Domestic Fuel

If Green House Gas is Dangerous.
If Money used to buy, Foreign Oil finances Terrorism.

Why is the City of Phoenix, AZ changing it Airport Taxi fleet from using the Cleanest American Fuel – Natural Gas to E85, which uses Foreign Oil and pollutes more than Clean American – Natural Gas?

The following is a letter sent to the Mayor.

Mayor you and your council might what to look at the attached charts. At one of the council meetings, you held concerning the Taxi RFP, it was cleanly pointed out that the CAB companies were not going to pass on the cost to the drivers. Voters were told that the idea of using Alternative Fuel Cab was to clean the air and help to make the country safer by not using Foreign Oil.

You had a system that was doing just that by making all vehicles that pick up people at the Airport to be powered by Clean American Natural Gas. Now you have allowed the Airport Authority to go back in time and use fuel that is partially produced in Foreign Countries that do not like us and want to do us harm.

Mayor you have made a very bad mistake that needs to be rectified.

AAA has ordered Chevrolet HHR and plans to use E85 fuel because they can buy the vehicles cheaper, and they do not pay for the fuel, so they are doing a cost transfer to the people who can least afford it. Apache is ordering Ford Crown Victoria’s and using E85 which uses more Foreign Oil than the old Crown Victoria’s at the Airport now. By letting E85 in you have given the owners a way to pass the cost on to the drivers without it looking that way. Furthermore, you will see that instead of weaning our country off Foreign Oil, we are increasing our use and sending more money to the Mideast to finance terrorist.

Until doing this research, I like most people never realized how different E85 and CNG are in cost, performance and pollution, not to mention the amount of Foreign Oil that is used in E85.

The CAB companies lease the vehicles to the drivers and the driver is responsible for the fuel cost. Therefore, the Cab Company then buys the cheapest vehicle possible regardless of fuel economy because they do not pay for the fuel. In addition, the more fuel the drivers use the more the fuel company sends back to the Cab Company in the form of rebates. The more fuel used the higher the rebate. Now not only do the drivers use more fuel, putting more pollution in the Phoenix air, they are paying the City of Phoenix much of the cost of the RFP. This change in fuel is costing the driver about $5000 more each year in fuel. The only way they can support their family is by cheating and using Gasoline or raising fares. Either one is bad for the City of Phoenix.

I do not know if this makes a difference, but I am sure the public will think it does. I have talked to some of the AAA cab drivers, and they tell me that they cannot afford any additional cost in fuel; they are working 12 to 16 hours a day now to make a living. The drivers are going to take the hit not the owners.

You should look at this for the Van RFP coming up on the 17th. I cannot say much in public because it would not look good for a vendor to make a fuss. This letter is from a concern citizen, not a vendor, that moved to Arizona for the clean sky and fresh air. I do not know who should look at this, but I am sure you will forward it the proper people

Thank you

P.S. CNG conversions will also save jobs here in Arizona local companies will be doing the CNG conversions on the Ford Transit Connect Taxi or E350 Passenger Van.