Auntie Charo's Soapbox

I don't think the issue was important enough to be covered in today's PDN...or, I didn't see it again(maybe it'll be covered in tomorrow's paper on page seven) but in today's on-line version of Marianas Variety, Mar-Vic Cagurangan reported that Art Ilaganm director of rev and tax suggests that; "Burdening a car owner, who may be fortunate to have three or more vehicles in his/her name, paying three times the disposal fee of the unrelated materials is unfair", and that, "But Ilagan urged the committee to “consider other options” before settling with the idea of incorporating the consolidated recycling fee into the motor vehicle registration fees.
He noted that the increase in AVSF in the last two years is “still fresh” in the registration bill.
The government had increased the AVSF from $10 to $25 per vehicle on March 5, 2003, and then again to $40 on April 1, 2004, because it was not generating enough revenue for the junk car removal and operation of street lights.
“For just over a year, the department has billed and the Department of Administration has collected roughly $375,000 ($4 times 94,000 average number if vehicle registered per year for the abandoned vehicles alone). What was once only $94,000 is now four times more,” Ilagan said.
He suggested that the existing fees that the government is currently collecting and the fee established by the suspended recycling law might be enough to cover the removal of junk vehicles.
With the $200 fee charged per vehicle for AVS, the government estimates to collect $350,000 a year. This amount, according to Ilagan, would cover the removal of 1,750 junk vehicles over year. “If $350,000 is not enough, what amount is needed?” Ilagan asked.
Instead of raising more fees, Ilagan suggested the reallocation of collected funds.
Ilagan noted that the AVSF increase over the last two years has resulted in a corresponding increase in the streetlight fund from $846,000 to $3.3 million per year.
“What exactly does it cost to operate and install streetlights per year? In the likelihood that the $3.3 million is more than enough, maybe a changing of the percentages would be considered first before raising fees,” he said.
He added,“For example, instead of the current 10 percent and 90 percent, perhaps 25 percent ($94,000) for junk cars and 75 percent ($2.8 million)) for the streetlight fund. If $15 of the proposed $25 fee is for junk cars, then adjust the percentages accordingly.”
Okay, that's what Mar-Vic wrote.....which makes one wonder why we're trying to add another $25.00 to our vehical registration fees? One has to wonder if the people conjuring up these bills ever talk to the man (or people) at rev and tax before they come up with ideas before they increase the taxes.....or, if they just increase the taxes then ask the questions. It's a breath of fresh air when someone has the guts to say that there may be enough money to handle the situation without having to add another $25.00 to someone who has more than one car in his/er garage.......
People who spend other people's money are usually the same people who make the same suggestions to increase fees.......they don't usually feel the pain or damage caused......what the heck is another $25.00 either way....not my money!