美国国家公共电台 NPR--California struggles with who pays for public charging stations for electric cars

California struggles with who pays for public charging stations for electric cars

Transcript¹

A California ballot² proposition to tax the wealthy to pay for electric vehicle incentives⁴ has split the state's Democrats⁵. Gov. Gavin Newsom made himself the face of the opposition⁶ campaign.

: [POST-BROADCAST CORRECTION: In this report, we incorrectly say, "if gas cars replace electric ones." It should have been the other way around, "if electric cars replace gas ones."]

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

A ballot proposition in California that would tax wealthy residents to pay for electric vehicle incentives has driven a political wedge between the state's progressive governor, Gavin Newsom, and his fellow Democrats. From KQED in San Francisco, Kevin Stark⁸ has more.

KEVIN STARK, BYLINE⁹: California is struggling with thorny¹⁰ issues that many states will face if gas cars replace electric ones [see POST-BROADCAST CORRECTION above]. Who pays for public charging stations? Can EVs be affordable¹¹ for everyone? And environmentalists thought they had the solution.

DENNY ZANE: There's one planet. We're in it together. We have to take the steps to ensure that climate change is abated¹² and reversed.

STARK: Denny Zane is the former mayor of Santa Monica. He has a long history of pushing Californians to raise taxes to pay for clean transportation. He convinced Los Angeles voters on a sales tax hike to pay for public transit¹³ in 2008 and 2016.

ZANE: We went to the ballot, and it worked. LA now has about a hundred and twenty billion dollars over the next 40 years coming to invest in transportation.

STARK: After those wins, Zane wanted to go bigger. He and other California Democrats conceived of Proposition 30, a clean air initiative that would raise the income tax on Californians who make more than $2 million a year to pay for electric car rebates¹⁴, charging stations and wildfire prevention.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

LIBBY SCHAAF: Prop³ 30 is an innovative¹⁵ measure that all Californians must support as if their lives depend on it.

STARK: Oakland's Mayor Libby Schaaf says climate change and air pollution are killing¹⁶ Californians and is one of the state's many Democrats supporting the bill, most of whom were shocked when Newsom, who banned the sale of new gasoline cars after 2035, opposed it. Electric vehicles and wildfire prevention are two of Newsom's top state priorities, but he is increasingly positioning himself as a national leader, dinging conservative governors on energy, abortion¹⁷ and other issues.

California already has the highest income tax rate in the U.S. and raising taxes is not popular nationally. Analysts¹⁸ say his opposition makes perfect political sense, even if it has him siding with anti-tax conservatives. Newsom starred solo in an advertisement warning Californians not to vote for the measure.

(SOUNDBITE OF POLITICAL AD)

GAVIN NEWSOM: Don't be fooled. Prop 30 is being advertised as a climate initiative. But in reality, it was devised by a single corporation to funnel¹⁹ state income taxes to benefit their company.

STARK: The corporation is the ride-hailing giant Lyft. The company has spent tens of millions of dollars bankrolling the campaign in support. California recently mandated²⁰ that 9 out of 10 miles for ride-hailing companies must be with an EV by 2030. Lyft wants the state to invest in charging infrastructure²¹, which this measure would do, making the cars cheaper for its drivers, too.

John Zimmer pushed back on Newsom's assertion that the measure was devised by the company he co-founded.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

JOHN ZIMMER: This is about the health of our neighbors and communities. That's why we agreed to get involved when environmental leaders approached us with their plan to reduce California emissions²².

STARK: Prop 30 has the majority support among likely voters, according to a recent poll. Governor Newsom's opposition could put a dent⁷ in that support. For his part, Zane thought Newsom would be a partner in this fight.

ZANE: We finally had somebody who was going to help back the signature drive. Suddenly, it's like a scheme. That's just wrong. That's just a mistake.

STARK: And he says he won't stop pushing. The state estimates the measure would generate billions over the next two decades if it passes in November.

For NPR News, I'm Kevin Stark in San Francisco.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

3 prop   

vt.支撑；n.支柱，支撑物；支持者，靠山

参考例句：

• A worker put a prop against the wall of the tunnel to keep it from falling.一名工人用东西支撑住隧道壁好使它不会倒塌。
• The government does not intend to prop up declining industries.政府无意扶持不景气的企业。

4 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

5 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

7 dent   

n.凹痕，凹坑；初步进展

参考例句：

• I don't know how it came about but I've got a dent in the rear of my car.我不知道是怎么回事，但我的汽车后部有了一个凹痕。
• That dent is not big enough to be worth hammering out.那个凹陷不大，用不着把它锤平。

8 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

9 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

10 thorny   

adj.多刺的，棘手的

参考例句：

• The young captain is pondering over a thorny problem.年轻的上尉正在思考一个棘手的问题。
• The boys argued over the thorny points in the lesson.孩子们辩论功课中的难点。

11 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

12 abated   

减少( abate的过去式和过去分词 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼）

参考例句：

• The worker's concern about cuts in the welfare funding has not abated. 工人们对削减福利基金的关心并没有减少。
• The heat has abated. 温度降低了。

13 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。

14 rebates   

n.退还款( rebate的名词复数 )；回扣；返还（退还的部份货价）；折扣

参考例句：

• The VAT system offers advantages, such as rebates on exports. 增值税有其优点，如对出口商品实行回扣。 来自辞典例句
• In more recent years rate rebates have been introduced for households. 近年地方税的减免已适用于家庭。 来自辞典例句

15 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

16 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

17 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

18 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

19 funnel   

n.漏斗；烟囱；v.汇集

参考例句：

• He poured the petrol into the car through a funnel.他用一个漏斗把汽油灌入汽车。
• I like the ship with a yellow funnel.我喜欢那条有黄烟囱的船。

20 mandated   

adj. 委托统治的

参考例句：

• Mandated desegregation of public schools. 命令解除公立学校中的种族隔离
• Britain was mandated to govern the former colony of German East Africa. 英国受权代管德国在东非的前殖民地。

21 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

22 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。