Biodieseler threatened with felony charges! - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

mikemover · #1 03-08-2007, 01:02 AM

A retired chemist and his wife in Illinois are being threatened with felony charges — for operating a car that runs on vegetable oil and diesel fuel.

The Decatur Herald-Review reports that two agents from the state revenue department came to the home of David and Eileen Wetzel in what one state legislator said amounted to "intimidation."

The Wetzels have been asked to post a $2,500 bond to get special licenses as fuel suppliers and receivers, even though they don't fit the state's own definitions. Eileen Wetzel calculated that the bond would cover their motor fuel tax for 51 years. And David Wetzel points out people who use hybrid vehicles are not taxed for their vehicle's electrical use.

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I knew it was only a matter of time before local, state, and/or federal governments' cronies started coming down on the biodiesel/WVO crowd for "tax evasion".

Mike

Quinn8it · #2 03-08-2007, 01:06 AM

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/03/illinois_man_fi.php

justinperkins · #3 03-08-2007, 01:26 AM

Big oil is losing profits (however small they are), they put pressure on government, government cracks down on the little man.

f'in bastards if you ask me, how much tax money are they wasting in pursuing this idiotic case?

#4 03-08-2007, 01:27 AM

Its about time. I've been wondering why the states have not tapped them for tax dough for so long.

justinperkins · #5 03-08-2007, 01:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ForcedInduction

Its about time. I've been wondering why the states have not tapped them for tax dough for so long.

Yeah that's some serious dough they've been missing out on. We're getting into such a huge deficit that I guess it makes sense they're squeezing the little man eh? Yup, they could be pulling, what, like $300/year from these folks, damn that's a lot of dough.

Anything to keep the government from having to stop giving big corporations tax breaks...

#6 03-08-2007, 07:05 AM

Can we move this thread to Open Discussion please?

mplafleur · #7 03-08-2007, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LarryBible

Can we move this thread to Open Discussion please?

Why? Isn't this diesel related?

loneranger · #8 03-08-2007, 08:56 AM

dollars uber alles---sig heil --- form your militias---of course you are gutless and it is 30 years to late---welcome to Amerika. You don't own your own land, you don't control your own children, your polititians are puppets: why worry about it now. I tried to warn people 30 years ago but they where to busy rendering to Ceasar when there was none. Congradulations, you now have an oligachy, your serfs, no Constitution for you thanks to social security. You are a limited liability corporatition under Roman civil law. Put the mark on your head and live with it.

dannym · #9 03-08-2007, 09:15 AM

whaaaaatt???

retx · #10 03-08-2007, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loneranger

dollars uber alles---sig heil --- form your militias---of course you are gutless and it is 30 years to late---welcome to Amerika. You don't own your own land, you don't control your own children, your polititians are puppets: why worry about it now. I tried to warn people 30 years ago but they where to busy rendering to Ceasar when there was none. Congradulations, you now have an oligachy, your serfs, no Constitution for you thanks to social security. You are a limited liability corporatition under Roman civil law. Put the mark on your head and live with it.

sounds like you went to work drunk today.

R Leo · #11 03-08-2007, 09:53 AM

..is to keep my mouth shut about what, where and when.

Old300D · #12 03-08-2007, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by R Leo

..is to keep my mouth shut about what, where and when.

To use the latest term of agreement....

WERD.

SD Blue · #13 03-08-2007, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LarryBible

Can we move this thread to Open Discussion please?

This thread is about Illinois politics and kind of typical from what we've heard in the past. Over and over again.

JackG · #14 03-08-2007, 12:03 PM

This is nothing more than big oil pressing to make an example of someone to scare others from doing the same

spark3542 · #15 03-08-2007, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ForcedInduction

Its about time. I've been wondering why the states have not tapped them for tax dough for so long.

3 points to make:
1) We all need to share in paying for our roads, but we need a new way. Taxing fuel worked previously because everybody had to stop at a retail pump to get their fuel. Just like napster forced music publishers and artists to stop crying about the internet downloads that don't pay royalties, and find a new way to get your money. Kids don't go to record stores anymore, so find a new way to get your money. Stop crying that a veg oil burner didn't pay his road tax and find a new way to get your money. How about, at the yearly car inspections that most states have, multiply odometer reading since last inspection times the GVW, and send a corresponding tax bill. Eliminate the fuel taxes. That way everyone pays according to road use and the corresponding burden they put on that road. Find a new way to get your money.

2) Road tax is unrelated to fixing roads. Here in Mass, the Mass Pike has long been paid for, and tolls more than cover ongoing maintenance. Proposals to reduce or eliminate tolls at certain areas have come up on occasion, always to get shot down, and the latest one was shot down by our new governor because there would be "too much revenue lost." Those were his words. No mention of it hurting road maintenance, that has nothing to do with it. The argument that an alternative-fuel-user is trying to get out of road tax and that's the only reason they're doing it is a pretty hollow argument. I use alternative fuels to get off foreign oil dependency. If alternatives get more expensive than petroleum, I'll still use them, and then begin a new search for cheaper alternatives yet that are not petroleum, I will not throw in the towel and revert back to petroleum.

3) I'm baffled that the tone of several posts from Forced is that "Diesel Benzes were designed for diesel and no other fuels should be considered" (to paraphrase). Yet his signature is full of mods, up to and including Methanol injection. Does anyone else see the irony?