To the editor:
When I use the terms fee, tax and price; there is always money involved but the context varies. When we pay the price of a dozen eggs – it is clear what the money is for. Similarly, a fee is often attached to a service such as having others deal with my waste at the transfer site. A tax has a different rationale. Whether governments or gangsters, it’s a matter of those with power wanting in on the action. The property transfer tax might be an example of that.
It’s unfortunate that “tax” has been applied to carbon emissions rather than fee or price. It creates the notion that government just wants in on the action. Putting an increasing price on carbon is intended to change our behavior, send a message to the “market” and help us become more responsible for the real costs of our collective carbon pollution. In case you missed it, there is overwhelming evidence that carbon pollution is driving the accelerated climate change that we are now experiencing. It’s something I think about when I fill the tank or decide whether to walk or drive or carpool.
Ron Robinson
Nelson