Driver Ticketed for Using Biofuel

[Silveredwings]

Originally Posted by CO ZX2

I am in favor of some sort of exemption for self-made bio-fuel. But till this is approved and automatic, should the rest of the taxpaying public be paying the whole load while others pay nothing??

Should an 80,000 pound revenue-producing truck pay on the same scale as does a commuter in a 2,000 lb Metro?

[omgwtfbyobbq]

Originally Posted by Silveredwings

Should an 80,000 pound revenue-producing truck pay on the same scale as does a commuter in a 2,000 lb Metro?

Yes, because clearly the have the same effect on the road. In fact, the truck should pay less, because it has more wheelz!

[repete86]

We need a Karl Hess type person to resist this and make it a major issue.

[Silveredwings]

So isn't the $2500 fee for registering as fuel producer? How is buying oil at Costco, walking out to his car, and pouring it in make him a fuel producer?

[BumblingB]

EXACTLY! I'm zipping it from now on --

Showed the article to the wife and she is now scared to death. Good thing is they won't mess with me around here - at least the locals for my county as well as the adjoining counties. Still after reading this article, it just makes me proud to wake up in the morning and say I'm an American. Seriously, when I was researching it, I watched plenty of European documentaries and they mentioned the taxes they had to pay. I just wish the guy could turn it around and charge them some sort of fee for emissions reduction or something just as stupid as them searching for the people trying to make good.

Reminds me of the tax incentives for people (businesses) to buy the gargantuan SUV's.

I guess I'll be making a bumper sticker that says "My other car wastes four times the gas your car does!" instead of the "Powered by Waste Veggie Oil" I was going to have. That should get them off my back - on top of that I was going to go through Charlotte on my cross country trip I was planning soon. Detour!!! They won't be getting my tourist money or any other money for that matter!! (was planning on staying with relatives for a day)

Originally Posted by theclencher

There was another story like this in the news some time ago- guy got in trouble with the IRaSS because he was featured in a newspaper story about his WVO conversion.

Note to self: Don't blab to the press about your alt fuel accomplishments.

[Snax]

I think that if this case goes to trial, it's going to come down to one key question as was posed on the EV list: Is soybean oil food or fuel?

If it is determined to be food - as it is labelled and sold, then fuel taxes do not apply.

If it is determined to be fuel - by reason of intended use, then the retailer failed to collect the appropriate taxes. Does that bring them in as a co-defendent? And if so, to what end is a retailer supposed to anticipate how the products they sell will be used?

What about propane? I burn it my grille, but I could just as easily convert my car to run on the stuff. Should retailers be compelled to charge fuel taxes for that as well?

It's a sticky issue which state legislatures would be wise to exempt from consideration.

[JanGeo]

I wonder if they are going to try to add a fuel tax to the electricity when plugin hybrids are hitting the roads - same thing right only they will tax by the KWH instead of the gallon.

HEY THERE FELLA where did you get that electricity from??? It smells like free electricity . . . are you running some kind of wind generating plant back in the woods out there - making tax free electricity ?? You KNOW you can't be doing that boooy!