TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

According to the IPCC5, the costs of limiting global warming to 1.5' exceed the benefits from doing so. That aside, this is just another tax to go towards corrupt politicians and their connected cronies. Enough is enough.

STOP IT! We don’t need any more taxes or fees in Rhode Island. We pay enough! MA already has cheaper gas. Why would you make it more difficult to complete with MA? This garbage is why people are fleeing RI. I can’t wait to retire and move to a state that respects its citizens and supports business and doesn’t look to rip off taxpayers!

Below I site the major reasons for my opposition to the TCI.

1. TCI returns 0% of the money raised back to the consumers and businesses that would pay for it: Under the current plan, revenue generated by purchasers of fuel is slated for improvements to transit, electric charging station infrastructure, and infrastructure vulnerable to climate changes. While these are worthy infrastructure projects, it is not right to take money from the working folks who use a gas or diesel vehicle and not return it to the roads and bridges they use.

2. Current forms of Revenue are not being collected: Transit in the form of Commuter Rail needs to collect current fares for revenue before asking for more. The $10/mo cost per driver that TCI has been projected to generate is less than the $12.50 one-way ticket to Boston from my district. Many times a month these fares are not collected by the commuter rail operators. New forms of revenue should not be pursued until we get the current form of revenue collection working.

3. Carbon Reduction achieved by TCI is minor: Carbon emissions from automobiles will already be reduced 19% below 2022 emissions without TCI. This is due to ongoing improvements to fuel efficiency and shifts to electric cars. TCI is being proposed in case those reductions don’t happen and to add another 1-6% reduction. (See graph in photos) The range of cost to the consumer for this additional carbon reduction is projected to be $0.05/gal of fuel for an additional 1% up to $0.17/gal of fuel for an additional 6%. I believe that the additional reductions are not enough to justify the cost to the consumer.

4. TCI does not compare well to other Cap and Trade programs: The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is a similar cap and trade program focused on reducing emissions from power plants. RGGI gives INCENTIVES to the power companies to reduce their carbon emission levels. Power companies have options to do this by making improvements, switching to cleaner fuels, etc. as they are the carbon “emitter”. TCI puts the cap on fuel wholesalers who do not control the carbon “emitters” (vehicles). RGGI has been successful because the power companies are given the ability to make money while reducing carbon emissions but it does not appear to be the same case with TCI.

Just as energy prices go down and more people have money to spend, fools like yourselves invent a way to steal more money. This will not incentivize people to drive less, people still need to fill their tanks, nothing more than a money grab.

This tax is yet another unlawful burden on taxpayers. RI does not have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem and instituting a penalty for driving won’t solve that, or your supposed “Climate Change”

Great idea! While a RI resident, I live close to the RI/MA border and would buy gas in MA if this is not supported by RI.

This tax is a ridiculous fraud, fueled by money grubbing grifters like Gina Fraudmondo an TCI.

Another tax to keep Vermont subservient to the state and their officials. Anyone who works in this State have to travel, that means using a motor vehicle. There is not enough public transportation especially in rural areas, and someone who travels likes me for my job and am on the road all day traveling from place to place , because I am in the service business. This will increase the cost of my service, thus it will be passed onto my customers. Not all of us can afford to buy very expensive electric vehicles and it is not fair that only a few who already can afford it get benefits of rebates at the expense of the little hard working people.

A dues, A fee, A registration, ... A TAX - No more Taxes. Any monies collected in the name of climate change will not be spent with any transparency as to it's actual use. Also getting rid of car taxes, will only increase individual property taxes.