The carbon tax is not well-thought out. Raising the price of fuel by adding another tax won't make others think twice about driving. Why is that?
- Well, the convenience and time-saving elements of owning and using your own vehicle outweighs the extra few dollars it takes to fill up on fuel.
- With the steep gas prices in recent times, some have driven less, but no one I know has changed their habits by much (although every little bit does help).
- If you already tend to be a transit user, that practice will continue, but if not... nothing will change your mind about that "loser cruiser"... yes, that great big smelly bus.
- If you live outside the Vancouver Lower Mainland, you do not benefit because transit systems in rural areas aren't as efficient. Think of places like Prince Rupert, Boston Bar, Revelstoke, Trail, etc.. There are no "alternative" forms of transportation, especially if the bus runs only once per hour, on a limited route during weekends, or if you live on a farm and need the truck to travel everywhere.
- I am already imagining BC using the tax to "buy" environmental credits to lower their rating on pollution... rather than actually solving the REAL environmental issues here.
Also... if they are taxing carbon pollutants, might as well tax plastics too, as well as toxic materials like construction materials, liquid cleaners, and pesticides. Aren't all pollutants made equal anyway? Why only tax the fuel for transportation? Pollutants, whether in the air or in the ground are harmful to the environment, plants, animals, and humans.
It is the cynicism in me that is talking... but I don't see how the carbon tax can fight pollution, as it will NOT affect human behaviour.
This morning was quite amusing, as I watched a municipal dump truck use our neighbour's driveway to turn around. 10 minutes later, two yellow school buses used my own driveway to turn around. You see... around the bend of the road on the street is an uphill, and many cars were unable to maneuver up the hill... Some cars, I assume, were sliding a little. They must not have had winter tires on. In this little suburban city of mine, you can't travel without winter tires, when it snows. There are too many hills and bends in the area, none of which can be avoided, if you are needing to travel in the snow.
