About Last Week...

Gassy Reinvention

So California has the highest gas prices in the nation – by an average of about 40% by state – and a few Republican members of the state legislature tried to stop another increase of about 65 cents a gallon tax (another 20% of the national average) about to be implemented by the California Ari Resources Board (CARB.)

CARB was created to end smog – it did that, decades ago.

With nothing left to do, CARB realized it needed a reason to stay alive and keep paying its people so it decided to try to end Western civilization as we know it.

Part of that effort is the Low Carbon Fuel Standard regulation, which – in a few years, theoretically – would end the sale of new gas powered vehicles but in the meantime would raise the prices of gas by about 65 cents a gallon (CARB says it will only immediately be about 10 cents, but admits it could go higher – they’re lying about the first bit, but not about the second – it can go higher.)

A bill to stop the rise died last week in a state Senate committee, but the idea of the added tax is so toxic even a Democrat voted to stop it. But when two other Democrats abstained from voting at all, the bill died in committee.

Interestingly, though, the Democrat opposition to the tax raise has not been typically apocalyptic. Not too much screaming about babies dying or being forced to be born or trans taxi drivers getting exemptions or evil Republicans – of course, some of this has not occurred but without the usual cacophonic intensity.

Why?

That’s because CARB rules- like this new tax – can be taken care of by a stroke of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s pen and it is quite possible the legislature is dropping the bills in order to allow Newsom to save the day and white knight ride in to stop the tax by himself.

And that is something he needs, politically.

Coupled with his silly new podcast and his attempts to position himself as somewhere right of AOC and Bernie (something he has to do if he wants to run for president,) everything Newsom does for the next two years will be about positioning that campaign on a “liberal but not batshit crazy” platform.

He’ll be a father, a small business owner, a fighter for the little guy, a person who wants to move past the culture wars, a person who sees flaws on his side, etc. Some of this is technically true but none of this is actually really true.

But making a national splash as holding off a new gas tax will be a nice hook to hang a “Hey, I’m normal” campaign upon.

As to the podcast, it’s beyond a hoot – he had smartass/knucklehead Tim (note to Democrats: do not nominate pudgy white guys named Tim as your veep choice ever again – you’re 0 for 2) Walz on a few days ago during which – I cannot believe I’m typing this – Newsom seemed to be the saner of the two governors.

While the Walz re-invention tour is bumbling hysterically along, let’s see what Gavin does about the tax…it won’t be eliminated, but my money is on a four year implementation delay.

Speaking of delays, it seems some Democrats may have finally realized that Sen. Chuck Schumer may not be the person to lead them into the future.

Schumer – like Nancy Pelosi – is a master of the vicious. But to keep that reputation, one must be vicious all of the time and by deciding not to fight the budget bill he lost that edge.

That’s why the knives are out now.

Kinda.

So far it has not exactly been the Ides of March, more like operatives communicating semi-telepathically through the pages of “Politico” to gauge the feel of the room.

But even this would have been unthinkable only a few months ago.

Schumer will stay in his seat until at least 2026, and even if the Dems get shellacked then most likely until 2028- the internal inertia, the fear, and the fundraising are too strong (Pelosi lost the House and stayed in charge to come back, why? Because she handed out millions of dollars and allowed the use of her in-place infrastructure by other younger candidates and EVERYONE was terrified of her wrath.)

As to this week’s epigram, it is yet again not an epigram – this time it is a piece of graffiti I noticed on a baby changing table in a CVS:

“Your baby is ugly – sorry.”

I’m sorry, but that is just funny and a proper use of a Sharpie.

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So I finally got the pic to download: