Car Feebates! Brilliant!The California State Assembly is expected to vote this week on a plan to give rebates to people who buy little, awesome, eco-happy cars and tax the folks with Napoleon complexes.
The California Clean Car Discount Act would hit the gas drunks with a $2,500 fee at time of purchase, while smaller, more fuel-efficient car buyers would get a rebate for their smart shopping.
Last year a similar bill was stopped due to intense lobbying by auto dealers of a septet of wimpy LA Democrats who ultimately abstained from voting. The LA Times ran a good piece on the bill today, with some hilariously stupid quotes from folks opposing it. For example: "What if some poor guy in Watts retires and says, 'I want an SUV,' " Dymally said. "Do you punish him for that?"
Um, yeah. Precisely.
If passed, the new law could put a big dent in our greenhouse gas emissions, 40 percent of which come from vehicles. Now all we need is massive tax write-offs for people who don't own cars at all.
digg •
del.icio.us •
sphere •
google
•
Comments (3)
Nevada here I come.
Posted by Miguel | January 30, 2008 08:22 AM
A $1 gas tax would have the same beneficial effect while also closing the $14b hole in the state budget. The current proposal is revenue neutral and also not really as green as it looks. For instance, how much rebate do I get on my new bicycle?
Posted by Jeffrey W. Baker | January 30, 2008 12:34 PM
Well, looks like the whole thing's been shelved anyway, according to the Chron.
I like the $1 gas tax idea, as well as rebates for nonpolluting forms of transportation, perhaps based on a certain percentage of their market value or retail cost.
Posted by Amanda![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.sfbg.com/blogs/politics/nav-commenters.gif)
|
January 30, 2008 01:30 PM