Surovell, Ebbin Launch NoHybridTax.com
Local legislators launched an online petition Sunday to urge Gov. McDonnell to repeal the $100 hybrid tax.
Virginia Del. Scott Surovell (D-44th) and Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-30th) launched an online petition Sunday urging Gov. Bob McDonnell to repeal the $100 annual fee on hybrid vehicles out of House Bill 2313.
More than 500 people have signed the petition within the first 24 hours of its launch.
“The idea that we would tax people for being environmentally friendly is ridiculous. We should be encouraging green behavior like this, not attacking it. We may as well start taxing people for having solar panels and recycling while we’re at it," Surovell said in a statement.
Ebbin said during a floor speech on Saturday, "If we’re truly working toward energy independence, why are we going to penalize investors in clean energy cars? Under this plan, they’ll pay a $100 penalty as hybrid owners. The Prius driver will pay more in taxes than the average sedan owner."
Hybrid vehicles currently make up only 1.3 percent of Virginia's vehicle fleet. With Virginia gas taxes being reduced to approximately $0.10-0.12/gallon, the typical hybrid owner will avoid less than $40 per year in gas taxes yet be required to pay an extra $100 per year to the Commonwealth, according to a press release issued by Surovell. Northern Virginia has the highest hybrid ownership percentages in Virginia and in the entire United States.
"This leaves Northern Virginians feeling even more singled out,” Surovell said. Surovell and Ebbin both voted against the transportation bill, which diverts money from education and public safety in addition to the fee on hybrid vehicles.
T Ailshire
7:34 am on Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Even environmentally friendly cars USE THE ROADS.
While I agree with Surovell and Ebbin the transportation plan is bad, I think they're being less than honest when they argue that hybrids don't harm the air as much, so they shouldn't pay for roads. Unfortunately, air quality is irrelevant to the transportation plan.
Martin Tillett
11:26 am on Tuesday, February 26, 2013
The transportation plan is totally relevant to air quality in that the bulk of the funding will go towards new road construction thus increasing sprawl which only leads to the demand for more roads. More sprawl, more roads = decline in air quality. Transportation funding should be more directed toward mass transit infrastructure and reconstructing older roads such as Richmond Highway that continue to damage our watersheds. New road construction involves concrete and asphalt manufacturing. Both industries contribute significantly to air pollution. Why pick on one class of vehicles? If the argument is that they contribute less toward funding because they purchase less fuel then motorcycles and other low mileage vehicles should be included. There is much about the plan that is bad and reeks of animosity directed at the poor and people residing in areas of the state that are more heavily populated. A good read in the Washington Post this morning stating that the law is unconstitutional and will probably be challenged for the same reasons similar legislation was challenged when the current Governor, then acting as the Attorney General for VA brought the case before the State Supreme Court and won.
Cathy Hosek
8:15 am on Tuesday, February 26, 2013
How are they not being honest - the gas tax has been eliminated, so it is a moot point. Now no one is paying for the roads by how much gas they use. The fee should be based on the weight of your vehicle - more weight, more wear on the roads. The whole thing is ridiculous - I personally prefer to breathe cleaner air, so it irritates me that people who are trying to make a difference for the environment are getting penalized.