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Re: EV’s are becoming mainstream
identity, a sense of entitlement and political talking points make it nearly impossible. The “no new taxes” conservatives grabbed onto the issue in the 90’s while gov’t policies encouraged the sales of light trucks thereby creating a population of drivers hooked on X gal/week. Relatively stable prices in the 90’s and increasing vehicle efficiency made the consumption affordable and deficit spending to fulfil the Highway Trust Fund shortfall easy. States upped their taxes as needed and faux conservatives could play the populist line about “Joe six pack” in Congress. Now the fed tax deficit per gallon due to inflation is almost as much as the entire Fed tax of 18.3 cents and Biden is full on board with the populist line that JoeSix Pack deserves a free lunch at the pump.
It truly is an example that we’re psychologically unfit for managing the challenges of GHG emissions and resource limits in order to protect legacy industries.
The chart is from 2015 so the inflation adjusted tax revenue and gas tax have been descending since then. It’s as though the anti-tax zealouts are saying the cost of road repair and infrastructure building hasn’t changed in 30 yrs or increasing debt is now the prefered way to build and maintain infrastructure instead of pay as you go as originally intended.
identity, a sense of entitlement and political talking points make it nearly impossible. The “no new taxes” conservatives grabbed onto the issue in the 90’s while gov’t policies encouraged the sales of light trucks thereby creating a population of drivers hooked on X gal/week. Relatively stable prices in the 90’s and increasing vehicle efficiency made the consumption affordable and deficit spending to fulfil the Highway Trust Fund shortfall easy. States upped their taxes as needed and faux conservatives could play the populist line about “Joe six pack” in Congress. Now the fed tax deficit per gallon due to inflation is almost as much as the entire Fed tax of 18.3 cents and Biden is full on board with the populist line that JoeSix Pack deserves a free lunch at the pump.
It truly is an example that we’re psychologically unfit for managing the challenges of GHG emissions and resource limits in order to protect legacy industries.
The chart is from 2015 so the inflation adjusted tax revenue and gas tax have been descending since then. It’s as though the anti-tax zealouts are saying the cost of road repair and infrastructure building hasn’t changed in 30 yrs or increasing debt is now the prefered way to build and maintain infrastructure instead of pay as you go as originally intended.
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