Re: More unobtainium

["G. Benedikt Rochow" <rochow@segosf.hlo.dec.com>]

>>A number of manufacturers have been
>>actively lobbying governments and the EC for some time to introduce
>>mandatory scrapping of old vehicles, often trying to camouflage them behind
>>the 'old vehicles are high polluters' argument. 
>
>Fortunately, I don't think it would be possible to pass a law that would
>basically allow to forcefully take one's posession and destroy it. Or we
>should rename the EC to "Union of Soviet Republics of Europe"

The extra-high tax rates on non-cat and diesel cars in Germany
are a large step in that direction. Making old cars unaffordable
to own is such a heineous setup. 
At this point, I'd like to gloat about the US system (though details
vary from state to state) where the tax is usually based on the assumed
value of the car. I don't know about valuable antique cars, but it's
mostly the older, the cheaper. Massachusetts, as one of the more
expensive states, charges 2.5% of assumed value, which is
90% of (assumed) sale price in the first year, then 60% in the second
year, then 40%, 25%, and 10% for every further year.
My '91 Caprice, 5-liter V8 (which would make the rate quite high
in Germany) and all, cost slightly more than $40 last year.

-gbr