http://www.tompaine.com/feature.cfm/ID/7711
Guzzling Down James Cotter is a news, arts and culture reporter at WRTI-FM in Philadelphia. Philadelphia: The federal government regulates SUVs as trucks for the purposes of fuel consumption and emissions standards. This is the legal loophole that has allowed auto manufactures to sell large capacity engine SUVs -- which are, in fact, quasi-luxury passenger cars -- without following the rules governing the efficiency and safety of traditional large cars. This has led to a sea-change in what America drives. And today, more than one in four private vehicles sold in this country is an SUV. Cunningly marketed and slickly advertised, SUVs appeal to the outdoorsman, the rugged individual to which many consumers would seem to aspire. In reality, of course, most SUVs are driven by city dwellers and never venture off urban roads. In more prosperous times... state governments were enthusiastic purchasers of SUVs. In more prosperous times, city and state governments were enthusiastic purchasers of SUVs too, buying them not for their truck characteristics, but as perks for senior officials. But that is starting to change. In Massachusetts, Gov. Mitt Romney has canceled the gas-guzzling habit as he deals with the state's $3 billion budget deficit. Romney has asked why the state should fund a fleet of SUVs when regular sedans, which sell for less than half the price of SUVs, and which are considerably cheaper to run, maintain and insure, would equally suffice. Philadelphia is believed to have one of the largest city fleets of SUVs in the nation. But under Mayor John Streets' administration, it too has begun disposing of those vehicles not required for off-road activities. One example of unnecessary SUV activity was found at Philadelphia International Airport, where, until recently, a Hummer H2 was being used to scare birds off the runway. At the state level, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell has promised to look into an anomaly that allows sports utility vehicles, designated as trucks by federal law, to enter Philadelphia's Fairmont Park, where no trucks are permitted. Pennsylvania state law designates SUVs as passenger vehicles rather than trucks. They are therefore not subject to laws prohibiting trucks from entering the park, despite being exempt from the stricter federal fuel consumption and emissions standards imposed on cars. Gov. Rendell says he understands the confusion and believes the inconsistency, particularly where it applies to larger SUVS, warrants his attention. Gov. Ed Rendell: If you ask most SUV owners what it is, I think conceptually in their minds they're just buying another car, they're not buying a truck. But in terms of the reason that a truck is not allowed on a road like Lincoln Drive -- does that reason apply to an SUV, and to certainly some of the bigger SUVS? Maybe it should. So that's something, to be honest, I've never thought about, but something we ought to look at, absolutely, because some of the big ones they're building now are every bit as big as an ordinary pickup truck. So we should look at that. Signs at entrances to Lincoln Drive, which is within the boundaries of Fairmont Park, clearly read "No Trucks." Joseph Minott, executive director of the Pennsylvania Clean Air Council, a non-profit environmental organization, believes larger sports utility vehicles should not be allowed to have it both ways, saying his organization strongly favors registering and treating heavy duty SUVS as trucks, and keeping them off roads such as Lincoln Drive which, he says, are clearly for cars. Recently, the U.S. Transportation Department ratified stricter fuel economy standards for SUVs. Beginning with the 2007 year model light trucks, the category under which SUVs continue to be assessed will have to achieve a minimum of 22.2 miles per gallon, an increase of 1.5 mpg over the current requirement, but still far short of the 25.7 mpg mandated for passenger sedans. The U.S. House also recently rejected a proposal to require a modest 5 percent across-the-board improvement in automobile fuel efficiency. This, while voting to allow drilling in the Alaskan Wildlife refuge, a move later sensibly rejected by the U.S. Senate. A bill sponsored by Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California and Olympia Snowe, a Republican from Maine, proposes to close the gap between SUV and passenger car fuel economy requirements. The proposed legislation calls for SUVs to achieve the same fuel efficiency standards as cars by 2011. That would save, they say, one million barrels of oil a day and reduce dependence on foreign imports by 10 percent. The likelihood, however, of even this modest proposal making it into law would seem decidedly slim in the current political climate. This all takes place in the wake of the Bush administration's three-fold increases in tax incentives for small businesses. These incentives are purportedly to assist farmers and tradesmen as, supposedly, were the original exemptions from emissions and fuel efficiency standards for light trucks. In reality, the new regulations, which increase the deduction for purchases of machinery from $25,000 to $75,000 per year, could see the owner of your local nail salon, convenience store or dry cleaners riding around in a now government-subsidized luxury SUV, while drivers of thrifty gas-electric hybrid cars get a miserly $4,000 tax break! This is James Cotter for TomPaine.com. Published: May 12 2003 ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Rent DVDs Online - Over 14,500 titles. No Late Fees & Free Shipping. 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