By
Cory Spiller
Arizona's alternative-fuel boondoggle is big; big money, big mistakes, and even bigger idiots. Jeff Groscost is hands-down the most easily blamed proponent of Senate Bill 1504- and he paid the price for it, losing resoundingly in his race for a State Senate seat. Recent news has also pointed the finger at Governor Jane Hull, who apparently was given ample warning about the catastrophic possibilities of the bill. After it's all said and done, Arizona will have to deal with the $483 million debt that has accrued due to the alternative-fuel fiasco.
Senate Bill 1504 was never about clean air, it was about money. It provided individuals the opportunity to receive huge rebates, and tax exemptions on vehicles with bi-fuel capabilities. So, you could have purchased a $25,000 car and got a $7,500 rebate, plus state sales tax exemption, and an exemption from state licensing fees. Senate Bill 1504 gives you all of this and you don't have to use propane. Our state legislator passed a bill that drains our treasury to pay for expensive vehicles, most likely pollution spewing SUV's, and they don't mandate owners to use the conversion the state paid for. In essence, the state could be polluting our air further than our simple negligence could have hoped to.
Groscost engineered the bill with his pal Nathan Learner. Learner happens to be the individual who owns the company with the largest stake in conversions of vehicles to alt-fuel. According to Sandy Bahr, the conservation manager for the Sierra Club, Groscost has been on the gas lobby's payroll for years. He received payment for lobby work in Nevada and is currently driving an alt-fuel vehicle owned by Learner that he swears he will eventually pay for. According to the Arizona Republic, in his seven years in the House, Groscost has sponsored or co-sponsored 20 bills that would directly benefit the gas industry.
Groscost is an embarrassment to this state. He fooled the legislature, the governor, the voters and the U.S. Department of Energy. One month after passing the alternative fuel legislation, Groscost was given the "Clean Cities National Partner Award." Senate Bill 1504 was the most aggressive alt-fuel proposal in the country by far. They expected a small reaction to the bill, about 2700 vehicles, and a $3 million debt. Well, they got a great reaction. More than 20,000 vehicles have been ordered and the debt will extend over $500 million.
Hull's administration warned of the possible consequences a month and a half before the state started the rebate program. According to the Republic, "it was another in a series of missed signals...suggesting that the program would be too expensive." More than 400 people were on a waiting list for the program on May 15. That was 100 more than experts had predicted would take part, and the program was a month and a half away from starting. On that same day Hull aides were briefed on this information, which apparently caused no alarm. Hull deserves all of the fingers pointed her way, but the citizens of Arizona do not deserve the consequences.
Our state government is scrambling to find a way to pay off the $483 million debt. Most likely the debt will be divided up between cities and towns. State laws guarantee cities and towns 15 percent of state income tax revenue. So, as the alt-fuel debt rises, cities and towns will receive proportionally less money. Small towns like Marana will be out over $100,000, Tucson between $7 and $9 million, and Phoenix, rightfully, will receive $20 million less than expected. Cities will have to decide to reduce either police departments, school construction and teacher pay or advances in healthcare. It will hurt every corner of our state.
Another option offered by the Secretary Carol Springer proposes the state freeze spending in order to pay subsidies. Any new money that would go to addressing the problems of our state would be diverted into paying off the debt. Springer's idea is absurd, our state must have a better option than simply refusing new allocations.
We do have another option: don't pay. The state government needs to say "sorry" to all the folks who have vehicles on order, and not pay them a penny. Allow them to return their vehicles for full refunds, and kick Senate Bill 1504, and Jeff Groscost over the Colorado River. The bill is too high. If we were actually paying for vehicles that cut down on tailpipe emissions it would be fine, but we are not getting $483 million dollars worth of clean air.
