The NHTSA is open to public commentary on their idea of increasing fuel economy standards on giant SUVs (over 5000 pounds). This would likely mean making the vehicles a little lighter and smaller --The Hummer weighs 6,400 pounds, by the way. Anyway, all sorts of SUV clubs are flooding the NHTSA with letter claiming that driving a giant SUV is their God-given right (it isn't of course), and that they need the huge vehicles for their safety --even if it means putting the rest of us in increased danger.
The agency is soliciting comments until April 26, so hurry up and send a note. Let me know if you need any help. By the way, all the SUVs that are owned by the likes of your dentist, contractor, or insurance agent are paid for by you since these guys get to write off up to $100,000 for an SUV [see attached lecture}.
The link for the comment submission form is:
http://dmses.dot.gov/submit/dspSubmission.cfm
Submitters must fill in the Docket Number (16128), select the operating administration (NHTSA), and tick on the button indicating that the docket with this number exists. Note that the form request identifying information. However, providing any or all of this information is optional.
SUV tax break
Ask Your Tax Accountant
Do you know that you and I are bankrolling about $900,000,000 every year to pay for fat cat’s SUVs? Umhmmm: Landrovers for $72K with the worst gas mileage on the planet and Cadillac Escalades…Hummers. Yep, you, regular Volkswagon-driving, tax-paying dudes. First I’ll explain how it works, and then I want you to write your congressman and senator and get this loophole sealed shut. Deal? And spread the word.
A long time ago, a tax credit was set up with the aim of helping farmers accelerate the depreciation on their pick-up trucks. That’s cool. But this was back when a pick-up truck was actually used for something and was not equipped with air-conditioning., leather seats, or entertainment centres. Heck, we threw stuff in the back and rolled down the windows, staying off the highway as much as possible.
Seems that today’s SUVs are classified as trucks even though we all know that they are just a bloated commuter vehicles. And so long as you are a business owner and buy one that weighs at least 6000 pounds, you are entitled to an immediate write off of as much as $24,000. Are you listening to me? Add to that a bonus deduction of 30% of the rest of the cost until 2004. This is all on top of the regular 5-year depreciation schedule. And that’s current law. Under the new tax code, the write off has been cranked up to $100,000. Ant luxury tax that you an I would pay? Nope, doesn’t apply.
You think I’m kidding don’t’cha?
But it’s true: if you are a business owner, you could easily deduct more than $30,000 this year for a vehicle for which you "paid" $40,000. Uh…the rest of us tax payers make up the difference. The raw facts are that the deduction for driving a dangerous (to all the rest of us) gas-hog is significantly higher than the tax credit allowed for hybrid vehicles –a mere 2-grand.
Stand up for the planet: fight back.