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Re: re CA Smog laws

To: Susan and Mark Miller <marknsuz@pacbell.net>,
Subject: Re: re CA Smog laws
From: Stan Chernoff <az589@lafn.org>
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 2003 12:51:15 -0800
Mark,

Since you are purportedly quoting relative statistics, can you tell us the
total annual pollution that collector cars over 30 years old contribute and
what the total annual pollution of all newer cars amounts to.  Parts per
million for the various vehicles must be factored by the total miles per
year that 30+ year old collector vehicles are used.  Collector vehicles
usually have limited use and are usually maintained better than the daily
use vehicles.  

Anyone that would propose that the California State government set a
maintenance schedule for anything, especially car maintenance, must have
been poisoned by the funny mushrooms.  Just look at the condition of the
roads and bridges that the state is responsible for and it is obvious that
maintenance is not their priority.  As an aside, it is rumored that they
are planning to raise the registration/license fees on the older cars in a
disproportionate tax increase scheme that the assembly just passed on a
party line vote.

One of the California state governments highest priorities is to increase
revenue.  The main reason to get older cars off the road seems to be to get
the increased tax from newer replacement vehicles with higher market value
since the state taxes on the value after the registration fee.

The automobile repair industry also pushes return of smog testing on all
cars back to 1966 because they have lost some income from testing and
repairs.  I think that the state should mandate that anyone that is in the
automobile repair business be qualified to repair any vehicles that they
are allowed to do work on.  Maybe malpractice insurance for automotive
repair?  For roadster content, I get many requests for referrals to someone
competent to repair them.  Most repair shops are not capable of repairing
and maintaining roadsters and don't really want to.

The technician at the test only station where I had go said that he was
told the state is trying to eliminate all vehicles that are not equipped
with OBDII.

It seems that the total reduction in emissions could be much greater if all
the vehicles operated by people not here legally were eliminated from use
than any possible reduction, even by elimination, of all 30+ year old cars.

Californians please contact your state legislators and tell them to leave
well enough alone with smog testing and get on with reducing our massive
budget deficit by cutting spending.

Maybe we can generate interest in migration to New York where things are
better.  Any decrease in population here would ease traffic congestion and
help reduce the housing shortage.  Stop and go traffic causes higher
emissions per mile than flowing traffic.

My two+ cents.

Stan
67.5 2L #37 and one owner '65 Olds 4-4-2
===========

>I must politely disagree (while hoping all followup discussions remain
equally polite).  Older cars may be a small percentage of the population
but they pollute far more per vehicle, even when in perfect tune.  Cars
with catalytic converters need to be tested to see when they fail, so as to
keep them as clean as they can be.  Our air has gotten far better in the
last decade and I believe that some of this change has to do with better
maintenance of older cars as well as the fact that newer cars are far
cleaner than the older ones.  
>The law is written for people who need a reminder to maintain their
vehicles, not the motor heads who are on top of any problem their cars may
have.  I believe that we should actually have more required inspections.
I grew up in New York, where there is an annual safety inspection
requirement.  Brakes and tires, lights, etc.  It's when my parents' cars
got their annual oil change and tune-up.  
>
>
>Mark Miller
>2 exempt vehicles, 2 not.

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