http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/ca/story/6751291p-7702317c.html The Sacramento Be
Lawmakers could lose SUV rides Some members are trying to get Senate, Assembly to drive vehicles that burn less fuel. By Ed Fletcher -- Bee Capitol Bureau Published 2:15 a.m. PDT Thursday, May 29, 2003 With an eye toward ending the Legislature's gas-guzzling ways, Senate President Pro Tem John Burton is moving to bar lawmakers from choosing SUVs for their state vehicles. The San Francisco Democrat said that stopping lawmakers from driving sport-utility vehicles would be good for the environment and could save the state some money on fuel costs. "What I would hope to do in the Senate (is) basically, you know, phase them out," Burton said Wednesday. The issue was to be discussed Wednesday before the Senate Rules Committee, but with one key Democrat absent, Burton chose not to bring up the matter. Burton said he wasn't inclined to snatch away SUVs from members who already have them and would reconsider the matter if "they come up with a hybrid SUV or something that isn't a gas guzzler and a gas waster." Burton's rule -- which he said is a work in progress -- would apply only to vehicles used by state senators. A separate effort in the Assembly would push lawmakers into fuel-efficient or alternative-fuel vehicles. Most state lawmakers lease a vehicle at state expense to be used in their districts. Through rules adopted by Senate and Assembly rules committees, the state caps its contribution toward each vehicle lease at $350 per month, so taxpayers generally pay no more for a $50,000 vehicle than they do for a $35,000 vehicle. Lawmakers make up the difference for the more expensive vehicles. As of December when the new Legislature took office, 95 of 120 state lawmakers had requested vehicles, according to legislative records. More than half of those -- 48 -- opted for SUVs. Sen. Rico Oller, R-San Andreas, said he doesn't see the point of Burton's move. "It just seems to me to be kind of silly," said Oller, who drives a Lincoln LS, which is not an SUV. He said members who live in rural districts often deal with snow and other inclement weather. It makes less sense for members from urban districts to drive an SUV, he said. "It is not a well-thought-out idea," added Sen. Dick Ackerman, R-Fullerton, who drives a state-paid Ford Explorer. "You are not going to balance the state budget on having everyone not buy SUVs and save a few dollars on gasoline." SUVs are being unfairly targeted by environmentalists and getting a bad reputation for no good reason, said Ron DeFore, a spokesman for the SUV Owners Association. He said SUVs are safer than smaller passenger cars and less fuel efficient for a reason -- they are built to do more work. DeFore said he does see the logic in choosing the appropriate vehicle for the job. "If the vehicle is going to be used by a single person from government building A to government building B, then I say go for the hybrid. That is just prudent fiscal management," he said. In December, the Assembly adopted rules giving its members who select a super-fuel-efficient or alternative-fuel vehicle an extra $10,000 for their office budget. "That is to at least nudge people in the direction of buying alternative-fuel vehicles, instead of large SUVs," said Assembly Rules Committee Chairman Joe Nation, D-San Rafael. "People will still have the ability to purchase whatever they want to, but we're hopeful the incentive will move people in that direction." Nation also has plans to allow members to swap their gas guzzler for a fuel-efficient vehicle this fall. Nation's plans call for eventually replacing the state's fleet cars with hybrids and other alternative-fuel vehicles. "If we are going to continue to push the envelope on fuel efficiency and air quality (legislatively)," said Nation, "I think we ought to walk the walk." ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Get A Free Psychic Reading! Your Online Answer To Life's Important Questions. http://us.click.yahoo.com/Lj3uPC/Me7FAA/ySSFAA/9bTolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Biofuels at Journey to Forever http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuel at WebConX http://webconx.green-trust.org/2000/biofuel/biofuel.htm List messages are archived at the Info-Archive at NNYTech: http://archive.nnytech.net/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
