CAFE standards and the “Green Dividend”
May 21st, 2009 by Al Lewis (alewis)I don’t normally post commentary (as opposed to new ideas — and by the way if you have sent in an idea nad it is NOT posted it is because it is not new), but there was a recent request to comment on how CAFE standards affect the “Green Dividend.”
in general, trying to use a means other than price to send signals to the market is suboptimal, and this is no exception. A higher price of gasoline means less driving, of smaller cars. My theory is that Obama hasn’t thought of the Green Dividend and for that reason finds gas taxes to be polticialyl unpalatable. The Green Dividend has none of the following drawbacks that CAFE standards have:
–They will keep older large cars on the road much longer by raising the price of new large ones
– They won’t do anything to discourage driving once the car has been purchased
–They won’t do anything to discourage driving cars currently on the road (except, as the first point notes, keep them on the road longer)
May 22nd, 2009 at 1:30 pm
I visit your site to get new ideas, not commentary. Not hard to find sites with commentary
May 22nd, 2009 at 2:18 pm
I respectfully take exception, littauergal, the commentary is quite appropriate.
This issue is typical of many of the current administration’s “solutions” - they don’t think them through.
For example - universal healthcare - it’s a good idea on the surface, but the cost is too high. Did they consider our current government-run healthcare, which is substandard and filled with fraud? Did they consider socialized medicine in Canada, Great Britain, France, etc. and the problems and costs of those programs? There is a better way!
Did BHO and company consider cap-and-trade before proposing and pushing it? The cost of EVERYTHING will increase, making the current recession look like a walk in the park in comparison. China leads in production of CO2 and pollution, but will not reduce their emissions. We should do NOTHING until the rest of the world agrees to take the same actions to reduce emissions.
Did BHO consider anything before ordering Gitmo closed? Like what to do with the terrorists being held there? No, he didn’t… doh! Plain and simple: We are in a war on terror - they are prisoners of war - they should be held right where they are until the war is over.
Change for the sake of change is wrong. Think things through before implementing changes!
Paul ‘Tooz’