Featured Tax Dollars Wasted Building EV Charging Stations in Cold Climates

Have you ever heard the term "payroll taxes"? FICA is a payroll tax.

From the Social Security Administration:



See also the IRS:

"Taxes under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) are composed of the old-age, survivors, and disability insurance taxes, also known as social security taxes, and the hospital insurance tax, also known as Medicare taxes. Different rates apply for these taxes."

 

Fuzzy, you are right. It is being called a tax by the Social Security and IRS web sites. I meant to edit my post but I got distracted. But please don't ignore the more important part of those pages. The purpose for deducting that money is to fund the Social Security insurance program. The funding does not come from the general fund that most payroll taxes go into.

 

There were lack of gas-stations as well when cars were mass produced back in the 1930s.

 

Think of how bad it was for bertha benz when she made the first long distance trip. She had to stop 3 times at chemists (pharmacies) for ligroin (an oil fraction that is used as a solvent, and used before gasoline) on her 180 km (120 mile) trip since the car didn't really have a gas tank and only took 4.5L (1.2 gallons) of fuel. There were no auto shops and when her brakes faded she stopped at a cobbler who added leather brake linings a new invention that one of them created on the trip.

Oil companies started getting subsidies in 1913 with the intangible drilling cost deduction. Then it got supercharged in 1926 with the oil depletion allowance. The senator that got it passed said it would have worked at 5% or 10% but they got it done at 27.5% because it sounded scientific and got more money for companies in his state. Oil companies built gas stations to sell their products. In 1926 both deductions were good ideas but too big, they encouraged more exploration and a fueling network. By 1937 they had outlived their usefulness and they tried to repeal them. These tax breaks for big oil have not gone away although the depletion allowance dropped to 23%. In 1975 it no longer applied to big oil companies but small ones, but the big ones can easily create small companies to capture the cash. Today oil companies are making huge profits and the tax breaks are no longer needed for exploration or to build gas stations.

 

Yet - many who fear change as well as motorheads love love love to decry the evils of incentives for 100% electron fuel.
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Gasoline and other suitable fuels were available at local general and hardware stores then. Refueling was mostly done by hand, from jugs, until safety regulations forced the use of pumps.

Such isn't an option with electricity, nor is it wise with other fuels. The law funding these chargers also provides funds for hydrogen, propane, and natural gas refueling stations. The number of light duty NG vehicles in the US is about half that of BEVs, and even less than PHEVs. There is only a hundred in Wyoming. Why ignore that 'waste' of funds?
Alternative Fuels Data Center: TransAtlas

 

Rural states always require government intervention and subsidies to promote the public good. We didn't have an urban electrification program or the equivalent of the TVA for dense population centers. The Interstate Hwy system, programs for supporting airports, for rural hospitals, land grants to RR companies in the Midwest & West, etc. have always been necessary to achieve even minimal standards that create the basis of nationwide policy goals. It sort of is the role of the federal government to try to not leave regions out of what will help them in the near-term future. If you look at climate change, the same thing happens when you look at globally at economically wealthy countries versus those with less wealth to notice that they need some extra support if they are going to get onboard solving a problem that effects us all. Inside the U.S., why would I adopt a BEV without a charger network. If I live in a place with a charger network, I don't have to worry about this. So, spend where there isn't a charger network if you want to push adaptation.

 

It's got to be embarrassing to the poor lady who wrote this OP article when she makes the following claim;

..... and yet - which country has the highest percentage of electric cars?


. . . . and what is the average temperature there in Norway? for
"many months of the year" - as she is so worried about EV's NOT being able to be driven during?



How about that !!! Frosty cold countries - doing just fine using EV's.
So much for her gloom & doom FUD.

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Tesla And White House Deal, Massive Supercharger Expansion For All EVs

Well now I agree it is a waste to give the money to states that want to slow ev adoption. The federal government can in a much less expensive way pay tesla to provide the network But politicians hate tesla so there is no way that would have made it through on a bill. At least now the ccs network by the end of 2024 will be much more able for long range travel.