And I though we had it bad over here

Alex Singleton, writer, Samizdat, and all around spiffing bloke, posted up a piece at the Guardian Blog on just what a crappy idea it is for the UK to slap an new, and extra, “Showroom Tax” on vehicles that don’t fit into the “Green” classification.

Alistair Darling is planning to announce a “showroom tax” on prestige cars, from Jaguars to Range Rovers, in his budget on Wednesday. It’s a really bad idea. Yes, it will appeal to unthinking environmentalists, even though its environmental benefits will be minimal and possibly counterproductive. It will also appeal to foaming-at-the-mouth Labour backbenchers, keen for a return to the politics of envy after years of Blairism. But envy makes poor policy.Like many people, I think driving a Chelsea tractor about in the city with no passengers looks silly. Aesthetically, most 4x4s just don’t do it for me. Yet for many families, 4x4s are a godsend. If you have four children, a family trip in an ordinary saloon does not work. Similarly, people living in remote parts of the countryside often need such vehicles because they need something big to cope with the terrain. For all the government’s talk about helping the countryside, those living in the back end of beyond will now be punished when they buy a Range Rover.

And because of that opinion, the Guardianistas set upon Singleton with numbers and a fervor that American green-weenies could only hope for.

Beside the usual “Why do you hate the Planet” and “Stupid Neo-Con Denier” BS, the UK eco-socos set upon anyone who owns a non-green vehicle ignorant. The annoying part is that they actually think they are being helpful in the process.

Someone actually suggests that the farmer who needs a Rover to manage his property buy something called a Fiat Panda 4×4. Hit that link and tell me what the landowner who is trying to manage medium to large animals and miles of fencing is going to be able to do with that. Oh, and maybe they’ve improved since I’ve seen my last one (1996 or so), but in the US, Fiat has always been understood to mean “Fix It Again, Tony”.

Another commenter suggests that anyone dumb enough to have more than two children is all the more stupid if they can’t figure out to just “rent a big car for the few occasions when you need the seats.”

What? The average car the UK government is not planning on taxing is equivalent to a Ford Focus. I don’t that I have three people I dislike enough to try and stuff into one with myself.

Also, while I guess that could be considered a better plan for family size/population management than forced abortions, its not much better.

US Global Warming Death Cultists don’t seem to wail and moan too much if you can fill an Explorer/Durango with kids. I never knew they were being so reasonable.