[crossthread]

The biodiesel thing....



CHARLOTTE

Thumbing your nose at oil sheiks can cost you in North Carolina.

Bob Teixeira, a Charlotte guitar teacher, took a stand against U.S. dependence on foreign oil last fall and spent $1,200 to convert his 1981 diesel Mercedes to run on vegetable oil. He buys soybean oil in 5-gallon jugs at Costco, which costs him about a third more than diesel.

Despite his good intentions, the state fined Teixeira $1,000 for not paying motor-fuel taxes. North Carolina officials also told him that to legally use veggie oil here, he’d have to first post a $2,500 bond.

Such penalties have also been levied against other North Carolina drivers whose vehicles were powered by alternative fuels.

“If somebody was going to go to this much trouble to drive around in a car that uses soybean oil, they ought to be exempt” from state taxes, said state Sen. Stan Bingham, R-Davidson, who drives a diesel Volkswagen fueled by used soybean oil that sports a sign reading “Goodbye, OPEC.”

Teixeira and other independent-minded drivers may get a break from the state. The N.C. Department of Revenue, which fined Teixeira, has asked legislators to waive the $2,500 bond for small fuel-users. Also, Revenue officials told Teixeira the department will compromise on his fine.

But the state’s not about to drop its taxes on all fuels used in highway vehicles. North Carolina’s 29.9-cent tax on a gallon of gas generates $1.2 billion each year to pay for road construction.

“With the high cost of fuel right now, the department does recognize that a lot of people are looking for relief,” said Reggie Little, assistant director of the motor-fuel taxes division. “We’re not here to hurt the small guy, we’re just trying to make sure that the playing field is level.”

Few states are prepared to regulate new fuels, according to the National VegOil Board, which promotes vegetable oil fuel.

“State offices do not have the forms to appropriately and fairly deal with VegOil, nor the staff to enforce the nonexistent forms,” said director Cynthia Shelton. “So either they tell people inquiring about compliance to get lost, or they make them jump through a bunch of arbitrary hoops.”

North Carolina has taken steps toward alternative fuels in official vehicles, with legislators in 2005 ordering state agencies to replace 20 percent of their annual petroleum use with alternatives by 2010. Ethanol can be used now in about 6,000 of the state’s 8,500 vehicles and the state fleet also includes about 135 gas-electric hybrids.

Officials with the N.C. Department of Revenue noticed Teixeira last month near Lowe’s Motor Speedway while they were checking fuel tanks of diesel RVs for illegal fuel. The bumper sticker on his car that reads “Powered by 100% vegetable oil” grabbed their attention.

“It was like some twist of fate that put me there,” he said. “It was like I was asking for them to stop me.”

While he believes Revenue officials are simply doing their jobs, Teixeira doesn’t think it’s fair to lump him in with those who purposely try to avoid fuel taxes.

“Individuals who are trying to do the right thing environmentally cannot and should not continue to take this kind of financial hit,” he wrote Gov. Mike Easley.

confused and Angry

[Madpaddy]

First off,

A 1981 Diesel mercedes needs almost no modification to drive on vegetable oil. A conversion involves running the coolant pipes behind the fuel filter which is placed on a special bracket. This heats the fuel as it comes through. You also have extended glow plugs which stay on for 3 minutes instead of the usual 30 seconds. This conversion costs about €260.

In warm weather you could drive an unconverted mercedes diesel (pre 1997) without even this basic modification.

He was ripped off before he even got fined.

Poor bugger.

[jboogy]

Why wouldn't he collect used oil from restaurants and filter it? I'm sure he's aware it would work so why is he spending more for new oil?I don't understand what he's doing. Any more info on this?

[TWilliam]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('jboogy', 'W')hy wouldn't he collect used oil from restaurants and filter it? I'm sure he's aware it would work so why is he spending more for new oil?I don't understand what he's doing. Any more info on this?

[jboogy]

Forgive my ignorance ,but how is buying new oil versus recycling old oil the "right" thing to do? Please explain?

[azreal60]

Did you notice the quotation marks? Think of what that implies.

Also, I don't know why the guy is buying it that way either. But I don't know why it's illegal. Sounsd like a bit more government interference than I'm comfortable with.

[jboogy]

To me "right" implies conservative/republican....I still can't make the connection.Repubs in general are more wealth oriented so all the more reason to pick-up used oil.I'm starting to feel dense and I don't like it! AZ, your first 2 sentences led me to believe you had this figured out.Your third sentence told me you don't . Are you guys messin' with me? I'm so confused.

[TWilliam]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('jboogy', 'F')orgive my ignorance ,but how is buying new oil versus recycling old oil the "right" thing to do? Please explain?

[azreal60]

Sorry, I forget sometimes internet doesn't always equate understanding. Actually, scratch that, most of the time it doesn't.

Ok, let's see.

He put quotation marks around it indicating that he doesn't nessesarily agree with what he's saying. It's like doing that in real life.

I'd love to talk further, but I have to leave for my next job now. Later folks.

[I_Like_Plants]

Yep, you fucka with the system, you getta the fine.

It's even worse if you bike or walk, you can be basically run down and killed at will.

[highlander]

Just a couple of pissant bureaucrats seeing how much weight they can throw around. They are the ones who took advantage of a technical loophole to try to enhance their resume. The public outcry on this will make them look like the dopes they are.
Vegetable oil is not an EPA registered motor fuel. I think they were way out of line.
nevertherless, my biodiesel bumperstickers are coming off.
burning BD is not a crime. Bitchslapping pissants is.

[jboogy]

O.K. I'm not confused anymore but I'm convinced the two of you are."Sorry, I forget sometimes internet doesn't always equate understanding"-AZ60 . This sentence blew my mind on a couple levels AZ. Did you mean to say that internet access doesn't automatically equate to the user understanding what he reads? " He put quotation marks around it indicating that he doesn't nessesarily agree with what he's saying. It's like doing that in real life."-AZ60 Ummm...if you say so.T-Bill , I understand your meaning now, but I don't understand why you used it to referance what I said.I wondered why he bought new versus old veggy oil,not why he used veggy versus petroleum. Didn't you get the memo?

[alpha480v]

This is bullshit. This is a food item. Not fuel. They(the state), can't have it both ways. If he paid sales tax on the soybean oil when he bought it at Costco, then he already paid his taxes. If it was me I wouldn't pay it.

[TWilliam]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('jboogy', 'O').K. I'm not confused anymore but I'm convinced the two of you are."Sorry, I forget sometimes internet doesn't always equate understanding"-AZ60 . This sentence blew my mind on a couple levels AZ. Did you mean to say that internet access doesn't automatically equate to the user understanding what he reads? " He put quotation marks around it indicating that he doesn't nessesarily agree with what he's saying. It's like doing that in real life."-AZ60 Ummm...if you say so.T-Bill , I understand your meaning now, but I don't understand why you used it to referance what I said.I wondered why he bought new versus old veggy oil,not why he used veggy versus petroleum. Didn't you get the memo?

[jboogy]

Oh yeah T-bill , that helped , helped me to understand that when you read my first response you assumed I was asking why he wouldn't switch back to petro-diesel since the veggy oil was more expensive.I can only assume you gave my post a cursory glance at best since I clearly wrote the word restaraunt and filter in it. It's ok, I skim too sometimes.

[TWilliam]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('jboogy', 'O')h yeah T-bill , that helped , helped me to understand that when you read my first response you assumed I was asking why he wouldn't switch back to petro-diesel since the veggy oil was more expensive.I can only assume you gave my post a cursory glance at best since I clearly wrote the word restaraunt and filter in it. It's ok, I skim too sometimes.

[azreal60]

LOL. That's what I get for trying to help. I confuse further.

Look, the point is, it's a dumbass law. I would not pay that tax either, but then, I'd be arrested if I did that. Hopefully they change the law as the guy in the article mentioned they would.

Heck, you want to get the republicans on your side, just mention your being taxed twice. That should do the trick.

[smallpoxgirl]

What a leach. Dude should darned well be fined. He's using just as much petroleum as anybody else. The petroleum he's using is the dyed (untaxed) diesel that drove the tractor that grew his soybeans. Biodiesel is just an energy shell game. It's just a way of hiding your petroleum usage so you can act all superior. If he doesn't want to pay the taxes, he should stop using the roads that they pay for.

[RonMN]

This is equivelent to...you grow your own tobacco...you smoke it by yourself...and you're arrested for not paying tobacco taxes.

Me thinks it's time to revolt!