So, who pays enough for car registration already? Show of hands, ok, well...pixels then....

There's a piece of legislature recently approved by the state senate that will effectively triple your current registration fees (car tax). Bear in mind that Californians already pay double the car tax of New Yorkers (the next highest in the country). This will triple that meaning that we'll be paying 6 TIMES THE REGISTRATION FEES OF NON-CA RESIDENTS!

Here's the catch. Not only is this being done, but it's being done completely illegally. Vehicle registration has always been classified as a tax. A tax increase requires a 2/3 senate majority to pass. This year the car tax is being re-classified as a fee which only requires a 51% majority to pass. The democrats have done this because they know that the republicans would not pass the bill!!! (No flame suit required! I'm an independant that almost always votes democrat, so if anything I'm bashing the party that I'm most closely affiliated with).

Now, before you start ripping out hair and screaming obsenities about politicians, there is still time to make a difference. Immediately after Gray Davis signs the bill, a referendum will be filed that will automatically postpone the bill for 90 days. During this 90 days 373,000 signatures need to be gathered that will put the bill on the next ballot so we can all vote on it.

By filling out this form (http://www.tommcclintock.com/cartaxref/special_joinref.cfm) you can have a petition sent to you. All you need to do is sign it and return it. If we all come together on this, we can change this legislature.

This is the same stunt that was pulled several years ago when non-CA residents were required to pay a $300 fee to bring their cars into CA. That was completely illegal as well, but it took 4 1/2 years to work its way through the courts where it eventually was over-turned. The senate knows that this will be overturned eventually as well, but the fact that the state has a $26 BILLION dollar short-fall in budgeting this year is too big a pill for them to swallow and they're willing to cheat hard working Californians out of their money to make up for it. They need to raise the money, but shouldn't do so via extorsion!

Get a petition. Make youself heard. Make a difference.

If you "almost always vote democrat" then you are a Dem.:p However, don't fall into the falsehood that Dems spend and Reps do not. The largest national deficits have been under powerful Rep administrations. The fact is the Reps love to spend as much as anybody they just like to spend it on different stuff. The difference is the Reps can't seem to admit it.

Hell even Texas runs a budget deficit now. This was unheard of a few years back. The problem is it is easier to add money eating programs than it is to kill a program. When one wants to kill a program there is always opposition that points out: job losses, the good the program created, etc and since these are good points programs almost never die. Because of this all countries are moving closer and closer to socialistic/communistic societies.

I am afraid in a democratic society that this trend is mostly irreversible. The only good I see in this trend is it does show that humans are somewhat altruistic.

Originally posted by babylou
[B]If you "almost always vote democrat" then you are a Dem.:p

If I was a democrat I'd have voted for Al Gore last election and Bill Clinton the election before that. I did niether....


However, don't fall into the falsehood that Dems spend and Reps do not. The largest national deficits have been under powerful Rep administrations.
I agree with you, but where did I say the republicans don't spend as much? Republicans just choose to spend money on the military and giving breaks to big businesses while democrats choose to spend it on socialistic services (I won't go as far as to say communistic...yet).

The point isn't to argue who spends more, or which side of center we all fall on. The point is that we should not, cannot and must not tolerate our elected officials breaking the laws that they've created in order to better serve their careers.

Oh, by the way, all government officials that drive government-leased vehicles (just about every senator, representative, and high-ranking local official in the state) is exempt from this increase....

Update:

Against all speculation (speculation of the small amount of media that was covering this, not just mine), Gray Davis vetoed the bill this afternoon. It still wouldn't hurt to get yourself a petition anyway. We'll likely see the same legislature or something very similar in the future. For once Davis has done something positive for California. Woo hoo!!!

I was going to mention it was vetoed since I just saw the news. Rotor Motor was really on this subject. :D So he got the news to you.

:mad: :mad: Davis' BS Car Tax Initiative Has Reared It's Ugly Head Again! :mad: :mad:


From CA Senator Tom Mc Clintock
Dear Friend of Liberty,

We expect the battle on the car tax to begin any day now. Gov. Gray Davis and State Controller Steve Westly on Monday jointly issued a tortured and contorted legal opinion claiming that they can raise the car tax "administratively."

To prove just how contrived and manufactured their opinion is: under its provisions the car tax would actually have increased last year. Obviously, this is an entirely new and fictitious interpretation of the law.

Although it is certain to be challenged in court, it is my intention to take the issue directly to the voters. I have already prepared two initiatives that I will submit the necessary paperwork the moment that Davis and Westly make a move toward increasing this tax.

One is a constitutional measure that will abolish the tax completely and will require 598,105 signatures. The other is a statutory measure that is narrower (it will simply reduce the car tax to $1) but will require only 373,816 signatures. The Attorney General and the Secretary of State will then have 25 working days to prepare the ballot title and summary and certify the petitions, at which time we can begin the signature-gathering process. During that five-week period, I will decide whether we expect to have the resources to proceed with the constitutional measure or fall back to the statutory initiative.

I will keep you advised of any developments as they occur. In the meantime, please urge your friends to join the Car Tax Initiative Team (http://www.tommcclintock.com/cartaxref/special_joinref.cfm) - the more people who commit to circulate petitions from the outset, the stronger our position will be as we begin the campaign.


Please keep in mind this is a completely contrived and illegal tax aimed at quite literally robbing Californians. It's time to tell Davis and his rediculously incompetent budeting that he's not going to weasel his way out of this again.... (God, I can't believe I voted for that jackass)

I grew up living in California, and I remember paying the extreme registration fees. It based on the (value of the car) + (age) so over time your fees do become cheaper. But for a $35,000 dollar car you first year registration is around $600 dollars. When I got a job in Texas and moved here to register my vehicle they were like "That's going to be $65.00 dollars" I was like what? That's it? There has to be something wrong. Only $65.00 dollars, ok so where's the hidden fees? (This was only a 1 year old car) I am truly amazed at the cost of vehicle registration in California. The state makes a ton of money off of those fees. It much to high for what it should be.

Yeah, California registration is pretty freaking high. I bought my first two cars when I lived there. But here's one for you. I bought my '93 RX-7 for $15K, and went to have it registered in Pennsylvania, and they wanted 6% of the sale price. That's $900!!! Luckily, the guy that sold it to me agrred to have a new Bill of Sale notorized saying I only payed $5K. Wait, it gets better. A few months later, I get a letter from some PA investigation dept saying that I didn't pay enough for the car, and they wanted more proof that I payed $5K. I managed to talk my way out of that one. I'm just gonna move to Arizona when I get out of the Navy.

Because of all your "colorful" laws, rules, and regulations (not to mention some of your politicians ;) ), now you Californians know why a lot of us "affectionately" refer to your state as "The People's Republic of California". LOL

;)

First of all, I am a california resident, but I am currently living in Washington State (job reasons ;) ) I am moving back to California in about 2 1/2 years, and while the thought of the Car Reg Fees going up concerns me, what really scares me is the other memo you showed were someone wanted to eliminate the tax completely. I've lived in Washington long enough to see what happens when you cut taxes to drastically. When I moved up here, WA had what I believe was pretty resonable fees (It was something like $150 when I moved here), but an initiative passed shortly thereafter dropped the fees to $35. subsequently, the Department of Transportation lost funding for nearly all planned improvements in the greater seattle area, and traffic problems have been steadily incresing ever since. Multiple Mass Transit initiatives have lost their funding, leading to even more traffic. While I would of course like to move back to california and not have to pay the high car taxes, I am more afraid of having to ride a bike to work because the traffic has gotten even worse. All of the impressive traffic improvements in the Sothern California area have been funded by these Tag fees, so they definately serve a great purpose.

Originally posted by CraziFuzzy
All of the impressive traffic improvements in the Sothern California area have been funded by these Tag fees, so they definately serve a great purpose.[/SOAPBOX]

True, they are used to fund those impressive traffic improvements in SouthernCal and Some in the Bay area. They do need to have fees but California's are a bit high. I grew up in California, but since I lived in the San Joaquin valley (Farm Country). I still paid the same rates as those people that live in the SouthernCal area, and taking advantage of massive traffic improvements, and that's to be expected they need it the most. L.A. has two travel times, how long it takes to get there, and how long it takes to get there with traffic. Registration fees should be based on personal property tax (Based on where you live), which I don't believe they are in California. Which is a bit unfair, for people not living in the High population areas.

Vehicle License Fee - This fee is assessed based on the value of your vehicle and is collected in lieu of a personal property tax.

Plus you have a
Weight Fee - Assessed on most cars, pickups, and trailers weighing over 1,999 lbs.This fee is based on the empty or unladen weight.

You can check out the website, but the never really explain the fee structure. It's a good way to keep people in the dark, so they don't complain.

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/vr/fees.htm


http://www.re-pro.com/DMV.html

It wasn't like this couple of years ago. It just happen recently really... I am not a democrat, nor republican but I think Gray Davis is a good governor, but his been acting iffy lately and I aint liking it.