Change to Vehicle Inspection Laws (California)

[inaki]

(lifted verbatim from smackjackal cause he said it better than I could)

Moss Motors forwarded this bit of information to people in their customer data base, I thought it worth sharing:

http://www.maildogmanager.com/page.html?p=0000015Fu8vs3gfDEj3gmLhu0mudcQqA==

The original article can be seen here.


Immediate Action Needed!
Committee Hearing set for August 28. Call Now!!!


In an effort to avoid public scrutiny, California Assemblyman Dave Jones (Assemblymember.jones@assembly.ca.gov) has amended a completely unrelated bill with language to require annual Smog check inspections for vehicles 15-years old and older. This represents an obvious attempt to sneak through legislation in the closing days of the legislative session that had been previously defeated (A.B. 616). The new bill is designated as A.B. 3053.

While pre-1976 motor vehicles would remain exempt under existing California law, this proposal ignores the fact that vehicles 15-years old and older still constitute a small portion of the overall vehicle population and are a poor source from which to look for emissions reduction. Furthermore, the bill would direct that the funds generated through annual inspection fees be used to scrap older cars. This represents another attempt by California legislators and regulators to scapegoat older cars.

This is the type of activity that fuels distrust in public officials. SEMA caught this lawmaker’s underhanded attempt to circumvent public process and is now calling on you to help defeat A.B 3053 before it’s too late.

Time is of the Essence! We Urge You to Call the California Senate Appropriations Committee (List Below) Immediately to Oppose A.B. 3053


California Senate Appropriations Committee

Senator Tom Torlakson – Chair
Phone: 916/651-4007
Email: senator.torlakson@sen.ca.gov

Senator Dave Cox
Phone: 916/651-4001
Email: senator.cox@sen.ca.gov

Senator Sam Aanestad
Phone: 916/651-4004
Email: senator.aanestad@sen.ca.gov

Senator Roy Ashburn
Phone: 916/651-4018
Email: senator.ashburn@sen.ca.gov

Senator Gilbert Cedillo
Phone: 916/651-4022
Email: senator.cedillo@sen.ca.gov

Senator Ellen Corbett
Phone: 916/651-4010

Senator Robert Dutton
Phone: 916/651-4031
Email: senator.dutton@sen.ca.gov

Senator Dean Florez
Phone: 916/651-4016
Email: senator.florez@sen.ca.gov

Senator Sheila Kuehl
Phone: 916/651-4023
Email: senator.kuehl@sen.ca.gov

Senator Jenny Oropeza
Phone: 916/651-4028

Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas
Phone: 916/651-4026

Senator George Runner
Phone: 916/651-4017
Email: senator.runner@sen.ca.gov

Senator Joe Simitian
Phone: 916/651-4011
Email: senator.simitian@sen.ca.gov

Senator Mark Wyland
Phone: 916/651-4038

Senator Leland Yee
Phone: 916/651-4008


I will point out that the source of this information is biased, however, annual inspections for vehicles older than 15 years is lame, IMHO. They're already required to submit to smog inspection every other other year, going to every other year really isn't going to do a whole lot other than cause people who drive older cars to have to shell out more cash every time they need to register their cars.

Comments

[timberwuf.livejournal.com]

The change is to make inspections of old vehicles annual instead of biannual. So what? My '91 Civic still passes. I'd like to help get rid of the gross polluters -- you know, the ones that smoke black or blue and needed valve or ring jobs two years ago. If that means my car has to get inspected more often, then fine.

[tixen.livejournal.com]

It's a hassle to deal with, though, and it's not cheap to have done. No other state has restrictions and legislation half as bad as this one does.

[timberwuf.livejournal.com]

Actually, in Colorado, where I bought my car, I had to get a smog test done every year. And in California, there are more cars, so the potential problem of gross polluters is a lot worse. Although there are many more cars in California than there were thirty years ago, the air is a lot better. That's because of regulations like those. The alternative is far worse.

(Sorry for going on like that. I guess that I'm a member of a special interest group, that minority of people who need to breathe clean air to live and stay healthy.)

[tixen.livejournal.com]

I think I'll go get a nice 1960's VW bug, so I can pollute more then smog check stations can measure, legally- just to prove how ridiculous it is to enforce more checks on newer cars. Newer cars aren't the problem, thus this change in law is ridiculous.

(Sorry for going on like that. I guess that I'm a member of a special interest group, that minority of people who think before voting on the laws in this state.)

[timberwuf.livejournal.com]

CARB realized exactly what you're talking about, so for many years, the state of California had a program where they'd just buy up nasty old pieces of crap that were still polluting the air. Yes, some clever economist had to point out to them that that was a more effective use of taxpayer money than to try to get the rest of the cars to comply to high enough standards so the junkers don't matter.

Well, as for your plan to buy a '60 Bug ... enjoy it. :-) Even if you do get one, you'll still have to make sure it doesn't become a gross polluter. http://www.smogtips.com/gross_polluter.cfm