Stru - I don't see any "footnote(s)", per se, to the article? But I am not challenging that the law's original intent was to keep heavy vehicles off the road, or that SUVs are heavy vehicles or that it is a 'good/bad' law. I agree many inconsiderate (or ignorant) SUV owners ignore (purposefully or otherwise) posted roadway weight restrictions, and that invariably there is a cost to pay by all.
Not so much in the N.E. perhaps, where higher weight limits are a natural byproduct of the construction techniques necessary to withstand the annual freeze/thaw cycles. But I do wonder what percentage of nationwide roadway damage by overweight vehicles is caused by SUVs vs. commercial vehicles such as UPS delivery and loaded dump trucks, 18-wheelers, schoolbuses, etc. I am going to venture a guess that the latter cause FAR, FAR more damage than SUVs annually.
So it seems like just another convenient opportunity to rail against all SUV owners. To those who would condemn any group in it's entirety simply because of a few bad apples within, well, that just seems closed-minded and discriminatory to me. Likewise, assuming they truly meet the IRS requirements, to criticize someone for utilizing a perfectly legal and allowable bunisess deduction is laughable - whether you agree with it or not. There is quite likely someone somewhere with no desire or need to own a home who believes you shouldn't have the ability to claim a primary home mortgage interest deduction because it's a waste of precious resources to build a house in excess of one bedroom or 900 square feet.
Just to clarify though, the point of my comment was all to do with the ridiculous amount of rules and regulations Federal, State and Local government agencys feel compelled to pass in their misguided attempts to 'protect' the populace. Because there are so damn many laws they often clash, even contradict, between legislative levels, it becomes virtually impossible to enforce the original intent of the original legislation, wherever it originated.
This loophole is a perfect example. The original intent of the suv tax deduction provision was to increase capital investments by farmers and other small business owners who rely on light-trucks or vans (ie. construction companies). When this provision was added to the tax code, luxury passenger SUVs were not the market force they have become, and it appeared a good way to help small business owners by accelerating depreciation and avoiding a luxury-tax surcharge. BTW, the Section 179 deduction requirements are stringent and, should you sell your vehicle, you must recapture all your depreciation deduction. I wish I qualified!
2004 | 6MTs | Diamond Graphite/Graphite
Upstate NY
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