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Story originally printed in the Winona Daily News or online at www.winonadailynews.com

Published - Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Don’t adopt California law here

By Richard Denning / St. Charles, Minn.

I read about a proposal to require air pollution requirements on autos in Minnesota.

The problem is the state taking control of what you drive.

Probably one-third of our Minnesota cars can’t pass the California requirements for smog.

If your car doesn’t pass the smog check in California, you are required to get the repairs necessary up to and including replacing your engine and exhaust system.

Just testing your vehicle takes special high-priced equipment and training your local mechanic can’t afford to purchase.

Now you need to find a new repairman. Most likely you’ll have to drive to a bigger town to get a big box store to test your car.

Taxpayers are on the hook for the computer systems necessary to send the test results directly to St. Paul.

California decided how much pollution a person can generate.

They made pollution control requirements for farmers as well. Nobody can burn brush trimmings, not even a town. Everything must be clipped in a tub grinder and sent off the property.

This requirement plus the air quality runs a lot of businesses out of the state.

In some towns, grills are not allowed, especially the ones that use charcoal.

California requires a special formulation for gas, making their gas the second highest priced in the nation.

Cars and engines from other states can’t be licensed if they can’t meet the requirements.

There is a date that all two-cycle engines and outboards must cease to be used.

Oh, yes, there are penalties if your car doesn’t pass or you remove the smog system.

Replace the engine, exhaust system and it still doesn’t pass, you pay a $300 “gross” polluter fine and drive it for one more year. Take the controls off the vehicle and you’re heavily fined and your car is confiscated.

I suggest you get more facts about California. It doesn’t fit well with Minnesota nice.

I lived for 40 years in California and moved here because the people and their attitudes are 100 times better than California.

Everyone in the country would be better off if we weren’t like California.