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Originally Posted by Salt Water Cowboy #10
Exactly. Why collect the tax and then hand it back? I’m sure there are other ways to penalize polluters without a cash transfer between citizens and government. I for one think it’s odd.
Who’s paying carbon taxes on the war in Ukraine? The pipeline leak? The Nuke plant damage? The volcanic eruptions?
I agree we can try and do better. But the working class shouldn’t front the money only to get it back. It seems like a weird scam or something
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I'm pretty sure you get the refund before payout, so you aren't "fronting" the money.
It works in a simple way. You pay carbon tax, on, say gas for your vehicle. If you drive less, you pay less. If you find commuting in your F-99950 costing too much in gas(partly due to the tax) maybe you trade it for a Civic. Boom emissions reduced.
My house had crappy insulation, and I paid carbon tax on natural gas. So this summer I reinsulated. I now save money on heating, and use less. Emissions reduced.
The benefit to citizens is you get a rebate, so the less you spend towards the carbon tax, the more of a net benefit it is to you. I bike to work, drive a reasonably sized vehicle, live in a reasonably sized house, and probably come out ahead, and it also all contributes to reduced emissions. This is only a small portion of how the tax works, but a good example.