Let 'them' pay the tax -- leave me alone

OK – I’ll state my position right at the outset: Screw the idea of imposing a carbon tax on gasoline.

There, that should establish me immediately as a rednecked anti-environment reactionary who doesn’t believe that human activity has put the planet in a perilous place.

But, that would be wrong. I am quite big on the environment, actually, and do what I can to not leave an unacceptable footprint on my patch of turf. I recycled faithfully, I drive a vehicle that does not suck up half the reserves of the Alberta oilsands every time I fire it up and if I can walk or use public transit, I do so. I don’t leave lights burning needlessly, and I applaud such esoterica as the preservation of wetlands (we used to call them swamps) – and drylands, and regular old in-between lands.

But, I will not buy into the proposition that the best way to preserve the well-being of this persistently assaulted planet is to impose another tax on a long-suffering public.

So, not only screw the idea, but screw the people who propose such things.

Who are these people, anyway? They are usually science nerds who have comfy government jobs and contracts, with dandy pensions and health plans, and mighty fine rates of pay. They form bodies of enviroweenies who predictably tell assorted governments that if we want clean air, then we must damn well pay for it.

In the first place, the illogic of a carbon tax is glaring. How am I going to help the environment buy paying more for my fuel? As I said, I don’t drive a thirsty car, and I count my pennies, and I don’t drive frivolously. So, if they jack up the price, I am going to feel it. I am going to be punished by it.

So is the housewife taking her kids to a soccer game, the guy who runs a small delivery company who is ‘just’ making it, the cab company that will be forced to raise fares, as will the cross-town bus company.

Who won’t be affected? The sonsofbitches who drive the Hummers and Escalades won’t care if the cost of fuel goes up to $30 a litre, because they can afford it and they will keep driving those gigantic porkers.

Another little matter, one that especially applies in Canada, and that is the collusion of the suppliers to keep all fuel prices at a certain level. If it costs $1.07 today at the Chevron station up the street from me, it will also cost $1.07 at the Shell down the street, and the Petrocan across town. These jackasses let us know this is just mere coincidence. Meadow muffins, I say. Added to which, we already pay nearly twice as much for our gasoline already than do motorists in neighboring Washington State. That’s because our fuel is already inordinately taxed at an obscene level.

And yet there are those who think it should be taxed even more.

And they think the revenue gleaned from that extra taxation will go into environmental protection?

I have some Florida swampland I want to sell these people. Furthermore, if they are so dedicated to the idea, they should have the courage of their convictions and be prepared to assume the burden and leave the rest of us alone.

Taxes are a necessary evil, but we must never lose sight of the fact that they are ‘evil’ and never to be spuriously embraced or, God help us, suggested to a government.

The Canadian government has, in its wisdom (well, wisdom in some things, anyway) spurned the idea of a carbon tax.

The British Columbia government ain’t entirely sure it’s a bad idea.

The British Columbia government is dead wrong on that matter and they should probably consider the political fallout. The people who ‘like’ more taxation vote for the other guys, anyway. Just sayin’

Anyway, there is my rant for today and damn, it felt good.