Does Argawal propose some sort of new-car subsidy for people who can’t afford to buy a new vehicle? It’s not as though I can just go to the Car Library and trade straight across, particularly when nobody’s going to want to buy an SUV since they’ll get charged an extra $2500 a year.

If this gets passed I predict a rash of SCI’s, “Sudden Combustion Incidents”, where your SUV all of a sudden and for no apparent reason explodes into flames and burns to a crisp. Gosh, Mister Claims Adjuster, I don’t know what happened, I was getting in the car to go to the DMV and pay my sin tax, and I heard a “pop”, and then the whole thing went up like a torch. I barely got out in time, I had to go change my pants afterwards, just write out the check please since my doctor says I’m suffering from PTSD and can’t hold a rational conversation.

Another fun aspect is that we’ll see yet another sharply-visible indicator of the line between “rich” and “middle class”. Rich people can afford to pay the Carbon Tax for their big cars and pickup trucks; the mere middle-class will be stuck in compact sedans. Hooray, Argawal’s reinvented the Sumptuary Laws!

Separately, you’ve probably reported on this, but what percentage/amount of state gas taxes go to public transit?