I moved to Maryland a few months ago. As I have settled into my new home state, I have quickly learned that the people of Maryland, or at least their elected representatives, seem to like government regulations. Over the weekend, I got a notice from the Maryland Vehicle Administration that says my car has to be tested for compliance with emissions standards. According to the notice I received in the mail, the purpose of this test is to reduce "the amount of ground-level ozone in the air we breathe".
However, the notice also says what to do if your car fails the test.
- Move your vehicle into a customer parking space, come in the office and speak to the Customer Service Representative on Duty.
- You may apply for a repair waiver after the vehicle fails the test, is repaired, then fails again.
- You must present proof that at least the minimum amount required for the waiver was spent for emissions related repairs. Refer to the "If Your Vehicle Didn't Pass" brochure or www.marylandmva.com for further information.
In other words, you can still drive a non-compliant vehicle as long as someone
tried to fix it. It's the thought that counts. My guess is that this ineffective and useless law was passed so the people in office could prove that they had done something to protect the environment. At least the test only costs $14.
2 comments:
I agree, bro. Typical liberal approach -- a burdensome environmental regulation that piles costs on the consumer while doing nothing for the environment. I don't understand why Maryland requires you to have emissions testing every two years while you only have to have your car inspected for roadworthiness once.
Maybe it's my Illinois residency talking, but I wasn't thinking the law was "passed so the people in office could prove that they had done something to protect the environment". I was thinking it was passed so politicians could throw some auto repair work in the direction of the labor unions that support them. Maybe it's both.
At least in Illinois we don't have to pay for them to do an emissions test. That strikes me as a shameless money-grab.
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