Why Is A Conservative Republican Senator from Upstate NY Supporting A Phaseout of Gas Powered Off-Road Vehicles?

Sen. Peter K. Oberacker Jr. represents the mostly rural District 51 in Upstate New York but is the sole Republican/Conservative sponsor of a bill to force all off-road vehicles to be zero-emissions.

I’m a Republican because I couldn’t stand being a Democrat, but we truly are the stupid party, a fact I will prove in a moment.

A friend from New York Senate District 51 sent me this news yesterday. It is from Microsoft Start and like everything from Microsoft it’s disingenuous crap written for know-nothing nerds. The article is written by an individual Ross Ballot, whose affiliation is never mentioned. It turns out he’s apparently an Assistant Brand Manager at Energizer Holdings, which is “one of the world’s largest manufacturers of primary batteries.” Maybe it’s just me, but shouldn’t readers know that?

Anyway, here’s the deal, as reported by Ross Ballot, the battery hustler (emphasis added):

New York is among the states pushing for the more prominent implementation of clean energy and the environmental conservation that comes along with it, and Senate Bill S2758, which "Provides that one hundred percent of in-state sales of new passenger cars and trucks shall be zero-emissions by two thousand thirty-five, medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicles by two thousand forty-five and off-road vehicles and equipment by two thousand thirty-five." The Senate Bill is in limbo, awaiting further motion, but how will this play out and in what way will it affect our beloved ATVs and UTVs?

…As for Senate Bill S2758 and its impact on the sale of gas-powered ATVs and UTVs, a few things are important to note. First, the bill is purposefully aimed squarely at passenger cars and trucks being those that are required to fulfill a zero-emissions clause by 2023; even heavy-duty pickups, like the 2500 and 3500-class trucks so many of us tow trailers with, are not obligated to meet this mandate until 2045.

It does note the requirement for new "off-road vehicles and equipment [must be zero-emissions] by two thousand thirty-five," which is where it gets interesting. This isn't about noise, or even immediate physical impact, but rather the overall environmental impact brought upon by gasoline-powered vehicles. It's indisputable that emissions are bad in any capacity, and then it's just a matter of to what degree; bringing this level to zero for new vehicles means less detriment upon the environment that we call our home.

Notice how Ballot puts on a pretense of objectivity but in the end simply asserts all emissions are bad and must bring them to zero to save the environment … blah, blah, blah. It’s not a great article but it’s good enough the idea that going all electric is inevitable if we want to keep going off-road.

There’s something else wrong with this article, too. The author’s link to the Senate Bill takes one here where it says the bill is from the 2021-22 session and has already been passed! So, which is it? Are we talking a proposed bill as this sad story implies or an already enacted piece of legislation? How much worse journalism in this country get? Apparently, it is yet to bottom out and we may be a long while waiting for that.

Regardless, bear in mind this bill or act only impacts Upstate New York where off-road vehicles are essential to not only the tourist economy in places such as Tug Hill but are also extremely valuable to contractors, farmers and others such as myself (although I live in Pennsylvania, thank goodness). We use them to haul things, build fence, round up cows and horses, and myriad other tasks.

This is why I knew the minute I read the story that Senate Bill S2758 had to be a urban Democrat creation. So, I checked the sponsors and, sure enough, there were 17 co-sponsors of the legislation, all of whom were Democrats, except for a single Republican Senator also elected as a Conservative. His name is Peter Oberacker and he represents the 51st Senate District depicted below:

This is, excepting parts of Binghamton, Kingston, and Middletown, mostly rural district that includes Chenango, Delaware, Otsego and Sullivan Counties. It is an area where ATVs and other off-road vehicles are widely used by thousands of residents. Yet, Senator Oberacker saw fit to join 16 Democrats in telling these folks they could go pound sand.

Why? Well, I can only speculate but Oberacker lives in Otsego County, where the bluebloods of Cooperstown reside and one surmises they may be exercising undue influence, just as they did with his predecessor Jim Seward. These aren’t the sort of people given to using side-by-sides, ATVs, RTVs or anything similar. Whatever the case, Senator Oberacker’s other constituents need to know where he stands and it’s not with them. What a stupid party we are!

#Oberacker #NewYork #Off-Road #Vehicles