I usually post the legislative alerts in the private Club FTE sections but this one needs wide-spread distribution:

URGENT FEDERAL SCRAPPAGE ALERT

U.S. Senate Bill Would Fund Scrappage Programs Nationwide

A bill (S. 1766) has been introduced in the U.S. Senate containing a
provision (Section 803) that would federally fund state scrappage programs
for vehicles over 15 years old. Owners who turn in vehicles for crushing
would receive a “minimal” payment and a future credit toward purchasing a
newer vehicle, all in a misguided attempt to improve the overall fuel
economy of the country’s vehicle fleet. This bill represents the most
formidable Federal legislative threat to the vehicle hobby in many years.

Oppose the Use of U.S. Taxpayer Dollars for Scrappage

· Section 803 of S. 1766 would give states that don’t currently operate
scrappage programs an extra incentive to create a program due to generous
federal funding.

· Section 803 of S. 1766 requires that federally funded state scrappage
programs crush every car. It threatens enthusiasts nationwide with the loss
of valuable parts and parts-cars for repair, restoration, and customization
projects.

· Section 803 of S. 1766 does not require states to determine the fuel
efficiency of vehicles being scrapped or that scrapped vehicles are being
replaced by more fuel-efficient vehicles.

· Section 803 of S. 1766 ignores the fact that cars turned in for scrappage
often barely run or are rarely driven second or third vehicles that have a
minimal impact on overall fuel economy.

· Section 803 of S. 1766 will diminish the availability of affordable
transportation and repair parts to low-income drivers as more and more older
cars are crushed.

· Section 803 of S. 1766 does not guarantee that low-income individuals
will be able to afford to purchase new vehicles let alone more fuel
efficient vehicles with the money provided by scrappage programs.

· Section 803 of S. 1766 ignores more socially responsible and
cost-effective policy options like voluntary vehicle repair and upgrade
programs that maximize the fuel efficiency of existing vehicles.
.
Contact Your U.S. Senators to Oppose Section 803 of S. 1766

Protect American vehicle enthusiasts and low-income drivers. To find out who
your U.S. Senators are, call the SEMA Washington, D.C. office at
202-783-6007 or access this information via the Internet at
www.enjoythedrive.com/legislative/contact_legislator.asp. For assistance in
turning this alert into a letter to your Senator, consult the SEMA document
"How to Lobby Elected Officials." This guide is available at
www.enjoythedrive.com/san.

Please fax a copy of your letters to us at 202/783-6024 or mail to:

SEMA Washington Office
1317 F St., NW, Ste. 500
Washington, D.C. 20004
Attn: Brian Caudill/ Steve McDonald

 

Thanks Ken. I know what I'm doing this week. Thanks for posting this.


Please don't pull out in front of me! I can't afford to play "What's this?" with you or your car.

 

Thanks for the heads up Ken. I sent both of my Senators an email outlining my opposition to the bill. They're both liberal Democrat females (no offense to the ladies on this board intended ) so we'll see how much good it does. I also made sure to include my name, address and phone #.

 

Perhaps they could add a ryder to the bill that says it applies only to Ch**ys.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 11-Dec-01 AT 02:39 PM (EST)]Ken I did this to both our Senators in LA. just a minute ago!

Dear Senator Landrieu:
I would like your "No" vote on S-1766.
It would end affordable Transportation for the Vast majority of your Constituance.
Please dont vote to scrap our older car's and trucks.
We'd lose our parts supply. And think of the Wrecker drivers and Repair persons that would be out of work if the Bill passes.


Dear Senator Breaux:

I would like your "No" vote on S-1766. It would end affordable Transportation for two thirds of your constituancy.

 

I wrote mine too (via their write-in interface on the Internet, cool) and told them I admin an enthusiasts site that has a huge number of older truck drivers.... hopefully this will have some pull with them. . SEMA is pushing hard to stop this bill so at least we have a powerful lobby on our side.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 11-Dec-01 AT 07:56 PM (EST)]I have E-MAIL'd the following to my Senator. Perhaps it can be a model letter, perhaps not. Either way here it was:


(I referenced the legislature in the subject line)

Senator, as far as I know, I am lawfully allowed to contact you on issues such as this one.

I am an automobile mechanic in my offtime, though I am on active duty in the United States NAVY and expect to retire in another 2 years and eleven months. I have served my nation with pride for 17 years now, and fully expected to take up my wrenches and other tools in my retirement - restoring motor vehicles which embody the craftsmanship and ingenuity of american automotive engineers and craftsman since the first tin lizzy hit the streets to the present day...

I feel that such legislature will condemn not only vehicles that are not of interest, but many thousands of collectable and restorable examples of the craft as well, not to mention the parts that might well have gone into the revitalization of valuable examples of our automotive heritage.

Should such a bill be passed, it invites nationwide disaster for the efforts of automotive historians. Many parts cannot be purchased at any price from aftermarket sources, and if they cannot be fabricated the donor cars and trucks which might have been available will almost certainly be destroyed!

If I have any voice at all in this, if my written words carry any weight with you - I tell you that my opinion on this bill is a unilateral NO!

Which vote I sincerely hope you echo for me at the highest level.

I AM : (True name, and duty station)

 

PS: The SEMA site worked flawlessly!

 

Excellent letter Greywolf! And beautifully written. My letters are going out today, but after reading your letter, I may need to revise mine.

 

Thanks for the message. I will send off letters to my Senator, along with passing out copies of this to all I come across.

cpnhgnjnky

 

NEXT, they'll say they are doing it for "safety"

 

Wouldn't suprise me if the auto manufacturers are supporting this legislation. A few less used cars might help sales.

Chances are, this one little section of an apparently huge bill (anybody know what this bill is?) is probably not even noticed by the senators. Many things get passed hidden in a bill this way.

 

i just emailed 1 state assemblyman, 2 senators, 1 congressman and the president. i am only 17, and i have never really taken an intested in politics, i only hope that this bill does not pass, it would be an end to all that we here at FTE are proud of. it took me 4 months to save up the 850 dollars i paid for my truck. and took me a year to save the 2000 i have put into it soo far. if this bill passes my children will have to save that much just to make the down payment on their cars. i think this is a very stupid bill that should be laughed off the house floor, it is destroying american heritage.

 

Now let's think about this. It's not really the whole bill that stinks. The general concern about this bill seems to be the statement made in the second paragraph that all vehicles turned in be crushed. It would seem that an amendment to the bill striking that portion would still get heaps off the road while preserving the supply of parts. Perhaps amending the bill to state that any vehicle turned in under this law cannot be licensed for operation on the street again thereby giving the yard owner the option of parting it or scrapping it depending on his knowledge of the needs in his area. Let's be reasonable here. The actual number of vehicles effected by this "feel good" bill will be minute at best. I think if the federal government were serious about removing heaps from the road and pollution pump of this planet, they would come up with some rudimentary federal inspection standard that all vehicles must meet each year. Maine requires a yearly State safety inspection (which includes brakes, body rot, etc..) and in the southern part of the state, an emmissions check. But I know that there are some states that only require an inspection before the vehicle is registered the first time by it's owner.
And let's face it. Some of the most significant polluters on the road today at OTR 18-wheelers. I know, I have to put my flame suit on. This is by no means meant to be a slap to the truckers out there. Of course I don't want them to starve. But the fact is, one diesel rig hauling 1 (or 2 - not allowed here in Maine) 53' boxes full of stuff is a few orders of magnitude less efficient than putting an equivalent amount of goods on a train. 2 diesel electric locomotives can haul 100+ times the amount one rig can. Sure local deliveries would still be needed by truck. But taking one rig off the road would decrease pollution, roadway wear and tear, and over crowding. Yes, I know that truckers pay fuel taxes and other fees. I didn't say that these couple of paragraphs would be the complete solution. But the jobs lost in trucking could easily be made up by local deliveries, freight docks, and railroad jobs. We have spent the last 50 years getting accustomed to big rigs on the road and having that trailer pull up to our door. All at the expense of our rail system.

 

Excellent Point XP8103! But let's go beyond ground transportation. Anybody know how much pollution is pumped into the atmosphere by one jetliner on a typical flight? I have heard it is an astoundingly high amount and in comparison automobile pollution is negligible. The environmentalists don't want more automobiles because they promote "urban sprawl." They want us all to pack into cities like a bunch of caged rats instead or take "public transportation." Yeah right, the few times I take the government-subsidized bus it often is late or malfunctioning, or I suddenly have to leave early and can't get a bus, etc.