I think about this the other way around. The federal government and other states have artificially low gas taxes that are a direct subsidy of gasoline car depen

I think about this the other way around. The federal government and other states have artificially low gas taxes that are a direct subsidy of gasoline car dependence. A state like California imposing a tax like this makes them one of the few states that's actually aware how much the consumption of a gallon of gas costs society and manages to charge someone for it. - The federal gas tax has been 18.4 cents per gallon since 1993, and has not increased to account for inflation - Vehicles are more fuel efficient than in the past, which has reduced the demand for gas by the gallon on an individual basis. - The cost of infrastructure materials has increased (e.g., building new roads and bridges) There is a very decent argument to be had that nobody is actually paying the societal cost of driving, that all of society just loses value by driving. In other words, each mile you drive in your car incurs costs on the rest of society that nobody directly pays, and therefore everyone pays. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp75-46PnMY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp75-46PnMY