Thanks as always to The Other McCain, The Daley Gator, Pirate’s Cove, Whores and Ale and Bacon Time for the Rule Five links!
Issues & Insights has some insights on how electric car mandates screw over working folks. Excerpt:
California’s Governor Gavin Newsom, who announced he plans to run for president if President Biden does not run for a second term, mandated a state-wide ban on gas-powered vehicles by 2035, a target date recently echoed by his New York counterpart Kathy Hochul.
This massive government intervention forces every Californian and New Yorker — whether they can afford it or not — to purchase an electric or other similar vehicle. But the reality is that the average electric vehicle (EV) is still financially out of reach for most working families. As of this year, Kelley Blue Book found the average price of an electric car is $66,000, nearly $20,000 more than gas-powered cars.
Compare this to the median household income in California of $78,672 in 2020 and $71,117 in New York. Put another way, the average cost of an electric vehicle is about 84% of an entire household’s annual income in California and 93% in New York. Underserved communities, by definition, have it worse. For example, the median income for a Hispanic American household is $57,981, meaning a family at this income level would need to spend 114% of their yearly income to satisfy Newsom and his allies.
Yeah, but Newsom and his allies don’t care. They are set on their agenda and they’ll carry it out no matter who gets screwed over.
Even so, I hope Newsom persists. I hope that state-wide ban on gas/Diesel vehicles goes into place. As Mencken said, democracy is the theory that the people know what government they want and deserve to get it good and hard, and I have zero sympathy for California voters who keep voting in activist, nutbar Democrats like Newsom.
Although, I do feel bad for non-Dems who are stuck in the once-Golden State and who object to these policies. To them I can only say “talk to your neighbors, folks. Tell them exactly how this policy is screwing you over, and present numbers.” Don’t make it political. Make it personal.
It might make a difference. It might not. But the lunacy in California (and New York, and in plenty of other blue-dominated locations) won’t end until the voters kick the lunatics out.
