Fast and Substantial Reduction of Gasoline Consumption Can be Achieved Easily Through Economic Incentives to Consumers

NEW YORK, May 2, 2006 -- "The nation's consumption of gasoline can be reduced quickly and substantially through a series of economic incentives," according to Carl Person, a Green Party candidate for New York Attorney General.

The incentives can be created by state action, but the results would be best if the economic incentives were uniform, and created by a federal Energy Conservation Agency.

Person states that, "hundreds of incentives are possible", and provides a list of incentives that he believes should be adopted:

  1.  scale parking and moving-violation fines to the car's fuel-efficiency
      rating -- e.g., $15 for 100-MPG vehicle and $200 for a Hummer

  2.  scaled gasoline sales taxes, scanning a fuel-efficiency bar code to
      determine the tax, with no tax (or a negative tax, further lowering
      the pump price) charged for the most efficient cars, and much higher
      taxes for the guzzlers

  3.  set parkway, bridge and tunnel tolls similarly

  4.  HOV-lane use with fewer passengers for high MPG vehicles

  5.  Scale motor vehicle inspection and registration fees

  6.  Extend street parking hours for the more efficient cars

  7.  Grant priority housing, parking and reduced tuition to students with
      the most fuel-efficient cars (without discriminating against students
      without cars)

  8.  Tax credit for similar corporate incentives offered to corporate
      employees

  9.  Free roadside service (paid by higher taxes on guzzlers)

  10. Eliminate late fees up to 15 days -- required of all federally-charted
      financial institutions

  11. Government payment of all or a percentage of a consumer's purchase
      price for a fuel-efficient car with current non-efficient car being
      scrapped (and engine destroyed) with purchaser restrictions on resale
      to encourage later purchase of car with equal or higher efficiency (or
      return purchased car or resale proceeds to government) and driver's
      license endorsed with restrictions as enforcement mechanism

With these and other incentives, the government will quickly encourage most car owners to acquire and use the most fuel-efficient cars, and the demand for gasoline and other oil and energy products will be lowered substantially, with resulting decreases in consumer prices.