Idaho’s highways are in serious need of repair and upgrade. The Transportation Department (ITD) estimates that it would cost an additional $250 million per year, just to maintain the status quo.

Many of us are skeptical. To us, the roads look fine… until a bridge falls into the river, like it did back in Minnesota.

Enter Guv C. L. “Butch” Otter.

(Remember CONGRESSMAN Butch? The libertarian-leaning advocate of the downtrodden taxpayer? Heir apparent to Steve “take a bite out of government” Symms? Well, times have changed.)

Simply put, Butch is trying to figure out some way to get 250 million more dollars out of taxpayers’ bank accounts, and into the ITD bank account.

The first idea Butch floated (during the ‘08 Legislative session) was of drastically increasing vehicle registration fees. The reception was lukewarm… about the temperature of liquid nitrogen, as I recall.

Now he’s talking about a “mileage tax.” It would be simple. Read the odometer each time the car is registered, and collect dollars based on miles-driven since last time.

He’s obviously thinking anything is better than raising the fuel tax!

Let’s take a look at the options.

(I’m just throwin’ ‘em out for people to chew on.)

REGISTRATION FEE
A revenue-enhancing registration fee sounds fair, doesn’t it?

Wait! Not so fast! Here’s a commonplace scenario:

Beavis has a 1992 Ford F-150. He drives it back and forth between his house in Kuna and his job in east Boise - puts 20,000 miles on it in a year.

Next door lives - you guessed it - Butthead. He puts 2000 miles a year on his identical ‘92 F-150, doing a couple dump-runs and a few fishing and hunting trips.

Just to make the math easy, let’s say Butch charges ‘em $200/year to register that truck.

Turns out Beavis would be paying one cent per mile, and Butthead ten cents, for the privilege of being registered.

Also, it should be noted that the “foreigners” who visit Idaho from California and other places are not sharing in the registration-fee revenue scenario.

ODOMETER
Same scenario: If Butch collects five cents per mile, Beavis pays $1000 (ouch!) and Butthead pays $100. (Beavis isn’t gonna like this!)

But… how about the guy who lives in Post Falls but does 90% of his driving in Washington? Should he pay the five cents, too?

Can of worms!

A variation that’s being tested next door in Oregon is a GPS-based scheme. A GPS receiver installed in the car keeps track of miles driven. Shades of “Big Brother,” huh? That’s why most people don’t like it - in these parts, we don’t like the government keeping such close track of us.

A mileage-based tax would encourage an underground industry that specializes in odometer tweakage, GPS file hacking, etc. I’m just sayin’. And like the registration fee, a per-mile tax would exclude the despised Californians. And the tolerated Oregonians, Utahns, etc. (Tourism is a growing and desirable industry. I don’t know what share of the roadbuilding and upkeep fees should be shared with our tourists… but it should be part of the discussion.)

FUEL TAX
Nobody (except maybe for the disciples of Pope Algore) wants to see higher gas prices. It would be a brave politician indeed, who would advocate for 20 cents more per gallon, when gas is already four bucks.

But compared with the plans that Butch has proposed so far, it seems more equitable.
- The guy in the Hummer will pay more per mile, than the guy in the Geo Metro.
- The guy who drives 20,000 miles will pay more than the guy who drives 2000 miles.
- We also include the tourists, at least the tourists who are driving (and thus putting wear and tear on our roads).

Plus, it’s easily collected.

Opponents point out that as people drive more fuel-efficient vehicles, revenues will drop.

What’s the alternative? Should gas misers be punished, or taxed at a higher rate than gas guzzlers? As a general rule, the better fuel mileage a car gets, the less wear-and-tear it’s likely to put on the road, because of lighter weight.

There is not, and never will be, a revenue-collecting method that’s fair for everybody. There are disadvantages to any of ‘em. But if we need a big influx of cash… from this observer’s viewpoint, as unpalatable as it may be, the gas tax seems like the most fair and easy way to collect from the actual roadway users. Substantially more so than either a registration tax or an odometer tax. And the Libertarians should take Butch’s membership card away for even suggesting those other ideas!

(An expanded version of this discussion can be seen at Bikeboy’s IDAHO SPUD blog.

THE LAW IN VANCOUVER, B.C.

A year ago the coppers were full of excuses why they had to waste gas.  Monday, the copper’s spokesmouth took the high road and proclaimed the department would endeavor to follow the new ANTI IDLE POLICY we posted last week.

Generally speaking the policy says shut off the engine unless it is needed for emergency lights, etc.  It applies to all of the city’s 1,000 plus vehicles and comes from the new motorpool Czar, Craig Croner.  He says

 the “break even time” for shutdowns is 30 seconds.

Seems like that policy would be good for all of us who use the drive up bank teller windows and dozens of other “stops.”  Good on the city for taking the lead in the effort–even if it took a year.

Comments on the post, POLICE PROWLERS GUZZLE GAS prompted a flurry of defenses for the idle arguments.

Fewer Idle Cop Cars

Top Cop Mike Masterson was not happy to hear cars were parked and left running with the doors locked–all it takes is a whack on the window for access to guns, computers, radios, and the car itself.

Fast forward a year later and the city has hired a “Fleet Services Manager” in the person of Craig Croner whose job it is to save gas, negotiate vehicle purchases, and keep every car and truck in the city running safely.

Croner assembled a committee of “users” from all the city departments and came up with a proposed energy and fuel policy with regard to idling vehicles. He says the “break even point” is a mere 30 seconds. Longer than that and it is better to turn off the engine. It seems like a rational policy to us.

Take a look for yourself.

Anti Idling Policy:

I. INTRODUCTION
Vehicle idling gets zero miles per gallon; unnecessary idling wastes fuel and pollutes. Running an engine at low speed (idling) also causes additional wear on internal parts compared to driving at regular speeds. The break-even point for shutting off and restarting gasoline engines or leaving it to idle is 30 seconds – from the point of view of both emissions and fuel consumption. This restriction does not apply to congested traffic, city driving or traffic controls.

Air quality is a critical issue in our area. One of the leading sources of air pollutants of concern is from vehicle tailpipe exhaust. The City of Boise needs to be a leader in reducing sources of these air pollutants. Additionally, the rising cost of fuel makes it imperative that the City of Boise focus on fuel efficiency and cease vehicle idling when not warranted by the situation.

Effective immediately, unless exempted in the following section, no City vehicle or piece of equipment is to be idled in a non-emergency situation. The operator of the vehicle/equipment is to turn-off the unit and the keys are to be removed from the ignition.

II. EXEMPTIONS
The following situations will allow idling, as needed:
A. Emergency vehicles at scenes where lights, Power Take Offs, and/or other accessories are needed to accomplish the mission;
B. Police vehicles working traffic enforcement details;
C. Department of Public Works, Department of Parks and Recreation and Boise Airport vehicles at job sites requiring the use of emergency lights, Power Take Offs, and/or other accessories to accomplish their assignment. Planning and Development, PDS Inspector - 2005 or older and non-hybrid vehicles only, while performing inspections.
D. Inclement weather situations and the supervisor authorizes the use of the vehicle/equipment heater-defroster for the work crew’s comfort according to the guidelines listed below;

1. If the outside temperature is: Above 32 degrees F: 5 minute maximum
2. Between -10 and 32 degrees F; 15 minute maximum
3. Below -10 degrees F: as necessary

NOTE: Operators of vehicle/equipment and supervisors will be judicious in the idling of units at emergency scenes and job sites. If not all the units at the scene/site need to be idling, those units must be turned-off and the keys removed from the ignition. Each vehicle/equipment operator will be responsible for the idling operation of their unit and will have the unit keys in their possession to ensure that crewmembers do not arbitrarily violate the policy without the operator’s knowledge.

Supervisors in each department/division will be responsible for the adherence and enforcement of the idling policy. Violations of the policy will be documented as to the vehicle/equipment operator, vehicle class code, location, date and time, weather conditions, and circumstances of the violation.

The vehicle/equipment operator will be informed of the violation by the supervisor at the time of the infraction.

Department Heads will be responsible to ensure this standard of conduct in the use of City vehicles and equipment. Employees have the responsibility to abide by this regulation, violation of which can subject them to progressive disciplinary action.

Controversy and lobbying over electricity goes back to the days of Edison and Tesla as they vied for acceptance of “their” methods of generation and transmission. The laws of regulators often conflict with the laws of physics and common sense.

During these dog days of summer with plenty of sun it is easy to sit back and declare “solar power is the answer.” It can certainly play a role in energy production, but it is not the ANSWER.

When we drive around the country and see huge windmill farms–or just rows of them here in Idaho–we notice for the most part they are not spinning. That causes cries of, “What a waste of resources.”

Then there is nuke power–potentially an economic savior for the USA energy needs–safe if properly monitored and proper disposal of waste can be mastered.

In the West the old standby of course is hydropower and there are folks who want to do away with the dams.

With vast reserves of coal and natural gas, these “fossil fuels” are also popular to create heat to boil water that makes steam pressure to spin a generating turbine.

Lest we forget, our corn crops have doubled in value as political pressure has mounted to inject 10% of each gallon of gas with ethanol. The likes of ADM and a few other agribusinesses benefit, but at the expense of anyone who eats anything with corn syrup, eggs, chicken, pork, milk, beef or a host of other foods. Corn is king and when it is fermented to make alcohol we all suffer.

Finally, there are vast geothermal resources scattered around the west, but they are expensive to tap and the technology is not the best at present.

At the risk of a bad pun, the GUARDIAN will try to “shed some light” on the subject while offering a forum for all concerned. We will offer anecdotal evidence from decades of personally covering the subject for the likes of the NEW YORK TIMES, TIME, and NEWSWEEK.

Here in Idaho we are blessed with plenty of wind, sun, hot water, rushing rivers, and home to the first place on earth to harness nuke power for electricity. Problem is, most of us are hooked to power lines owned and operated by a utility monopoly–usually Idaho Power.

Politicos require the monopoly to have enough generating capacity to provide juice during “peak load” to those of us who flip switches and heat water. Those same politicos tell them to buy electricity from just about anyone who can make volts on their own.

That is like telling Ford to make enough cars for everyone in the USA, but they have to buy from Toyota and GM if they happen to have more than they can sell. It is insanity!…and not good business for the monopoly. As a result, the monopoly negotiates “maximum rates” of production they are forced to purchase from the so-called “little guys.”

It really gets complicated when the big guys get in to the business of owning a batch of “little guys” and buying and selling to themselves–regardless of the generating source.

Toss in the greenies who hate/fear nuke, those who want to breach the dams, the local politicos who ENCOURAGE growth for the sake of “jobs,” and you have a situation that is nearly insurmountable.

ALL of the energy sources have their place, but until we do away with subsidies and lobbyists, the world will be in a quandary. The problem is HUMAN, not TECHNICAL. Sadly, the only way we can see it working is to have a single power provider owning all the energy sources–like a national energy authority. Many cities and counties have co-ops or boards that run utilities.

When the profit motive is in the equation, most of us seem to come up with negative numbers.

Our ranking comes mostly from the use of hydro electric power generation rather than any greenie good things. While we have almost no public transit to speak of, Washington, D.C. has a world class Metro subway and train system– and they came in #100 on the Brookings Institute survey.

No doubt this orchestrated press release and survey will be fodder for all sorts of planning, grant applications, political bragging, and justification for and against everything from bike paths to light rail.

The GUARDIAN is out of town and unable cut and paste the lists, so please feel free to comment based on the mainstream media reports–links can be found at the right.

This time it’s an outfit called Areva which is in the energy business. They got the obligatory color drawing on the front page of the Daily Paper and endorsements from state and federal politicians to build a $2 billion uranium enrichment plant near Idaho Falls.

Now all they need is about a hundred permits, $2 billion in financing, land, local zoning approval, and a market for enriched uranium fuel rods to power nuclear reactors, while the nation struggles with disposal of hot nuke waste that could be used to make bombs.

Locals in Idaho Falls are questioning the hazards of the proposed facility and seem eager to hear “the rest of the story.”

The GUARDIAN did a brief number crunch with the Bonneville Assessor. If the plant truly turned out to be worth $2 billion and it paid its fair share of taxes, it would mean a 41% DECREASE in local property taxes. As it now stands, the taxable value is capped at $400 million. At best it could contribute about 8% of the county revenues. Total taxable value in Bonneville County is currently $4.8 billion.

The Daily Paper ran the story as a “done deal,” saying the company WILL open the plant near Idaho Falls–not may, could, wants to, proposes, but WILL.

Here some examples of other highly promoted proposals which never made it:

ASSORTED BILL AGEE schemes including the Texas TGV rail line, the Honolulu monorail.

ROCKET LAUNCH site also near Idaho Falls promoted by Lockheed with a giant mock up of a space ship they towed around the country hustling local politicos.

THE DEFUNCT “WPPS” nuke plant that cost millions and never opened.

SATURN AUTO PLANT. Idaho wanted to put it at Kellogg to create jobs for unemployed silver miners…never mind GM would have had to ship parts and supplies a thousand miles to the wilds of Idaho and also ship finished cars as far.

SUPER COLLIDING SUPERCONDUCTOR. Another scheme that was shopped all over the nation. The GUARDIAN noticed everywhere we traveled the locals were “in the running.”

MEDITERRANEAN MOVIE SET and “planned community” at Blacks Creek east of Boise. What an idea location for a seaside community in the desert of Idaho.

MOVIE SOUND STAGE and theme park at Nampa. Sweetwater Junction never got going either, despite press conferences and headlines.

BOISE TOWER and a dozen other hotels, offices, convention centers, and condo projects.

MICRON PLAYED the political game of “we will put you on the list if you give us a break.” They got the break and built new facilities–in China, Singapore, and Virginia, NOT idaho.

Meanwhile the politicos still gush about all the jobs these projects “will create.” They seem to forget the humiliation of Albertson’s tax deal, the tax cap on Micron–the largest non-profit company in the state, Hollywood movie production rebates, and the list goes on.

For the record, the GUARDIAN actually favors nuclear power as a clean energy source, but it is absolute INSANITY to create more waste without establishing a permanent safe repository for spent fuel rods.

Areva, like any other company should pay its way. If they can meet the safety standards, provide the financing, pay their taxes, offer a safe workplace and good wages–welcome to Idaho.

A GUARDIAN GUEST POST