In October, bills from the State of Delaware will be going out to the owners of electric and hybrid cars. The rationale for this seems to be that the state needs funds to maintain state roads, and that electric vehicles weigh more than comparable vehicles. I'm all for maintaining state roads, but in the interest of reducing further damage to our endangered environment, I would like to see the State of Delaware encourage, not discourage, the purchase of electric and hybrid vehicles.
Taxes and fees should be structured in such a way that disincentivize gas-guzzling, air-polluting vehicles, and incentivize electric ones. I see a whole lot more brand-new pickup trucks (driven by folks who don't appear to be using them for anything work-related) and oversized SUVs like Escalades, Durangos, Tahoes, Suburbans, etc., than I see electric cars. And these all weigh more than a Tesla Y (4,200 pounds) or a Mustang EV (4,300 pounds). The behemoths weigh more in the range of 5,500 to 6,000 pounds.
I hope in the future our legislators can think more creatively about ways to maintain the roads while disincentivizing the gas guzzlers and rewarding the owners of clean vehicles. The ability of our children and grandchildren to breathe depends upon it.
-
A letter to the editor expresses a reader's opinion and, as such, is not reflective of the editorial opinions of this newspaper.
To submit a letter to the editor for publishing, send an email to viewpoints@capegazette.com. All letters are considered at the discretion of the newsroom and published as space allows. Due to the large volume of submissions, we cannot acknowledge receipt of each submission. Letters must include a phone number and address for verification. Keep letters to 400 words or fewer. We reserve the right to edit for content or length. Letters should be responsive to issues addressed in the Cape Gazette rather than content from other publications or media. Letters should focus on local issues, not national topics or personalities. Only one letter per author will be published every 30 days regarding a particular topic. Authors may submit a second letter within that time period if it pertains to a different issue. Letters may not be critical of personalities or specific businesses. Criticism of public figures is permissible. Endorsement letters for political candidates are no longer accepted. Letters must be the author’s original work, and may not be generated by artificial intelligence tools. Templates, form letters and letters containing language similar to other submissions will not be published.
