As the state Legislature continues to debate the proposed electric vehicle mandate, I am reminded that so many who have spent their careers in government are removed from how the life of a normal person works.
If we ban gas-powered cars, we’re subjecting middle- and low-income folks to disaster. How can someone like me afford new, fancy technology or expensive repairs? And when supply chain becomes a problem (like it historically has for the chips needed to run an EV), who will be the only ones able to purchase a new vehicle in a supply chain crunch? The wealthy.
Elitists always come up with ideas they think will be better for poor people, but they turn out to be a disaster: the Carney Administration signed a 12-week paid family leave law, but the draft regulations are so complex that no small business owner will be sure if they are complying. Large corporations like DuPont will be fine, as their lawyers sort it out, while family-owned businesses will be left with fees and penalties. Federally, members of Congress want to have the IRS run its own tax preparation software for low-income individuals even as they remain negligent in processing returns and refunds from 2021. Again, this will only hurt those who are low income and depend on the returns to make their household budgets work.
On every level, we need to figure out how to make our current systems work for us before we expand government.
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