This won't disproportionately affect poorer people

Pay for your sins!

Californians support the idea of charging "green" vehicle fees that would make drivers of gas guzzlers pay higher taxes and offer discounts for those driving less-polluting vehicles, according to a survey by a transportation researcher at San Jose State University.

The state now charges drivers registration and licensing fees and gasoline taxes at rates that do not take into account vehicles' pollution levels. But the survey, conducted by Asha Weinstein Agrawal, a research associate with the university's Mineta Transportation Institute, found that Californians would support a variety of taxes and fees to raise money for transportation improvements as well as combat global warming, including:

-- Raising vehicle registration fees, which now average $31, to an average of $62 and having higher-polluting vehicles pay higher rates and cleaner cars lower rates.

-- Offering rebates of up to $1,000 for people who buy new cars that emit very little pollution and levying a surcharge of as much as $2,000 on those purchasing gas hogs.

-- Levying a mileage-based tax that would replace the 18-cents-per-gallon gasoline tax. The per-mile amount would vary depending on how much a vehicle polluted the air.

Well, right, I see what you're saying, but here's the thing: even if I would agree with charging more to those driving more polluting cars, why would we incentivize people to do the right thing? It's like those kids that come door-to-door to sell candy so they stay off drugs. Kid, you should stay off drugs anyway. Whatever.

And dang it, those stupid hybrid cars are already on back-order, you don't need to convince people to buy it.

Oh, oh, and while I'm bitching: hybrid SUVs - what the hell is that? It's like this war - we never have to sacrifice a thing! Ever. How about we make smaller cars. We don't even know what the hybrid batteries will do to the environment. Smaller cars would be good. And hybrids still follow the basic laws of physics - which makes them more dangerous. Rollover? Ugh.

We're dumb. Go buy some "carbon offsets" and sleep better in your imaginary house made of wishing and creampuffs.