Comments on: Feebates, Unlikely Solution for Reducing Car Emissions

By: smallmountain

smallmountain — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:19:13 +0000

Yes, the US auto industry is failing because that failed to innovate. So, isn’t that a fair play in capitalism?

By: shade

shade — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 22:30:43 +0000

the hydrogen generator, water for fuel, for all vehicles is availible and should be installed in every vehicle,this product cuts vehicle emission gases in half,and it also gives an estimated 5 to 10 additional mpg.this product should come with every new vehicle sold,this would also extend the life of every vehicle and would save a lot of the worlds supply of oil,there is no need to tax us to death,would only make people angry and spend even less,its just another reason for the wealthy to make more tax revenue to only satisfy there own greed,and if you truly feel there should be a tax for this it should only be for custom race cars because there is certainly no need for those type of vehicles and any person with that kind of car must have plenty of money to burn so why not just tax them to death and not an average american trying to make a living.

By: Autocar-Live

Autocar-Live — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:04:23 +0000

I have submitted your article to http://www.autocar-live.com which is a social site about cars where users submit car/auto articles they like and vote for articles that others submitted and they like.

By: Ross Nicholson

Ross Nicholson — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:35:54 +0000

Tax air pollution. Tax air pollution and tax it progressively. If you use less than your allotment, you can sell it to someone else or just back to the system (for less). Corporations wouldn’t get an allotment, only private citizens. See? The economic result is identical to your impolitic ‘feebate’ but stated in a way people can understand & agree with.

If pollution taxes were levied against polluters, then gasoline and diesel fuel users would have to pay for any resulting pollution. Right now the state supports petroleum pollution because they don’t force polluters to pay for the damage they cause. Solar doesn’t cause any pollution, it doesn’t get taxed. Let the market regulate the price of fuel, but have inefficient fuel use that causes pollution pay for the public cost of that pollution–like the cigarette companies are having to pay for medicare costs of hospitalizing so many smokers. That way the true price will be paid and the market can respond efficiently.

By: Shines

Shines — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:20:15 +0000

So Need2Change, you say
It's designed to discourage people from buying Cads, Lincolns, Buicks, Chrysler 300s, SUVs, full size cars, pickup trucks, Crossovers, etc.
This is where the US auto indsutry makes money.
So the US auto industry Needs2Change.... right?
If not we keep buying arabian (terrorists?) oil giving them money so they can attack us so we can attack them back.
I'm not for more taxes generally, I think the high price of fuel will force the issue anyway.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:41:27 +0000

Feebate in place in Europe?

Sure. We in Belgium have a fuel tax that makes gasoline cost US$ 2.4 per liter or US$ 8.9 per gallon today. So anyone saving on mileage or buying a car with good mileage gets a feebate.

By: Armand

Armand — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 04:26:43 +0000

What we need are very large fees on vehicle licensing...like California would have had if all the pansies here didn't start crying about the REAL cost of driving around in LA with no purpose other than to show off.

PLUS...give very very heavy fines to polluters...so they will learn their lessons and not doing it again.

Is this what the human race has come to? Piss away resources just for enjoyment and showing off? If so, we deserve to perish.

By: Need2Change

Need2Change — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 03:53:11 +0000

I don't see freebates working.

The person who wants to buy a 15 mpg Dodge Challenger with $2000 gas gusler tax will not be swayed by an additional modest tax.

The person who wants a fuel effecient car won't be encouraged to buy a fuel effecient car because of a rebate.

But the real problem is that if it works, it might put the US auto industry out of business. It's designed to discourage people from buying Cads, Lincolns, Buicks, Chrysler 300s, SUVs, full size cars, pickup trucks, Crossovers, etc. This is where the US auto indsutry makes money.

And is designed to support buying foreign makes: Toyotas, Hondas, Minicoopers, Volkwagens, etc.

This would put the US in a depression, and further weaken the dollar.

By: VaPrius

VaPrius — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 02:00:35 +0000

"Some economists suggest that a greenhouse gas feebate would speed the declining market share of American manufacturers and give a boost to Japanese automakers with more efficient vehicles"

Well of course! American manufacturers abandoned fuel efficient cars decades ago. That's why, along with quality, that Toyota is the largest manufacturer in the world. Non-US manufacturers avoided the big vehicle segment until recent years.

And yes Shines it is a tax on the worst offenders. Sounds like a perfect plan.

By: Shines

Shines — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:05:14 +0000

A modern day Robin Hood?!? Yeah right...
Sure - lets create a special government agency that takes money from some folks and gives it to somebody else.
Wait - isn' that what the IRS does already?
We have vehicle excise taxes based on vehicle weight for helping with road repairs.
Lets just call this feebate what it really is - a fuel economy tax.
Another tax (sigh)
If you drive something that gets lousy mileage you pay more tax - use the tax revenue to support alternative energy and fuel economy research. blah blah blah...