California Smog News

[Ron J Horowitz <RonHorowitz@domain.elided>]

Hi, Everyone!

Re Andrew Waltry's post about the $300 smog impact fee, since I've had to=

pay this stupid "import duty" a couple of times, I'd like to let you all =
in
on "the truth" about this dirty little scam. I brought in a Ford F-150
pickup from a dealer in South Carolina that had been "special ordered" wi=
th
all the California compliant smog stuff. I STILL had to pay the $300 duty=
,
even thought I had a photocopy of the manufacturer's certificate of origi=
n
and even though the smog plaque in the engine bay clearly states that the=

truck is "CERTIFIED FOR SALE IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA."  I had to get a=

letter from the manufacturer before I could get MY money back. This took
maybe six or nine months, during which time I received no interest on MY
money. =


Later, I brought in an '81 Fiat 2000. Tom Mulhall (who wrote the parts bo=
ok
for the car when he worked for Fiat Motors of North America,) assures me
that the '81's were all identical, "fifty state" cars. Currently, the
California DMV has another $300 dollars of mine held hostage, which,
naturally, they won't give it back until I present them with a letter fro=
m
Fiat, who hasn't even imported cars to the US for something like 17 or 18=

years, or until someone can afford not only to sue them, but to sue them
and win, and then to win again on however many appeals the state can
muster. It's still TBD as far as I know.

So, what's this so called "smog impact fee" all about? DON'T BE A FOOL,
IT'S ABOUT THE MONEY. California wants the tax money and the California c=
ar
dealers don't want you leaving the state to buy a cheaper car elsewhere.
"Intentions" aside, the whole business about "smog impact" is a smoke
screen. In practice, "clean air" is merely a plausible justification to
seperate you from your money. The rest is a bunch of politicians making
noise.

OK, down off the soap box....

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