Join the discussion on the following article:
California proposes fees on crude oil shipments by rail
Have the Union Pacific and BNSF create their own emergency response teams. Once the funds go into the government system, someone will use them for other purposes.
Sounds reasonable, think of it as insurance.
That is going to do absolutely nothing but make 7 new govt employees very overpaid. Thats my dream, way overpaid, barely do anything, great retirement. Yes Im hating!! The rest of that $ will go to other govt waste.
Let’s just put up an oil toll booth at each state border, because they all need more inspectors. Opens up a whole new universe of charge as you go programs. Illinois will probably find a way to charge on the way in and again on the way out.
All hail the guv’ment and their ability to “fee” us to death and create more non-productive jobs! I will be surprised if any of these new “inspectors” can tell the difference between a tie and a 2x4.
From Blazing Saddles, http://youtu.be/SbWg-mozGsU "Does anybody have a dime?! Somebodys going to have to go back and get a load of dimes!
If the oil companies and the railroads want to challenge this in court, it will not stand up. States do not have the constitutional right to place tariffs or import/export fees on interstate commerce, regardless of the purpose for the tariff.
This was all settled in 1787.
Gimme, gimme, gimme said the democrat lead state.
can any of you government hatters read? The railroads, pipelines and the state all agreed to the fee. And no, not all states have first responders or Has Mat people that are trained to deal with potential disasters of this magnitude. Also I would think that this fee would reduce the liability of the railroads and pipelines.
I don’t think California is the first state to impose this kind of tariff.
can any of you government hatters read? The railroads, pipelines and the state all agreed to the fee. And no, not all states have first responders or Has Mat people that are trained to deal with potential disasters of this magnitude. Also I would think that this fee would reduce the liability of the railroads and pipelines.
I don’t think California is the first state to impose this kind of tariff.
At least they are treating railroads and pipelines the same.
Pay up motorists!
The fee is not a tariff, but a surveillance fee. Many states have them. The railroads have already agreed to the new CA fees.
All these State “Imposed Toll& Fees” sound as if Johnny Cash was prophetic in his song about the Toll Booths, and the “Rock Island Line”
linked @ http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/j/johnny_cash/rock_island_line.html
Does anyone actually believe this money well go to oil spill and emergency contingency plans?
You mean to tell me that the great state of California, as well as Illinois and any other state that is considering this money grab, doesn’t have firefighters and first responders already trained to deal with hazmat issues? What the hell are our tax dollars going for then that we are already paying?
@ Joe…Yes, I can read, and I am not a government hater (note correct spelling), but I certainly carry a great distain for added bureaucracy anywhere. Look, just because the railroads and pipelines “agree” to the so-called fee, doesn’t mean they like it. Its called being between a rock and a hard place. And one might ask the question why water shipment isn’t covered in this, since the bulk of major recent spills in California have been ocean tankers. And nowhere is the reduction of liability mentioned in this, so not sure where you came up with that idea.
Because this has evolved (or…dissolved) into an economics-politics-socialogical session, I, residing in the Golden State over 5 decades, ask Mr. Narita to clarify what in Prop 13 does prohibit Ca. from levying a tax. It has limited the yearly increase in my mortgage P-I-T(property tax)-I payment.
but, "prohibit Ca from levying a (means “any tax?”) tax.
I don’t even “play a lawyer on TV”
Please elaborate and elucidate.
California is the largest state in the country in terms of economy and population. Being number one also means having the largest number of people to govern and provide services for. Unfortunately the provisions of Prop 13 do not allow the state to levy a tax and provide service from that tax so they have to charge a user fee.