For example, two counties in Virginia approved bonds totaling more than $150 million to support the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's Capital Improvement Program. In Rhode Island, 70% of voters approved a statewide measure for $4.7 million to purchase and rehabilitate buses for the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority. Property tax increases or renewals were successful in four Michigan jurisdictions, two West Virginia cities, and two counties in Ohio. And, five of seven counties in the San Francisco Bay Area voted to increase vehicle registration fees by $10 to support transportation investments, making vehicle fees a new and noteworthy financing tool.
California voters approved Proposition 22, a constitutional amendment to close loopholes that allowed the state to fill budget gaps with money designated for transportation. And, in Oahu, Hawaii, the electorate decided to create a public transit authority to oversee construction and operation of the city's $5.5 billion rail transit project. See the Center for Transportation Excellence press release and ballot measures.
Online Retailers Fined for Failure to Post EnergyGuide Information
Three online appliance retailers have agreed to pay over $400,000 in penalties to settle Federal Trade Commission (FTC) charges that they failed to post EnergyGuide information. The FTC also notified two other online sellers that it would seek $640,000 in fines from them. The FTC used its authority under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) to assess civil penalties.
According to the FTC, the online appliance retailers knowingly violated its Appliance Labeling Rule, which requires vendors to provide EnergyGuide information for refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, air conditioners, water heaters, and washing machines. The yellow EnergyGuide information labels provide estimates of the annual cost to operate an appliance, and are designed to help people make energy efficient choices.
Three companies have settled with the agency and agreed to pay the following amounts: P.C. Richard & Son ($180,000); Abt Electronics ($137,500); and Pinnacle Marketing Group ($100,000). Two other companies, Universal Computers and Electronics, Inc. with proposed penalties of $540,000, and Universal Appliances, Kitchens, and Baths, Inc., with $100,000 in penalties, have not agreed to settle the FTC charges. These cases are the first brought against online retailers for Appliance Labeling Rule violations.
Before the FTC may assess civil penalties under the EPCA, it must notify the non-settling companies of the proposed penalty amounts. The companies can then choose to pay the proposed penalty or be sued by the FTC in an administrative proceeding. See the FTC press release and the FTC Web site.
Current Government Policies Inadequate to Address Climate Change
The broad greenhouse gas policy commitments and plans of countries around the world will not be sufficient to avoid significant increases in average global temperatures, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
The IEA released its annual
World Energy Outlook on November 9, and this year's report includes a "New Policies Scenario" that includes commitments such as the Copenhagen Accord.
