Delegegates Betray Us - Extend Hybrids

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   duckdugger - the logical and reasonable extention of your question leads one to wonder why you aren't taking public transportation. After all, isn't HOV-40 better than HOV-3? What are YOU doing about going by bus?

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NoSUV Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 14 Jan 2005 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote NoSUV Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 07 Feb 2006 at 3:39pm
	duckdugger - the logical and reasonable extention of your question leads one to wonder why you aren't taking public transportation. After all, isn't HOV-40 better than HOV-3? What are YOU doing about going by bus?

n/a Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 17 Dec 2001 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote n/a Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 07 Feb 2006 at 3:50pm
	Bottom line is that ANY single occupant, fossil fuel vehicle is part of the problem, not part of the solution. As I have said before many times, hybrids are a stopgap solution, a bandaid, and a marketing ploy designed to distract us from the problem and perpetuate a revenue flow to the auto manufacturers. The problem is dependency on non-renewable fuel sources. The longer hybrids are touted as a solution (and supported by this exemption), the longer we waste money feeding the auto manufacturer's coffers and waste time not developing autos that run on renewable fuel. We need to invest in solution technologies! Not marketing scams designed to keep the auto and fuel companies in business. When they design a car that runs on biodiesel, methanol, ethanol, hydrogen, or any other renewable fuel, I'll but it! Until then, hybrids are a scam, and SOV hybrids do not belong in the HOV lanes.

n/a Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 17 Dec 2001 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote n/a Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 07 Feb 2006 at 3:54pm
	BTW, politicians vote for the laws that they are paid to vote for. And who do you think pays for favorable laws? Who do you think carries more weight in congress, us or the auto lobby? When the lobbists for petro fuel call Richmond, do you think there is a politician that would not take that call? What about you or I? Just because they support the exemption does not make it right!

NoSUV Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 14 Jan 2005 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote NoSUV Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 08 Feb 2006 at 10:19am
	quote: Originally posted by raymond [br]Bottom line is that ANY single occupant, fossil fuel vehicle is part of the problem, not part of the solution. ... Until then, hybrids are a scam, and SOV hybrids do not belong in the HOV lanes. Why isn't the bottom line that ANY non-public transportation solution for commuting is part of the problem? Why do you stop short? The scam is the selfish slug community, unwilling to use public transportation in favor of a free ride.

N_or_S_bound Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 20 May 2005 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote N_or_S_bound Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 08 Feb 2006 at 12:54pm
	All diesels can burn biodiesel. Rode in this morn in a Jetta TDI. Gets 50mpg (sound familiar?). Doesn't qualify for CF plates. All cars can burn a mix of 85% petro/15% ethanol, but it's only distributed in select cities that have mandated it's usage. Why not nationally? Because we don't have a domestic energy policy to support our international policies. Many auto manufacturers already sell popular models that run on ethanol. Sold mostly as fleet vehicles. Costs about $4k more per vehicle. Better than the gas/elec combo that has a lot more cost to it than that. NoSb SOV because you can, HOV because you care!

n/a Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 17 Dec 2001 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote n/a Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 08 Feb 2006 at 2:15pm
	Finally, some sense: YES NoSUV, I agree that public transportation is a solution to the problem of traffic congestion and foriegn fuel dependency, but how do you think the electricity used to run METRO is made? Try coal-fired power plants (still a fossil fuel). But mass transit is still a viable step in the right direction. Now if we could address the cost issues: METRO prices have become cost prohibitive. I figure my monthly METRO fare and parking expenses at about $229., or $2748. per year, unsubsidized! Hmmmmm, would I rather pay metro fares, or would I rather put my kids through college? Although I agree that mass transit is a viable solution, it has become way too expensive for me to consider it as an option. Besides, I have made some good friends slugging!

n/a Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 17 Dec 2001 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote n/a Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 08 Feb 2006 at 2:21pm
	Great info. NoSb! Have you heard about Willie Nelson's crusade to promote biodiesel? If I could find the stuff reliably, I would buy a diesel and use it. I understand the exhaust smells like french fries! Unfortunately, its not widely distributed... The big fuel companies will not allow it to happen until, 1.) they have established a per unit cost for fuel that guarantees profitability, 2.) they have established a regulatory environment that will stabilize the world market for bio-fuel, and 3.) they own all the farms. I believe this will happen.

sluDgE Members Profile Find Members Posts Master Slug Joined: 27 Oct 2003 Status: Offline Points: 501	Post Options Post Reply Quote sluDgE Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 08 Feb 2006 at 5:26pm
	Ray, Saw the same segment on the evening news the other day. Good publicity for ole Willie. But the reporter did say that Willie's fuel is 10% bio and 90% regular diesel, and it costs about $0.10 more per gallon than regular diesel. Didn't say anything about improving or decreasing MPG. At least it puts some of the money in US farmers' pockets. [8D]

Wagonman Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 05 Aug 2003 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote Wagonman Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 08 Feb 2006 at 7:26pm
	Do we have any lawyers here that would like to help get rid of about half if not all the hybrids in the HOV? Hybrids don't meet the definition of clean fuel vehicle in the state code and a challenge would be intersting to see. The decision of DMV to issue a clean fuel plate to a hybrid is appealable in a Circuit Court. I'd like to see DMV defend themselves and their logic in court. Especially when it comes to the hybrids that have poor emissions ratings. Filing fees for an appeal can't be that expensive.

Bob Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 14 Dec 2001 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote Bob Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 09 Feb 2006 at 8:38am
	Just wanted to mention that in the Virginia House yesterday, the one year hybrid extension passed the Transportation Committee. So it looks like the one yr extension will be voted on (and no doubt pass). The bill is HB1248 which originally ended the sunset provision, but has now been modified with a 2007 date, same as the Senate Bill. To see the text of the bill click under "Full Text" 2/08/06 http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?ses=061&typ=bil&val=hb1248&Submit=Go Lets fire up those keyboards folks.