PARA Press Release {5-01-2002}

Porterville Area Republican Assembly will be gearing up to battle another tax increase by the environmentalists in Sacramento.

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This new legislation, Republicans in the Assembly have stressed, will actually punish the poor. AB 1058, as it's known in the Assembly, will limit a persons choice of vehicles. It's an attempt to put Californians into smaller, less powerful cars.

Assemblywoman Pavley (D) from Woodland Hills, who crafted this bill in Feb. of 2001, added Section 43018.5 to the Health and Safety Code. An environmentalists dream come true, this addition to the code, which was recently passed by the assembly on 01/30/2002, by a vote of 42 to 24, will basically hit consumers in four major areas.

• First: We will be hit with another 50-cent-per-gallon increase in gasoline taxes.
• Second: A two-cent tax on every mile driven for all passenger vehicles may be implemented.
• Third: Extra fees of $3,500 will be added to the purchase of new minivans, light duty trucks, and sport utility vehicles to discourage consumers from buying them . . .
• Fourth: reducing the speed limit back to 55 miles per hour.

David Prado, president of the Porterville Area Republican Assembly commented, "PARA will be the catalyst group who plans to fight this loony legislation. But we will need other local groups along with local citizens to band with us as well. I'm a member of the Back Country Horsemen and the Tulare County Sheriffs posse and I can only believe this law, if Davis signs it and I understand that he plans to, will do more harm to these great organizations and more than likely devastate our recreational resources. We will need everyone pulling together to stop this one, or no one will be pulling anything anywhere."

PARA plans to have an open meeting on May 9th. 6:00pm at La Fuente Mexican Restaurant, 29 North Main Street and the public is invited to attend.

For more information please call Mr. A.L.Lucketta @ (559) 781-2100
or send e-mail to aldo@lucketta.com,
or visit us on-line at ( www.pa-ra.org ).