Ricki Yasha TarrAug 19, 2024

A list made by the Wall Street Journal of Tim Walz's radical liberal policies:

Funding "the North Star Promise Program, which provides free college for students with a family income under $80,000," including illegal immigrants.

Creating a state system for paid family and medical leave, capped at a combined 20 weeks a year and funded by a 0.88% payroll tax.

Mandating that public utilities generate 80% carbon-free electricity by 2030, ramping up to 100% by 2040. He's a fervent believer in "climate action."
Subsidizing electric vehicles by "requiring EV charging infrastructure within or adjacent to new commercial and multi-family buildings," as the Governor's office bragged.

Passing one of the nation's most permissive abortion statues that has essentially no limits and no age consideration for minors.

Declaring Minnesota to be a "trans refuge," with a law saying that the state will ignore a "court order for the removal of a child issued in another state because the child's parent or guardian assisted the child in receiving gender-affirming care in this state."

Establishing automatic voter registration and letting Minnesotans sign up for a permanent absentee ballot option.

Show threadMayor Gamal Sherif
@RickiTarr Nice list, except for publicly-funded passenger EV infrastructure. Low wealth people can’t afford EVs. Everybody needs efficient busses and trains. The C footprint of the making of the passenger EV exacerbates climate instability, which disproportionately impacts low wealth communities. We all need walkable and rollable communities - and the municipal capacity to plan accordingly - so why induce sprawl with infrastructure for passenger vehicles? (#EVfleets are worth considering, however.)
Aug 19, 2024 at 12:22pmWeb
Show threadRicki Yasha TarrAug 19, 2024
@GDS Because the Midwest is much more rural, a lot more small towns and farming communities. Walkable means something different for us, when the closest large city is hours away. I'm not disagreeing with you, all those things are fantastic, and should be implemented where they are useful, but they aren't useful everywhere. We will need different solutions for different situations. We don't and can't all live in cities.
Show threadJuggling With EggsAug 19, 2024

@GDS @RickiTarr

I had to replace my over a decade old petrol car last year…I had pretty much run it into the ground, it was getting too expensive for me to keep on the road.

I really didn’t want to replace it with another petrol car and I assumed I couldn’t afford an EV. I’ve only ever bought 2nd hand. But the surprise was that there was no difference in price between a 2nd hand petrol and EV of the same age and size. I have to drive to get to work 15 miles away.

Show threadJuggling With EggsAug 19, 2024

@GDS @RickiTarr

I would love to live where I could get to work by reliable regular electric public transport (the buses within my city are now electric so we’re headed in the right direction! ) but we’re not there yet. And it is rural communities that will be hardest to make the sell of good clean public transport to. With no history of having it, they rely on cars regardless of income. This is true of US and UK sadly. EVs are not perfect, but they are not the worst.

Show threadMayor Gamal SherifAug 28, 2024

@JugglingWithEggs @RickiTarr

Good points. It's as if vehicle consumption is induced.

I think we need to taper gasoline vehicle use as we simultaneously accelerate distributed #EV community transit.

It feels unsettling to invest in passenger #EV infrastructure (with associated costs of pedestrian fatalities, charging ports, road maintenance, and sprawl) when we know that it is not good for people or planet or prosperity.

Where is that grand plan for #EV community transit and the walkable/rollable community?