Cruiser
03-18-2005, 01:00 PM
This a a quick post to get it out there please contact your reps if possible this going to vote on Monday I am told. I got the e-mail and started passing it along.
Joe
On behalf of the entire membership of the Arkansas Classic Camaro Club, please vote against HB2485. We, along with other antique and classic car enthusiasts, were shocked to read on page 1B of today's Arkansas Democrat Gazette that Arkansas antique license plates will soon be going into the junk heap of history.
The problem with antique car tags is the State has allowed owners of every rusted out piece of junk car over 25 years old to register it as an antique. Many of these smoke-belching so-called antiques are daily modes of transportation for people who can't afford a newer car. THAT IS THE PROBLEM - SO WHY NOT FIX THAT PROBLEM? The system has been abused for many years. Now, the proposed solution is to include antique car tags along with every other specialty car tag available. There must be over a hundred "bumber sticker" messages available on car tags in Arkansas these days. For about $50/year, car owners are allowed to display an official license plate displaying fish, birds, college mascots, etc. Of course, you can't read what the license number is clearly, but a big green large mouth bass is clearly displayed on many.
Antique car owners don't need or seek to display any novelty "antique" message on their license plates. Our cars do that. We have antique plates on our cars because these are not normal everyday modes of transportation. They are typically collector cars which are occasionally driven on local roads and State highways. Many antique car owners rarely drive their cars at all, except to a local car show on the weekends! Many antique car owners have 3, 4, 5 or more cars. There is no "fairness" in HB2485, as you claim, if these citizens have to spend $50/year/car to keep their cars street legal, but rarely drive them on the streets.
The Legislative Transportation Committee has grossly overestimated the potential revenue this legislation will generate for the State. I have talked to about 20 antique car owners this morning, and NOT ONE stated that they would purchase a special "antique" license plate at a cost of $50/year. We'll keep legal tags on our cars, and we'll remember how the legislature voted in 2005 to unfairly remove the special licensing status for our antique cars, but continued to allow new and used car dealers special status for licensing their cars, and those cars use our public highways much more than our antiques cars do. Perhaps every privately owned vehicle in Arkansas should pay full price for "special" car tags...including members of the executive and legislative branches of State government. Let's be fair!
thank you,
Bob West
Arkansas Classic Camaro Club
Joe
On behalf of the entire membership of the Arkansas Classic Camaro Club, please vote against HB2485. We, along with other antique and classic car enthusiasts, were shocked to read on page 1B of today's Arkansas Democrat Gazette that Arkansas antique license plates will soon be going into the junk heap of history.
The problem with antique car tags is the State has allowed owners of every rusted out piece of junk car over 25 years old to register it as an antique. Many of these smoke-belching so-called antiques are daily modes of transportation for people who can't afford a newer car. THAT IS THE PROBLEM - SO WHY NOT FIX THAT PROBLEM? The system has been abused for many years. Now, the proposed solution is to include antique car tags along with every other specialty car tag available. There must be over a hundred "bumber sticker" messages available on car tags in Arkansas these days. For about $50/year, car owners are allowed to display an official license plate displaying fish, birds, college mascots, etc. Of course, you can't read what the license number is clearly, but a big green large mouth bass is clearly displayed on many.
Antique car owners don't need or seek to display any novelty "antique" message on their license plates. Our cars do that. We have antique plates on our cars because these are not normal everyday modes of transportation. They are typically collector cars which are occasionally driven on local roads and State highways. Many antique car owners rarely drive their cars at all, except to a local car show on the weekends! Many antique car owners have 3, 4, 5 or more cars. There is no "fairness" in HB2485, as you claim, if these citizens have to spend $50/year/car to keep their cars street legal, but rarely drive them on the streets.
The Legislative Transportation Committee has grossly overestimated the potential revenue this legislation will generate for the State. I have talked to about 20 antique car owners this morning, and NOT ONE stated that they would purchase a special "antique" license plate at a cost of $50/year. We'll keep legal tags on our cars, and we'll remember how the legislature voted in 2005 to unfairly remove the special licensing status for our antique cars, but continued to allow new and used car dealers special status for licensing their cars, and those cars use our public highways much more than our antiques cars do. Perhaps every privately owned vehicle in Arkansas should pay full price for "special" car tags...including members of the executive and legislative branches of State government. Let's be fair!
thank you,
Bob West
Arkansas Classic Camaro Club