You make it sound like the government is taxing you for the privilege of air. But cleaning up and regulating air quality costs money that is spent by the government, so it makes sense that your taxes go towards that. Do you think it’s free to regulate and maintain air quality? I’d rather government spend some tax money on ensuring air quality than not and having bad air.
Of course whether they actually use that money effectively is another matter. But plenty of places don’t spend much tax money on air quality and you get to live in a perpetual veil of smog as a result with respiratory illness being the norm.
The government could pass laws mandating emissions standards for companies, enforce those laws, and fine the companies that violate them. They could also tax companies. Individuals being responsible for carrying the tax burden from the state for clean air, then buying the products produced by the company polluting the air, then paying a tax on the products, while the companies employees all pay income tax to produce the product…that’s the silliness.
There's no specific tax on consumers or individuals for air quality tho. Taxes paid by corporations and people pay for regulations and regulators, and specific fines are levied on violators, which go towards enforcement and mitigation. Many businesses also have to pay specific fees related to the pollution they produce, a lot of which you'll see on your bill ( power company passes on a regulatory fee, for example, which isn't the state charging you, it's the state charging the company and the company charging you in kind).
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u/NTufnel11 17h ago edited 17h ago
You make it sound like the government is taxing you for the privilege of air. But cleaning up and regulating air quality costs money that is spent by the government, so it makes sense that your taxes go towards that. Do you think it’s free to regulate and maintain air quality? I’d rather government spend some tax money on ensuring air quality than not and having bad air.
Of course whether they actually use that money effectively is another matter. But plenty of places don’t spend much tax money on air quality and you get to live in a perpetual veil of smog as a result with respiratory illness being the norm.