on HB 1365 Ritter falsely claimed the federal government was preparing 11 regulations and was threatening to “take over” Colorado’s air quality programs ( HB 1365 testimony by CDPHE ) In fact, these 11 proposed regulations did not exist – and neither did any federal ’take over’ threat. These can not be considered accidental misstatements: they were planned, prepared lies by the Ritter administration.

Writing for his Independence Institute blog, William Yeatman, details the false data and unsubstantiated reports that lead to the passage of HB 1365. He details much of the accurate, yet unreported costs to Coloradans. But the expanded emissions testing program is even more expensive when we consider some history – both recent and reaching back 40 years. In the 1970’s, cars had carburetors – and gas had lead. Poorly maintained carburetors often allowed incomplete combustion and nasty exhaust. To keep people maintaining their cars, these testing programs might have made sense. But TODAY – is 40 years later. Lead has been gone from gas so long that even the parents of today’s new drivers may never have driven a car that burned leaded gas. Carburetors are only available on antiques. Major metropolitan areas all over the eastern U.S. have discontinued much of their emission testing programs because they have proven to be useless economic drains with no benefits. In 2007, Missouri stopped all testing of vehicles manufactured before 1996 because as Missouri Department of Environmental Quality spokesperson Leanne Tippett Mosby stated, “ cars are getting cleaner” as she explained the improvement in air quality resulting from continued testing of pre 1996 cars just wasn’t justified. ( USA Today )

We pay thousands of dollars more for cars to cover the huge costs of research and development of cleaner running cars and their fuels. Statistically, the number of vehicles that fail today is so small that no technology even exists to determine air improvement resulting from not having such a small percentage of vehicles not running. To do so would be as difficult as proving the nonexistence of God.

But lets look at this a different way. If Weld County’s clean air is averaged into Denver’s haze doesn’t that mean Weld County’s air is worse off than it was before the emissions tax money grab?

NO NO! Democrats who supported this tax won’t allow us to look at it that way. That wouldn’t justify the tax.

When Ritter’s Raiders passed the legislation that added this new money grab in Weld County, they produced a report signed by admitted socialist environmentalist Doctor Chris Urbina, Director of Colorado’s Department of Public Health and Environment. Largely as a result of Dr. Urbina’s now discredited report, the legislation passed mandated emissions controls that will cost Colorado residents at least 40 times more than the EPA’s estimated cost to reach their suggested air quality levels for the regions’ protected wilderness areas.

What is now obvious is that interstate natural gas industry interests beat down Colorado’s clean coal power programs already in place. Using clean coal technology, the EPA estimated new requirements for meeting proposed air quality regulations would have cost about $95.00 per ton of recovered emissions versus Ritter’s Raiders’ regulations that will cost you more than $4000.00 per ton and the Colorado coal industry untold numbers of jobs.

Some of that excessive cost has to be hidden from voters. So Weld County pays a car tax hidden behind the air quality label and buried in legislation based on open deceit and discredited science that Wyoming, Utah and the EPA all agree is an unwarranted cost burden on everyone.

Urge repeal of the Regional Haze State Implementation Plan (SIP) — and the Weld County emissions tax grab goes away. Allow this Clean Air Clean Jobs Act illusion to continue and watch energy costs rise, the money transfer continue, jobs decline and clean burning, abundant coal becomes a booming business in neighboring states.

References:

Associated content from Yahoo, 6,20,2009, Paula Andra

Independence Institute / Freedom’s Front Line / Environmental Policy. 2,16,2011, 3/11/2011 – William Yeatman

USA Today, June 18, 2007, Older Cars Go Unchecked, Judy Keen

The Colorado Statesman, 6,24,2011 ref to hearing of 3,26,2009 – Ashley Chase Sinclair

   

 

If you haven’t renewed you vehicle registration yet this year, you will soon learn that Weld County car owners have to hand government another fistful of their money. This time it goes for “Clean Air Clean Jobs”. That’s the “name” former governor Ritter gave the legislation formally known as the Regional Haze Plan. The emissions testing tax newly imposed here is the latest installment of the family budget busting environmental legislation enacted under former governor Ritter. In Ritter’s own New York Times op-ed he claimed his “legacy legislation” would create thousands of new jobs. But he could not identify one yet. Meanwhile we all have identified the Xcel rate increases we face every month. And now another phase of Ritter’s Raid on our Pocketbooks comes as we pay the ransom to drive to work – the emission tax. The reason for Weld and Larimer counties to be drawn into this huge transfer of wealth is to “prove” that emissions testing in metro Denver is working.

 

It works like this: the good, clear air in Weld County is averaged into the haze in metro Denver. Denver’s numbers improve and by the logic of most Colorado Democrats, that then proves that air in Denver is clear. Therefore the emission tax improves air quality.

More than a decade ago when then Florida Governor Jeb Bush signed legislation ending emissions testing in Florida, the EPA issued a confirmation report of Governor Bush’s statement that said, “The vehicle inspection program is not an efficient tool for reducing pollution and is an unnecessary burden to motorists.” ( Jacksonville Business Journal, 6/15/2000 )

During hearings on HB 1365 Ritter falsely claimed the federal government was preparing 11 regulations and was threatening to “take over” Colorado’s air quality programs ( HB 1365 testimony by CDPHE ) In fact, these 11 proposed regulations did not exist – and neither did any federal ’take over’ threat. These can not be considered accidental misstatements: they were planned, prepared lies by the Ritter administration.

Writing for his Independence Institute blog, William Yeatman, details the false data and unsubstantiated reports that lead to the passage of HB 1365. He details much of the accurate, yet unreported costs to Coloradans. But the expanded emissions testing program is even more expensive when we consider some history – both recent and reaching back 40 years. In the 1970’s, cars had carburetors – and gas had lead. Poorly maintained carburetors often allowed incomplete combustion and nasty exhaust. To keep people maintaining their cars, these testing programs might have made sense. But TODAY – is 40 years later. Lead has been gone from gas so long that even the parents of today’s new drivers may never have driven a car that burned leaded gas. Carburetors are only available on antiques. Major metropolitan areas all over the eastern U.S. have discontinued much of their emission testing programs because they have proven to be useless economic drains with no benefits. In 2007, Missouri stopped all testing of vehicles manufactured before 1996 because as Missouri Department of Environmental Quality spokesperson Leanne Tippett Mosby stated, “ cars are getting cleaner” as she explained the improvement in air quality resulting from continued testing of pre 1996 cars just wasn’t justified. ( USA Today )

We pay thousands of dollars more for cars to cover the huge costs of research and development of cleaner running cars and their fuels. Statistically, the number of vehicles that fail today is so small that no technology even exists to determine air improvement resulting from not having such a small percentage of vehicles not running. To do so would be as difficult as proving the nonexistence of God.

But lets look at this a different way. If Weld County’s clean air is averaged into Denver’s haze doesn’t that mean Weld County’s air is worse off than it was before the emissions tax money grab?

NO NO! Democrats who supported this tax won’t allow us to look at it that way. That wouldn’t justify the tax.

When Ritter’s Raiders passed the legislation that added this new money grab in Weld County, they produced a report signed by admitted socialist environmentalist Doctor Chris Urbina, Director of Colorado’s Department of Public Health and Environment. Largely as a result of Dr. Urbina’s now discredited report, the legislation passed mandated emissions controls that will cost Colorado residents at least 40 times more than the EPA’s estimated cost to reach their suggested air quality levels for the regions’ protected wilderness areas.

What is now obvious is that interstate natural gas industry interests beat down Colorado’s clean coal power programs already in place. Using clean coal technology, the EPA estimated new requirements for meeting proposed air quality regulations would have cost about $95.00 per ton of recovered emissions versus Ritter’s Raiders’ regulations that will cost you more than $4000.00 per ton and the Colorado coal industry untold numbers of jobs.

Some of that excessive cost has to be hidden from voters. So Weld County pays a car tax hidden behind the air quality label and buried in legislation based on open deceit and discredited science that Wyoming, Utah and the EPA all agree is an unwarranted cost burden on everyone.

Urge repeal of the Regional Haze State Implementation Plan (SIP) — and the Weld County emissions tax grab goes away. Allow this Clean Air Clean Jobs Act illusion to continue and watch energy costs rise, the money transfer continue, jobs decline and clean burning, abundant coal becomes a booming business in neighboring states.

References:

Associated content from Yahoo, 6,20,2009, Paula Andra

Independence Institute / Freedom’s Front Line / Environmental Policy. 2,16,2011, 3/11/2011 – William Yeatman

USA Today, June 18, 2007, Older Cars Go Unchecked, Judy Keen

The Colorado Statesman, 6,24,2011 ref to hearing of 3,26,2009 – Ashley Chase Sinclair

   

 

If you haven’t renewed you vehicle registration yet this year, you will soon learn that Weld County car owners have to hand government another fistful of their money. This time it goes for “Clean Air Clean Jobs”. That’s the “name” former governor Ritter gave the legislation formally known as the Regional Haze Plan. The emissions testing tax newly imposed here is the latest installment of the family budget busting environmental legislation enacted under former governor Ritter. In Ritter’s own New York Times op-ed he claimed his “legacy legislation” would create thousands of new jobs. But he could not identify one yet. Meanwhile we all have identified the Xcel rate increases we face every month. And now another phase of Ritter’s Raid on our Pocketbooks comes as we pay the ransom to drive to work – the emission tax. The reason for Weld and Larimer counties to be drawn into this huge transfer of wealth is to “prove” that emissions testing in metro Denver is working.

 

It works like this: the good, clear air in Weld County is averaged into the haze in metro Denver. Denver’s numbers improve and by the logic of most Colorado Democrats, that then proves that air in Denver is clear. Therefore the emission tax improves air quality.

More than a decade ago when then Florida Governor Jeb Bush signed legislation ending emissions testing in Florida, the EPA issued a confirmation report of Governor Bush’s statement that said, “The vehicle inspection program is not an efficient tool for reducing pollution and is an unnecessary burden to motorists.” ( Jacksonville Business Journal, 6/15/2000 )

During hearings on HB 1365 Ritter falsely claimed the federal government was preparing 11 regulations and was threatening to “take over” Colorado’s air quality programs ( HB 1365 testimony by CDPHE ) In fact, these 11 proposed regulations did not exist – and neither did any federal ’take over’ threat. These can not be considered accidental misstatements: they were planned, prepared lies by the Ritter administration.

Writing for his Independence Institute blog, William Yeatman, details the false data and unsubstantiated reports that lead to the passage of HB 1365. He details much of the accurate, yet unreported costs to Coloradans. But the expanded emissions testing program is even more expensive when we consider some history – both recent and reaching back 40 years. In the 1970’s, cars had carburetors – and gas had lead. Poorly maintained carburetors often allowed incomplete combustion and nasty exhaust. To keep people maintaining their cars, these testing programs might have made sense. But TODAY – is 40 years later. Lead has been gone from gas so long that even the parents of today’s new drivers may never have driven a car that burned leaded gas. Carburetors are only available on antiques. Major metropolitan areas all over the eastern U.S. have discontinued much of their emission testing programs because they have proven to be useless economic drains with no benefits. In 2007, Missouri stopped all testing of vehicles manufactured before 1996 because as Missouri Department of Environmental Quality spokesperson Leanne Tippett Mosby stated, “ cars are getting cleaner” as she explained the improvement in air quality resulting from continued testing of pre 1996 cars just wasn’t justified. ( USA Today )

We pay thousands of dollars more for cars to cover the huge costs of research and development of cleaner running cars and their fuels. Statistically, the number of vehicles that fail today is so small that no technology even exists to determine air improvement resulting from not having such a small percentage of vehicles not running. To do so would be as difficult as proving the nonexistence of God.

But lets look at this a different way. If Weld County’s clean air is averaged into Denver’s haze doesn’t that mean Weld County’s air is worse off than it was before the emissions tax money grab?

NO NO! Democrats who supported this tax won’t allow us to look at it that way. That wouldn’t justify the tax.

When Ritter’s Raiders passed the legislation that added this new money grab in Weld County, they produced a report signed by admitted socialist environmentalist Doctor Chris Urbina, Director of Colorado’s Department of Public Health and Environment. Largely as a result of Dr. Urbina’s now discredited report, the legislation passed mandated emissions controls that will cost Colorado residents at least 40 times more than the EPA’s estimated cost to reach their suggested air quality levels for the regions’ protected wilderness areas.

What is now obvious is that interstate natural gas industry interests beat down Colorado’s clean coal power programs already in place. Using clean coal technology, the EPA estimated new requirements for meeting proposed air quality regulations would have cost about $95.00 per ton of recovered emissions versus Ritter’s Raiders’ regulations that will cost you more than $4000.00 per ton and the Colorado coal industry untold numbers of jobs.

Some of that excessive cost has to be hidden from voters. So Weld County pays a car tax hidden behind the air quality label and buried in legislation based on open deceit and discredited science that Wyoming, Utah and the EPA all agree is an unwarranted cost burden on everyone.

Urge repeal of the Regional Haze State Implementation Plan (SIP) — and the Weld County emissions tax grab goes away. Allow this Clean Air Clean Jobs Act illusion to continue and watch energy costs rise, the money transfer continue, jobs decline and clean burning, abundant coal becomes a booming business in neighboring states.

References:

Associated content from Yahoo, 6,20,2009, Paula Andra

Independence Institute / Freedom’s Front Line / Environmental Policy. 2,16,2011, 3/11/2011 – William Yeatman

USA Today, June 18, 2007, Older Cars Go Unchecked, Judy Keen

The Colorado Statesman, 6,24,2011 ref to hearing of 3,26,2009 – Ashley Chase Sinclair

 rtgh  

 

If you haven’t renewed you vehicle registration yet this year, you will soon learn that Weld County car owners have to hand government another fistful of their money. This time it goes for “Clean Air Clean Jobs”. That’s the “name” former governor Ritter gave the legislation formally known as the Regional Haze Plan. The emissions testing tax newly imposed here is the latest installment of the family budget busting environmental legislation enacted under former governor Ritter. In Ritter’s own New York Times op-ed he claimed his “legacy legislation” would create thousands of new jobs. But he could not identify one yet. Meanwhile we all have identified the Xcel rate increases we face every month. And now another phase of Ritter’s Raid on our Pocketbooks comes as we pay the ransom to drive to work – the emission tax. The reason for Weld and Larimer counties to be drawn into this huge transfer of wealth is to “prove” that emissions testing in metro Denver is working.

 

It works like this: the good, clear air in Weld County is averaged into the haze in metro Denver. Denver’s numbers improve and by the logic of most Colorado Democrats, that then proves that air in Denver is clear. Therefore the emission tax improves air quality.

More than a decade ago when then Florida Governor Jeb Bush signed legislation ending emissions testing in Florida, the EPA issued a confirmation report of Governor Bush’s statement that said, “The vehicle inspection program is not an efficient tool for reducing pollution and is an unnecessary burden to motorists.” ( Jacksonville Business Journal, 6/15/2000 )

During hearings on HB 1365 Ritter falsely claimed the federal government was preparing 11 regulations and was threatening to “take over” Colorado’s air quality programs ( HB 1365 testimony by CDPHE ) In fact, these 11 proposed regulations did not exist – and neither did any federal ’take over’ threat. These can not be considered accidental misstatements: they were planned, prepared lies by the Ritter administration.

Writing for his Independence Institute blog, William Yeatman, details the false data and unsubstantiated reports that lead to the passage of HB 1365. He details much of the accurate, yet unreported costs to Coloradans. But the expanded emissions testing program is even more expensive when we consider some history – both recent and reaching back 40 years. In the 1970’s, cars had carburetors – and gas had lead. Poorly maintained carburetors often allowed incomplete combustion and nasty exhaust. To keep people maintaining their cars, these testing programs might have made sense. But TODAY – is 40 years later. Lead has been gone from gas so long that even the parents of today’s new drivers may never have driven a car that burned leaded gas. Carburetors are only available on antiques. Major metropolitan areas all over the eastern U.S. have discontinued much of their emission testing programs because they have proven to be useless economic drains with no benefits. In 2007, Missouri stopped all testing of vehicles manufactured before 1996 because as Missouri Department of Environmental Quality spokesperson Leanne Tippett Mosby stated, “ cars are getting cleaner” as she explained the improvement in air quality resulting from continued testing of pre 1996 cars just wasn’t justified. ( USA Today )

We pay thousands of dollars more for cars to cover the huge costs of research and development of cleaner running cars and their fuels. Statistically, the number of vehicles that fail today is so small that no technology even exists to determine air improvement resulting from not having such a small percentage of vehicles not running. To do so would be as difficult as proving the nonexistence of God.

But lets look at this a different way. If Weld County’s clean air is averaged into Denver’s haze doesn’t that mean Weld County’s air is worse off than it was before the emissions tax money grab?

NO NO! Democrats who supported this tax won’t allow us to look at it that way. That wouldn’t justify the tax.

When Ritter’s Raiders passed the legislation that added this new money grab in Weld County, they produced a report signed by admitted socialist environmentalist Doctor Chris Urbina, Director of Colorado’s Department of Public Health and Environment. Largely as a result of Dr. Urbina’s now discredited report, the legislation passed mandated emissions controls that will cost Colorado residents at least 40 times more than the EPA’s estimated cost to reach their suggested air quality levels for the regions’ protected wilderness areas.

What is now obvious is that interstate natural gas industry interests beat down Colorado’s clean coal power programs already in place. Using clean coal technology, the EPA estimated new requirements for meeting proposed air quality regulations would have cost about $95.00 per ton of recovered emissions versus Ritter’s Raiders’ regulations that will cost you more than $4000.00 per ton and the Colorado coal industry untold numbers of jobs.

Some of that excessive cost has to be hidden from voters. So Weld County pays a car tax hidden behind the air quality label and buried in legislation based on open deceit and discredited science that Wyoming, Utah and the EPA all agree is an unwarranted cost burden on everyone.

Urge repeal of the Regional Haze State Implementation Plan (SIP) — and the Weld County emissions tax grab goes away. Allow this Clean Air Clean Jobs Act illusion to continue and watch energy costs rise, the money transfer continue, jobs decline and clean burning, abundant coal becomes a booming business in neighboring states.

References:

Associated content from Yahoo, 6,20,2009, Paula Andra

Independence Institute / Freedom’s Front Line / Environmental Policy. 2,16,2011, 3/11/2011 – William Yeatman

USA Today, June 18, 2007, Older Cars Go Unchecked, Judy Keen

The Colorado Statesman, 6,24,2011 ref to hearing of 3,26,2009 – Ashley Chase Sinclair

 jjo

If you haven’t renewed you vehicle registration yet this year, you will soon learn that Weld County car owners have to hand government another fistful of their money. This time it goes for “Clean Air Clean Jobs”. That’s the “name” former governor Ritter gave the legislation formally known as the Regional Haze Plan. The emissions testing tax newly imposed here is the latest installment of the family budget busting environmental legislation enacted under former governor Ritter. In Ritter’s own New York Times op-ed he claimed his “legacy legislation” would create thousands of new jobs. But he could not identify one yet. Meanwhile we all have identified the Xcel rate increases we face every month. And now another phase of Ritter’s Raid on our Pocketbooks comes as we pay the ransom to drive to work – the emission tax. The reason for Weld and Larimer counties to be drawn into this huge transfer of wealth is to “prove” that emissions testing in metro Denver is working.

 

 

                Hayden Power Plant burns coal and meets existing emissions regulations 

 

It works like this: the good, clear air in Weld County is averaged into the haze in metro Denver.  Denver’s numbers improve and by the logic of most Colorado Democrats, that then proves that air in Denver is clear. Therefore the emission tax improves air quality.

 

More than a decade ago when then Florida Governor Jeb Bush signed legislation ending emissions testing in Florida, the EPA issued a confirmation report of Governor Bush’s statement that said, “The vehicle inspection program is not an efficient tool for reducing pollution and is an unnecessary burden to motorists.” ( Jacksonville Business Journal, 6/15/2000 )

 

During hearings on HB 1365 Ritter falsely claimed the federal government was preparing 11 regulations and was threatening to “take over” Colorado’s air quality programs ( HB 1365 testimony by CDPHE ) In fact, these 11 proposed regulations did not exist – and neither did any federal ’take over’ threat.  These can not be considered accidental misstatements: they were planned, prepared lies by the Ritter administration.

 

Writing for his Independence Institute blog, William Yeatman, details the false data and unsubstantiated reports that lead to the passage of HB 1365. He details much of the accurate, yet unreported costs to Coloradans. But the expanded emissions testing program is even more expensive when we consider some history – both recent and reaching back 40 years.  In the 1970’s, cars had carburetors – and gas had lead. Poorly maintained carburetors often allowed incomplete combustion and nasty exhaust. To keep people maintaining their cars, these testing programs might have made sense. But TODAY – is 40 years later. Lead has been gone from gas so long that even the parents of today’s new drivers may never have driven a car that burned leaded gas. Carburetors are only available on antiques. Major metropolitan areas all over the eastern U.S. have discontinued much of their emission testing programs because they have proven to be useless economic drains with no benefits.  In 2007, Missouri stopped all testing of vehicles manufactured before 1996 because as Missouri Department of Environmental Quality spokesperson Leanne Tippett Mosby stated, “  cars are getting cleaner” as she explained the improvement in air quality resulting from continued testing of pre 1996 cars just wasn’t justified. ( USA Today )

 

We pay thousands of dollars more for cars to cover the huge costs of research and development of cleaner running cars and their fuels. Statistically, the number of vehicles that fail today is so small that no technology even exists to determine air improvement resulting from not having such a small percentage of vehicles not running. To do so would be as difficult as proving the nonexistence of God.

 

But lets look at this a different way. If Weld County’s clean air is averaged into Denver’s haze doesn’t that mean Weld County’s air is worse off than it was before the emissions tax money grab? 

 

NO NO! Democrats who supported this tax won’t allow us to look at it that way. That wouldn’t justify the tax. 

 

When Ritter’s Raiders passed the legislation that added this new money grab in Weld County, they produced a report signed by admitted socialist environmentalist Doctor Chris Urbina, Director of Colorado’s Department of Public Health and Environment. Largely as a result of Dr. Urbina’s now discredited report, the legislation passed mandated emissions controls that will cost Colorado residents at least 40 times more than the EPA’s estimated cost to reach their suggested air quality levels for the regions’ protected wilderness areas.

 

What is now obvious is that interstate natural gas industry interests beat down Colorado’s clean coal power programs already in place. Using clean coal technology, the EPA estimated new requirements for meeting proposed air quality regulations would have cost about $95.00 per ton of recovered emissions versus Ritter’s Raiders’ regulations that will cost you more than $4000.00 per ton and the Colorado coal industry untold numbers of jobs.

 

Some of that excessive cost has to be hidden from voters. So Weld County pays a car tax hidden behind the air quality label and buried in legislation based on open deceit and discredited science that Wyoming, Utah and the EPA all agree is an unwarranted cost burden on everyone.

 

Urge repeal of the Regional Haze State Implementation Plan (SIP) — and the Weld County emissions tax grab goes away.  Allow this Clean Air Clean Jobs Act illusion to continue and watch energy costs rise, the money transfer continue, jobs decline and clean burning, abundant coal becomes a booming business in neighboring states.

 

References:

Associated content from Yahoo, 6,20,2009, Paula Andra

Independence Institute / Freedom’s Front Line / Environmental Policy. 2,16,2011, 3/11/2011 – William Yeatman

USA Today, June 18, 2007, Older Cars Go Unchecked, Judy Keen

The Colorado Statesman, 6,24,2011 ref to hearing  of 3,26,2009 – Ashley Chase Sinclair

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hayden Power Plant burns coal and meets existing emissions regulations

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