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Senator Seum announces legislation to end VET testing in Kentucky 

By Claude Bohn

 On Monday, January 14, 2002, Kentucky State Senator Dan Seum held a press conference in the rotunda of the Jefferson County courthouse in downtown Louisville, to announce that he was personally introducing a bill, in the Kentucky State legislature at Frankfort, to end the vehicle emissions testing (VET) program for Kentucky. If successful, Kentucky would join Florida and Minnesota in ending this intrusive and counterproductive program.

          Senator Seum says that he believes he has the votes to move this bill through the Kentucky senate; the House, he said, may be more difficult. He did not elaborate on why this might be so.

          Senator Seum was joined by aprox. 30-40 supporters, representing a wide range of the political spectrum. Representatives from the Stop the VET organization were there, of course; but there were also several folks from the Jefferson Co. Libertarian Party, the Constitution Party, the Kentucky Motorcycle Association, and Take Back Kentucky – a non partisan, grass roots group of citizen activists - and several candidates for the new metro government as well. All had come to hear the welcome news, and to lend their support for Senator Seum’s efforts to end what they consider to be the fraudulent and oppressive program.

          As Senator Seum pointed out, the VET program has most definitely outlived its ostensive purpose and usefulness. Jefferson County’s air quality has been “in attainment” for at least 3 years running, and remains so to date. And, as some of those in attendance were quick to point out, this should come as no surprise; nor should it be credited to the VET program. A “test,” which the clear majority of vehicles pass every year, due mainly to expensive on board air control equipment and cleaner burning fuels, can have little or nothing to do with cleaning the air over Jefferson County. In fact, as Senator Seum briefly alluded to, the pollution “credits” - generated by the difference between the VET standard emission levels and your vehicle’s actual emissions level, for hydrocarbon and CO2 emissions – then allow area businesses and industry to continue polluting at present levels or higher, and are thereby counterproductive. They may even be fraudulent, since these “credits” can be – and ARE - bought, sold, and traded as an asset by the businesses and industries that own them. In fact, when it closed a few years back, Phillip Morris “sold” its “credits” to Ford! The exact “price,” as far as I’m aware, was never disclosed. 

          We ALL want to breathe clean air, even the folks with Stop the VET and Senator Seum; but the VET does absolutely nothing to produce cleaner air!  Individual citizens are already paying a high premium for air quality - in the price of your vehicle is included the cost for air pollution control equipment. That, and not the VET, is the main reason our air quality continues to improve each year, in spite of the fact that, each year there has been an overall INCREASE in BOTH the number of vehicles on the road and the number of vehicle miles driven! Add to that, the increased cost of cleaner burning fuels, and higher maintenance costs - for vehicles which have become so technologically advanced and complicated, that even professional mechanics can barely work on them anymore, without the aid of expensive computer analysis equipment. Then, as if to add insult to injury, each year you are FORCED - under penalty of law - to sacrifice even more, in money - for VET fees and the “cost” of your time and effort to take your vehicle – or VEHICLES – in for the test. And none of this expense or bother does absolute one thing to improve air quality; in fact, as mentioned previously, it probably makes matters worse.

          If you’ve had it with the VET, let your voice be heard. Now’s the time! Contact your representatives and let them know how you feel. You can reach them here: http://www.lrc.state.ky.us/whoswho/whoswho.htm 

And, while you’re at it, contact Jefferson County officials as well and let them know that you expect THEM to support Senator Seum’s efforts as well. Reach them here: http://www.co.jefferson.ky.us/

Click on Seum Photo to see more photos

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