From Roy Travert.
THE subject of environmental taxes has already been voted on by the States and thrown out on a standing vote.
Members voted by 25-18 to back a proposal by Environment Minister Freddie Cohen in 2008 to throw this proposition out. He stated that this was not the right time for new taxes. And he was right.
Yet we now have the Treasury department putting forward a range of new stealth taxes (‘indirect tax’) with this proposal. This is not about the environment, but about taking more money from people’s pockets.
It is a fact of modern life that we need to use our cars for work, school runs, business meetings, going to the hospital, etc. Is he also proposing the reduction in the police cars that are constantly patrolling the Island?
It is not practical to say ban the cars and reduce the speed limit to appease a small group of eco-warriors who have an axe to grind because someone might own a nicer car than them. If that’s the case, we should be banning the building of housing estates and bigger houses as well.
In a Utopian society, that might work, but this is the real world we live in and the day I see 53 States Members walking to work, riding a bike in the pouring rain or taking the bus, so will I.
Life is far too busy for most people to stop using the car and it is not practical to do so. It is the preferred mode of transport for good reasons.
It is warm in the winter and cool in the summer. It takes you straight to your destination and you have the flexibility to come and go when you want, with the children, with the dog and all the articles that we take with us, like laptops, bikes, toys, food, golf clubs and, yes, people.
Transport Minister Mike Jackson is involved in the marine industry, yet no new taxes are being proposed to protect the environment from boat owners. Why not? They don’t even pay duty on the fuel they use! This is totally unfair considering the amount of road fuel tax that we pay. This needs further scrutiny as to the reasons why.
Make your voice heard and go to the States website and fill in the online questionnaire. Tell your States Member that you have had enough of increased States spending and increased taxes to pay for it.
