The proposal is complex. It would make major polluters pay for every ton of carbon dioxide that they emit from July next year. The revenues would be used to help businesses convert to cleaner energy and to give pension increases and income tax cuts to low- and middle-income households to help offset anticipated higher costs - both for electricity and for groceries and other goods that would become more expensive to produce.
If payout to the low/middle income households equals their increased cost - then carbon tax the "non-low/middle income households" or "rich" is the bottom line here. Selecting an unpopular minority to tax (like smokers) is always a good tax-passing strategy. Each and everyone of us should hope we do not find ourselves in the "let's tax'em minority".
