[patton]

I would like to propose a new tax law for CA.

It seems to me, that the solid emissions from a car are equally as harmfull as those from tobacco.

Thus, if a gallon of gas results in the same particulate emissions as, say, a pack of cigarettes, then they should be taxed at the same rate, for the children.

Why don't you guys sponsor a ballot amendment to tie the tax on gas to the tax on cigarettes? Whatever one must pay on a pack of cigarettes, one must also pay per gallon of gas.

The referendum would surely pass - after all, polution is polution.

Isn't it?

(/sarcasm off)

Honestly, the CA economy would implode in 15 minutes.

[heleny]

I know what you mean. The state legislature likes to propose taxes that will only affect a selected minority -- such as smokers, drivers, snackers, etc. -- so that the opposition will be limited and might even be too ashamed to "support" smoking, pollution, obesity, etc.

The state then legislates that the extra revenue will go into a special fund and that future legislators will allocate the funds to social programs.

Often the justification for the new tax is that it will deter harmful behavior and that the money will help defray costs associated with the victims. This has never worked, and often the money is spent on the general fund (especially when there's a deficit, which was caused by overspending). Each new tax, however innocent in appearance, eventually increases overall costs and is simply an overall tax on all of us.