COMMENTARY | According to an article in The Southern Illinoisan, Illinois may be considering a new plan to increase annual license plate renewal fees to fund rebates and grants for electric cars to promote a greener lifestyle among Illinoisans.
As it stands, as an Illinois resident, I already pay $99 every year to renew my car license plate and the proposal to up the fee to $100 with the extra $1 going to fund the rebates and grants is definitely not something I support.
Why don't I support it? I personally can't afford to buy an electric car, and I don't foresee ever being able to afford one, so why should I be forced to fund an electric car for someone else?
I'm all for going green, but as a personal choice -- not a mandate from the government. For me and my family, saving money is currently more important than going green. Sure, it's just one dollar, but the $99 is already hard enough to come up with and what will be next? An extra $2 to offer rebates to homeowners who install solar panels? Another dollar or five to pay for windmill farms?
Instead of placing the costs of green programs on the taxpayers, how about strong-arming the fees from large volume car dealerships in Illinois? I don't want to pay for someone else's electric car. I can barely afford the gas, upkeep, license, insurance and other expenses that come along with owning a car and I don't want to pay more fees that benefit only those who have the money to afford something such as an electric car.
The long and short of it for me is that I don't like the idea of being told that I have no choice in this matter. A dollar is a dollar and won't pay for much but when every penny counts, a dollar is a big deal. Mandate one dollar to go to improving the foster care system within the state? Sure, I won't bat an eye -- you can have my dollar. How about a dollar to help offset the cost of Medicaid and medical care for the poor? You got it -- I'll gladly pay it.
A dollar for electric car grants and rebates? Nope. I'll keep my dollar, thank you.
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