CKNSLS wrote:
For those who didn't "live it"-
I grew up on Southern California in the 60's and 70's. In the 60's we used to go to my Grandma's house in the San Gabriel Valley. The San Gabriel Mountains were 20 miles away as the crow flies. In the summer time I used to play outside and the air was so filthy I couldn't see those mountains just 20 miles away and my throat would hurt severely. Fast forward to today-the population has DOUBLED since I grew up there and there are more vehicles registered there than any where else in the Country. The air is cleaner than it's EVER BEEN. All because of CARB mandates-that were so successful by the way they were adopted by several other states. I have since retired and moved out of state-taking my massive equity with me. Yea say what you will but quite frankly you cannot by any stretch argue with the results. So yea-camp elsewhere.
Sadly, it has gone beyond the idea of cleaning up the air and instead is about nothing more than money and forced lifestyle change. I, too, grew up here in CA, and still live here. I agree that the air is cleaner than it's ever been; I remember the smog alerts in the 70s, and it being difficult to breathe as a kid. However, CA's goal is to eliminate ALL internal combustion engines, and as soon as possible. And if they can't convince you to give them up voluntarily, they will gladly make it so that you can no longer afford to use them. 2 things prove that air quality is no longer the goal:
1. A few years ago, my sister-in-law's car wouldn't pass smog. Why? Because of a "misfire" that the computer picked up. Now keep in mind, that this "misfire" was so slight that it was completely un-noticeable while driving/idling, AND the car's
tailpipe emissions were within acceptable levels. But she was still forced to spend several $100 dollars chasing down a non-problem before DMV would renew her registration.
2. Decades ago, in addition to the cost of the smog check, we also had to pay $8.25 for the "smog certificate". That hard copy printout had to be mailed (or taken in) to the DMV along with your registration in order to renew. Well, about 30 years ago, they did away with that paper certificate, and it is now transmitted online to DMV automatically. But guess what? We STILL pay an additional $8.25 "certificate" fee when getting our vehicles smogged!
CARB is out of control and accountable to no one. The agency should be disbanded and the people at the top should be jailed for stealing more money from CA residents than any other organization in the state's history. Cars, RVs, lawn equipment, small generators...where does it end?
