Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Public Fraud - Carbon Taxes and Carbon Trading


How bad is Gordon Campbell's Carbon Tax?

It took SIX imminent writers to defend it in yesterday's Sun.

Not only that but there are letters to the editor these days calling this program "courageous" and "necessary."

Of course, it is neither.

Of course, it will get not one driver out of his ride.

Of course, it is a crass money grab on a simple staple.

Let me draw your attention to the Bertrand Russell quote in the right hand margin of this page.

"If fifty million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing."

This issue is not about whether Carole James is an opportunist. James and the NDP are not relevant. This about a bad public policy at a bad time.

My little Mazda used to cost me $20 for a fill. Then, for many years it cost $40. The last two fills cost me $56.

The carbon tax, like carbon trading, is hokum, plain and simple.

4 comments:

Grumpy said...

Dead right David, the Carbon tax, so loved by academics is pure hokum, dreamed up by under-worked and overpaid university types, to justify their annual stipend.

Campbell's carbon tax is a gas tax, pure and simple.....and Campbell is trying to sell it with a $100 bribe!

If Campbell really wanted to reduce carbon emissions, general pollution and auto congestion, then he should abandon his P'3 (Premier's Pet Project) $14 billion, 60 km. SkyTrain expansion; abandon the $4 billion Gateway highways and bridge project and invest the $4 billion in at least 300 km. of light rail.

Modern LRT is being built for $6.4 million/km. in Spain, but Campbell's cronies on the TransLink Board and TransLink planners seem only to be able to build LRT at a higher cost than $100 million/km. SkyTrain!

In Germany, their trams operate on the mainline, at mainline speeds, but TransLink, et al, can only plan for slow-poke LRT!

So as long as Campbell & Co. get transit 'orgasms' by building with hugely expensive Skytrain light-metro, gas taxes in the guise of carbon taxes will just increase.

Anonymous said...

It is a Pigou Tax, aptly named after British economist Arthur Cecil Pigou, who believed governments can shape policy by taxing bad things and subsidizing good things.

Anonymous said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3hBYTkI-sE&feature=related

Mo.

MurdocK said...

David,

this item, from The Real News had the straight goods on what is really happening right now in Afghanistan.

Please ues your web platform to help others understand the immense crime that is being perpetrated in our name there!

Please.