And that's how you tax the poor and the middle-class, and restrict their mobility by not investing in affordable public transportation. (Don't forget that in the US, you are forced to own a vehicle due to the lack of affordable and good public transportation). Taxes aren't meant just for building infrastructures but are also a mean to reduce income inequality and provide opportunities for those neglected or exploited by the society. Taxing the poor or the middle class too much works against this principle. But I guess that's too "socialist" for most Americans.
Really I kinda don't care. The problems of fossil fuel emissions are urgent and will also burden the working class more than wealthy. In this instance, we're talking about the 10 square miles of the US that is most densely packed with public transit. But everybody needs to start feeling this heat soon. EVs are much better but there's just an insane among or driving infrastructure that should not be necessary.
In NYC and even other cities you really aren't forced to have a car, that's a huge generalization borne out of much more suburban areas. I live in Seattle and myself and many friends don't have cars, yet we get on just fine. In NYC, especially Manhattan, a car is a liability.
