RE: [ihc] About those parking brakes .....

["Mac McMuffin" <mac@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

## >> I don't think the visual inspections went away in California
## >> and unless they
## >> changed the law any vehicle, even the smog exempt ones, can
## >> be called for a
## >> smog test including the full visual inspection.  I had it
## >> happen to a '64
## >> Bug I had a few years ago.  Found out after the whole ordeal
## >> with the State
## >> that any do-gooder can report a car that is polluting "too
## >> much" and call in
## >> the license plate number to the State and then they come
## >> after you.  I tried
## >> the number tonight and it still connects you to the South
## >> Coast Air Quality
## >> Management District.

that's what i thought.  the visual inspection stuff seems way too entrenched
to have just gone away so quickly.  much too easy a way for CA to line its
own pockets at motorists' expense, you know.

i believe Texas has a similar "report gross polluters" tattle-tale line as
to what CA has.  i think i've seen signs with the information on them.  i
haven't called it, and i don't remember everything the signs say, so i have
no idea what the number actually connects the caller to.

## >> All I can say is that modified cars, women, and a sore
## >> loser's knowledge of
## >> the smog laws here caused me a lot of grief.

me too.  oh wait, i meant just the smog part.  +)

## >> I feel the need to correct your statement regarding the out
## >> of state fees.
## >> To my recollection California never said they were "wrong" to
## >> charge the
## >> fees.  The courts ruled the fees unconstitutional and ordered
## >> the State to
## >> pay the fees back to the public.  There is a big difference.  Our dear
## >> Legislature would never see a tax on a few to "benefit" the
## >> many as wrong.

that's my mistake for being unclear.  i didn't mean to imply that the
*state* said they were wrong, only that they (the state) got told in no
uncertain terms by the courts that they _ARE_ wrong and they had to pay the
money back.  the courts said the state was wrong, which is what i meant to
say.  i too know how improbable it is for the state of California to admit
they were wrong about something like this.

in reference to the Texas vehicle import fees, i don't think it's a tax or
anything like that, nothing to violate the commerce laws that were mentioned
in another post.  it's some kind of processing fee, i forget now exactly how
they worded it, but basically it will cost you an extra $150 to register a
vehicle in Texas if it's not already registered here.  like, an initial
registration fee or something.  i think they charge the same fee on brand
new cars for their first-time-ever registration, too. i looked on the Texas
Department of Transportation and Tax Board web sites for information about
these fees, and i couldn't find anything.  when we first came here two years
ago, that's what they told me when i contacted them about registering our
vehicles here.  maybe it's changed since then, as i can't find any official
information about it on the relevant sites.

--Mac

---------------------------------------------------------------
Take care and be well, all thee and thine;

May the Hamr lend thee Strength and Courage,
May the Twin Ravens lend thee Wisdom and Guidance,
May the Wolves Guard and Protect thee, and
May the Light of Harmony ever shine brightly upon thee and thine,
Through all thy Life's Journeys, from this life unto the next!

Hail the Gods and Goddesses of our Folk!
Wassail!

Krystof "Mac" MacBryghde
TyrGothi

http://master.triad.ath.cx/
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