Quote:
Originally Posted by FlyingScot
Our disagreement on EVs and gas guzzler taxes is irrelevant to my original point. My original point was that government taxes, incentives, and rules can change people's behavior (and thus can help the lake). You might not like EVs, just for example, but I'm pretty sure you'd agree that without the $7500 rebate (that is now being phased out), the EV industry would be much smaller.
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I completely agree as a positive incentive the gift of money (especially substantial amounts of money) will change peoples behavior.
But I also completely disagree that so long as the penalties are in the realm of affordable, that they will have ANY impact.
A $1200 gas guzzler tax is not going to cause a potential buyer of a $70,000 Corvette from buying their dream car and spending that money AND get the incentive to buy a Tesla 4 door EV. Its just not happening.
Nor would a $50 fertilizer use fine stop a home owner from getting the lawn they desire.
And again, for the record, I fully support EV's as a very
modest gateway technology, but they have a
long way to go to be clean.
And to bring this back to your point, there is very significant difference between a reasonable use fine and incentive reward program and the bazaar and inappropriate government intervention in the automotive sales/use taxation and incentive programs: Why should the government significantly tax me for something like this and egregiously reward you. Thats NOT the job of government. Its WRONG to tax me on this and gift you with my money, especially when your EV has a laundry list of cradle to grave environmental and other problems.
I guess that this is an example of a more classic view of the role of Government, as opposed to the dysfunctional government we have currently devolved into.
So in the end, dont be surprised that someone who is not personally shopping for an EV is further alienated about EV's to know that the EV buyers who brag about the incentives were gifted that money from those who were not dissuaded from buying what they wanted and suffered the gas guzzler tax. Well thats one cur buyers perspective.
And sorry the EV/gas guzzler subject keeps popping up in this thread about Winnipesaukee water quality,but it does have some bearing, if only in the larger whole world perspective.
