not sure how many of our members are involved in the Classic & Antique vehicles, or live in Michigan, but this is gonna affect us all soon if the tools in Washington have their way.

i recieved this as part of my monthly news letter from the SEMA Action Network. it's a good read, and can potentially affect us all.

http://www.semasan.com/main/main.aspx?id=62710

* just a personal opinion, but i think anyone who participates in any form of the automotive hobby, be it simply fixing your own ride or doing extreme customization, should consider joining the SEMA-SAN network, 'cause we all can make a difference.

again, just my opinion.

 

how do you figure that? it's gonna jump the fee up 1000%!

if that's not a big deal, then brother, send some cash my way.

the point i was trying to make buy bringing this to everyones attention, is that "big brother" is trying to regulate anything to do with a vehicle, and the private person who would like to take care of it themselves.

kinda sounds like the BS ad going around the air waves in Southern Ontario right now. out Ontario Drive Clean program has an ad out, saying any/all vehicle that are year 1995 and older, produce 19X the amount of polution to a new vehicle.

how the hell can they figure that? my '95 Regal passed it's last etest with virtually no emmisions readings, and it probably had around 255 to 260,000 kms on it then.

sorry, i'm not trying to turn this into another "petition thread" or "it's unconstitutional...........". i just kinda get a little defensive when our governments try forcing us to do something becuase they're really not as informed as they think they are.

 

So they are changing the registration fee that is good for 10 years to making it yearly and making you pay for yearly for authentic plates which looks like it will be a combined total of 60.00 every year. Um I pay 75.00 for vehicle registration every year, so I wouldn't be complaining. Plus you have 12 months to save up for the renewal fee.

 

One line I don't agree with in the link you posted was that low income people drive the majority of historic vehicles and cannot affort to pay $30 a year instead of $30 for ten years. IMO, most "historic" vehicles still on the road have had frame off restorations and mainly just go to car shows on the back of a trailer.

Honestly, getting by this long only paying $3 a year is pretty incredible. The state is broke and raising taxes anyway they can is pretty common. If this were the federal government I would have a big problem. But this is an individual state that has been allowing extremely cut rate registration fees on older vehicles. Take a look around at registration fees for "historic or antique" vehicles in other states. Fairly certain that $30 a year is a pretty good deal.

 

All I can say is the free (almost) ride is over. It sucks, but it is still very affordable. The low income thing doesn't jive with me either. If you can afford an old classic, you can afford $30 a year. As NYS resident know, our fee's have been going thru the roof! A $10 title replacement fee is now $50! Registrations went up 25% last year, and in a month, were gonna pay another $25 fee for new plates, whether you need/want them or not. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/11/ny.../11plates.html
Face it, all the states are in financial despair, fee's are gonna go up. It is not a right to drive, it's a privilege, and if you have a specialty anything, you will pay for it. Hell, my custom plate on my bike cost more than the registration does. But I choose to have 3 custom plates, soon to be 4, so I gotta pay. It can't hurt to fight it, but I think in these desperate times, the bottom line is gonna stand out more than some letters written to the officials.

 

Happy Birthday!!

 

Gee I wish I could license a car at the new prices not to mention the current price. License fees on my 86 F250 4x4 have gone from $49 to $68 for one year, with no special plates. next year it will be classed as a "CLASSIC". Over 25 years old. It will go up again because of the great economy. Nevada follows Michigan in unemployment at around 13.2%.