To: The Arizona State House, The Arizona State Senate, and Governor Doug Ducey
Arizona Automobile Fairness Act
Arizona Lawmakers, please pass comprehensive auto reform. Eliminate sales taxes on purchases of new vehicles. Eliminate vehicle registration fees completely. Change High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lands to High Efficiency Vehicle (HEV) lanes. Allow vehicles to be sold directly by manufacturers/dealers in shopping malls. Prohibit insurance pricing by ZIP code. Shift collection of these funds to the gasoline tax, so that out-of-state drivers, drivers visiting and passing through, and unregistered drivers are paying their fair share. Everyone wins... drivers, dealers, manufacturers, the environment, neighborhoods, the economy, and the pocketbooks of Arizonans. Thank you for doing the right thing!
Why is this important?
Arizona residents need work on reforming antiquated methods of collecting revenue related to buying and driving their vehicles. We request that our representatives in state government enact the following:
* Eliminate sales tax on purchases / leases of new vehicles - this will encourage people to buy newer, safer, less-polluting, and more efficient vehicles.
* Eliminate vehicle registration fees - this system is backwards and nonsensical, as you're currently rewarded for driving an older, more dangerous, more-polluting, and less efficient vehicle. This also means that nobody can ever receive a ticket for having expired tags on their vehicle, which only hurts the poor (and/or disorganized) population, and further burdens our law enforcement and judicial system. This also discourages people from registering their vehicles out of state, which is an all-too-common practice. Finally, this is one less annual bill to pay - with so many people living paycheck to paycheck, this only causes a downward spiral in their personal finances.
* Change High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes to High Efficiency Vehicle (HEV) lanes - cars with higher fuel efficiency can use these lanes, tied to the MPGe rating of the vehicle. This determination will adjust each year as vehicles become more efficient. It doesn't seem logical that two people in a 10mpg car can currently use these lanes, while one person in a 40mpg car cannot.
* Allow the sale of vehicles through retail outlets such as shopping malls, either direct to manufacturer or direct to dealer. More cars will be sold if a manufacturer or dealer were in a location such as a shopping mall where tens of thousands of people pass by, and this opens up former dealership land for the development of high density residential, retail, and commercial space.
* Prohibit the current system of estimating insurance costs by ZIP code... this is unfair, as you could reside in a safe ZIP code and pay lower insurance but work in a ZIP code known to have more accidents... and you could reside in a ZIP code known to have more accidents and pay higher insurance even though you drive less, walk/bike to work, use public transit, or even work from home. This is unfair and discriminatory.
* How do we pay for these changes? Shift the collection of vehicle registration fees and sales taxes to the gasoline tax. This will guarantee that everyone is paying their fare share of infrastructure construction and maintenance. Many Arizona drivers do not have their vehicles registered or game the system by registering their vehicles in states without registration fees, putting more burden on the rest of us who are law-abiding citizens. Anyone from out of state who is driving in Arizona, and anyone who is just visiting Arizona or passing through Arizona will no longer have free use of our highways and roadways. Everyone driving will finally pay their fare share for every mile driven, and will be rewarded if those miles driven are in newer, more efficient, safer, cleaner vehicles.
All of these measures will have a positive benefit: manufacturers and dealers will sell more vehicles, helping the local and national economy; consumers will have incentives to buy new vehicles at lower prices, reducing their cost per mile to drive; Arizona residents will be financially rewarded for driving safer, more efficient vehicles; out-of-state drivers will finally paying their fare share when driving on Arizona roads.
This is only fair... this makes sense... and everyone benefits. Please sign this petition, and please share it with everyone you know!
* Eliminate sales tax on purchases / leases of new vehicles - this will encourage people to buy newer, safer, less-polluting, and more efficient vehicles.
* Eliminate vehicle registration fees - this system is backwards and nonsensical, as you're currently rewarded for driving an older, more dangerous, more-polluting, and less efficient vehicle. This also means that nobody can ever receive a ticket for having expired tags on their vehicle, which only hurts the poor (and/or disorganized) population, and further burdens our law enforcement and judicial system. This also discourages people from registering their vehicles out of state, which is an all-too-common practice. Finally, this is one less annual bill to pay - with so many people living paycheck to paycheck, this only causes a downward spiral in their personal finances.
* Change High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes to High Efficiency Vehicle (HEV) lanes - cars with higher fuel efficiency can use these lanes, tied to the MPGe rating of the vehicle. This determination will adjust each year as vehicles become more efficient. It doesn't seem logical that two people in a 10mpg car can currently use these lanes, while one person in a 40mpg car cannot.
* Allow the sale of vehicles through retail outlets such as shopping malls, either direct to manufacturer or direct to dealer. More cars will be sold if a manufacturer or dealer were in a location such as a shopping mall where tens of thousands of people pass by, and this opens up former dealership land for the development of high density residential, retail, and commercial space.
* Prohibit the current system of estimating insurance costs by ZIP code... this is unfair, as you could reside in a safe ZIP code and pay lower insurance but work in a ZIP code known to have more accidents... and you could reside in a ZIP code known to have more accidents and pay higher insurance even though you drive less, walk/bike to work, use public transit, or even work from home. This is unfair and discriminatory.
* How do we pay for these changes? Shift the collection of vehicle registration fees and sales taxes to the gasoline tax. This will guarantee that everyone is paying their fare share of infrastructure construction and maintenance. Many Arizona drivers do not have their vehicles registered or game the system by registering their vehicles in states without registration fees, putting more burden on the rest of us who are law-abiding citizens. Anyone from out of state who is driving in Arizona, and anyone who is just visiting Arizona or passing through Arizona will no longer have free use of our highways and roadways. Everyone driving will finally pay their fare share for every mile driven, and will be rewarded if those miles driven are in newer, more efficient, safer, cleaner vehicles.
All of these measures will have a positive benefit: manufacturers and dealers will sell more vehicles, helping the local and national economy; consumers will have incentives to buy new vehicles at lower prices, reducing their cost per mile to drive; Arizona residents will be financially rewarded for driving safer, more efficient vehicles; out-of-state drivers will finally paying their fare share when driving on Arizona roads.
This is only fair... this makes sense... and everyone benefits. Please sign this petition, and please share it with everyone you know!