Global Warming As A Tax Scam

Step One: End the debate on global warming.

Step Two: Tax to the max.

We've known all along that liberal, tax-lovin' politicians have been so quick to embrace global warming theory because they see it as the ideal tax vehicle. Case in point, from today's LA Times:

SACRAMENTO -- -- Motorists in Los Angeles County could end up paying an extra 9 cents per gallon at the gas pump, or an additional $90 on their vehicle registration, under proposals aimed at getting them to help fight global warming.

Voters would be able to decide whether to approve a "climate change mitigation and adaptation fee" under legislation being considered by state lawmakers and endorsed by the board of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

The money would fund improvements to mass transit and programs to relieve traffic congestion at a time when transportation dollars from Washington and Sacramento are hard to come by. ...

[The] bill would allow the MTA board to ask voters either for a fee of up to 3% of the retail price of gas, or for a vehicle registration fee of up to $90 per year. The money would pay for programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

"Programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions" allowed under the bill are limited: The funds can go into pet projects of the LA Metropolitan Transit Authority only: More buses for people not to ride, and more subways for people not to ride.

The only thing in the whole wide world that is potentially more evident than the fact that people do not want to pay more for gasoline is that people are content to stay away from mass transit in droves. Years of history of dumping money into mass transit without justifiable increases in ridership, plus millions of decibels of grumbling at the gas pump, plus the fact that CA's last Dem Gov got thrown out of office for imposing higher auto registration fees haven't changed anything for the drafter of this legislation, Mike Fuhrer Feuer of Los Angeles.

Guess what party ol' Mike belongs to.

Right.

Feuer should be soundly drubbed by the Parents United Against Discrimination (What?! There is no such group?!) for penalizing families because his bill would impose higher registration fees on SUVs than dinky sedans. Try to fit three kids, a dog and soccer equipment into a Prius. Plus, if you've got a gaggle of kids, chances are you've got far less disposable income than the DINK in the Prius.

Feuer also evidenced the Dems' cavalier disregard for the small-d democratic vote of the people. We Californians voted to require a 2/3 vote before new taxes can be imposed -- so Feuer decided to call this a "fee," not a tax. If it dings like a tax and steals like a tax, funds useless programs like a tax, and is supported by Dems like a tax, it must be a tax.

As expected, the Greenies are ecstatic at the prospect of getting LA burdened down with a carbon tax ... but they won't say it in as many words, as evidenced by this quote from Tim Frank of the Sierra Club:

"People will support it if they know it's something that will not only fight global but improve their quality of life."

Maybe I'm a dufus, but I'm not getting this. How does having less disposable income or having to ride a bus improve my quality of life?

And don't tell me improved air quality. Air quality has been improving ever since the Clean Air Act was passed in the 1970s, despite more cars on the road, more vehicle miles traveled, and more hysterical wailing from the Greenies and the Warmies.

Never let mere facts get in the way of your push to create the Fourth Reich perfect high-tax Democratic dream state.