{"id":2053294,"date":"2023-10-02T23:57:04","date_gmt":"2023-10-03T03:57:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/another-106-million-for-hydrogen-cars-shows-californias-eco-irresponsibility\/"},"modified":"2023-10-03T00:04:23","modified_gmt":"2023-10-03T04:04:23","slug":"another-106-million-for-hydrogen-cars-shows-californias-eco-irresponsibility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/another-106-million-for-hydrogen-cars-shows-californias-eco-irresponsibility\/","title":{"rendered":"California&#8217;s eco-irresponsibility continues with an additional $106 million for hydrogen cars."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fanother-106-million-for-hydrogen-cars-shows-californias-eco-irresponsibility%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2053294&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<h2>Commentary<\/h2>\n<p>Back around\u200d 2019 when I was then-State Sen. \u2063John Moorlach\u2019s\u200c press secretary, a guy from Toyota came over \u2063driving its <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Toyota_Mirai\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mirai<\/a> hydrogen-powered \u200bcar. It was impressive. We looked\u200b under the hood at\u200c its high-tech engine. The senator \u200ddrove with the Toyota guy \u200criding shotgun, and me in the back. Nice ride. Now and then \u2064I\u200b see a Mirai tooling \u2063around.<\/p>\n<p>Would I own one?\u2063 Sure, if you \u200cgave it to \u200dme\u2063 and paid for all the taxes, licenses, and shots. For 2023, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.toyota.com\/mirai\/?srchid=SEM:700000001483657:MICROSOFT:71700000088873905:58700007496203045:p67466254431:&#038;gclid=607bd4b4bca51808dfe2b1a03aa769a6&#038;gclsrc=3p.ds&#038;&#038;msclkid=607bd4b4bca51808dfe2b1a03aa769a6&#038;utm_source=bing&#038;utm_medium=cpc&#038;utm_campaign=Model_Mirai_CT&#038;utm_term=Mirai&#038;utm_content=Model_Mirai_Pure_Exact&#038;gclid=607bd4b4bca51808dfe2b1a03aa769a6&#038;gclsrc=3p.ds\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">MSRP<\/a> starts at $49,500. \u200cThat\u2019s the highest price in the marque\u2019s \u2062sedan <a href=\"https:\/\/www.toyota.com\/mirai\/?srchid=SEM:700000001483657:MICROSOFT:71700000088873905:58700007496203045:p67466254431:&#038;gclid=607bd4b4bca51808dfe2b1a03aa769a6&#038;gclsrc=3p.ds&#038;&#038;msclkid=607bd4b4bca51808dfe2b1a03aa769a6&#038;utm_source=bing&#038;utm_medium=cpc&#038;utm_campaign=Model_Mirai_CT&#038;utm_term=Mirai&#038;utm_content=Model_Mirai_Pure_Exact&#038;gclid=607bd4b4bca51808dfe2b1a03aa769a6&#038;gclsrc=3p.ds\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">lineup<\/a>. But close to the $44,590 for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lexus.com\/models\/ES-hybrid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ES Hybrid<\/a> by Lexus, Toyota\u2019s luxury brand.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2>Related Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n    <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/world\/officials-unsure-when-hydrogen-production-can-be-profitable-despite-billions-in-taxpayer-funding-5351573?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>Officials Unsure When \u200cHydrogen Production Can Be \u2062Profitable\u200c Despite Billions in Taxpayer \u2062Funding<\/h3>\n<p>    <\/a><\/p>\n<p>6\/23\/2023<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n    <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/environmental-concerns-surround-bidens-hydrogen-energy-plan-5376081?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>Environmental Concerns Surround Biden&#8217;s Hydrogen Energy Plan<\/h3>\n<p>    <\/a><\/p>\n<p>7\/5\/2023<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The Mirai really\u2062 is just an experimental car, \u200cburning \u201cclean\u201d hydrogen,\u200d as a possible future alternative to electric \u200dcars. The most\u200b <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/a-real-life-iron-man-the-incredible-story-of-elon-musks-rise-to-worlds-richest-man\/\" title=\"\u2018A Real Life Iron-Man\u2019: The Incredible Story Of Elon Musk\u2019s Rise To World\u2019s Richest Man\">valuable car company<\/a> is\u2063 Tesla, with a <a href=\"https:\/\/stockanalysis.com\/list\/car-company-stocks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">market capitalization<\/a> \u200b of $761 billion. But its fortunes\u200b depend on erratic CEO Elon Musk.\u2062 Second is\u2063 Toyota at\u200b $247 billion, by far\u2063 the best of the traditional car companies.\u200d So it\u2064 has money \u200bto throw around on experiments. Its hybrid <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Toyota_Prius\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Prius<\/a> experiment, \u2063introduced in 1997, certainly has \u200dpaid off big time by giving \u200dit a \u2063leap on other companies.<\/p>\n<p>The Mirai \u200balso depends on an erratic \u2064source, money from the California taxpayers. For now, the gravy train is \u200bcontinuing. On Sept. \u200c14, the\u200c Legislature passed <a href=\"https:\/\/leginfo.legislature.ca.gov\/faces\/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB126\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Assembly\u2064 Bill 126<\/a>, by \u200bAssemblywoman Eloise G\u00f3mez Reyes (D-San Bernardino). It funded the Clean\u200d Transportation Program. A \u2062deal\u2063 was \u2064worked out with \u2064Gov. Gavin Newsom, who\u200b is expected\u2062 to sign it.<\/p>\n<p>Among other things, the\u200d bill\u2019s language says it would spend \u201cno less\u200d than 15 percent of the moneys appropriated \u2062by the Legislature from the\u200b Alternative and \u2064Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Fund &#8230; only until July 1, 2030.\u201d The estimated\u200b total \u200ccost \u2063would be $106 million. It would go \u2064to fund the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/another-106-million-for-hydrogen-cars-shows-californias-eco-irresponsibility\/\" title=\"California's eco-irresponsibility continues with an additional 6 million for hydrogen cars.\">scarce\u2062 hydrogen-fuel filling stations<\/a>. That\u2019s on top of the <a href=\"https:\/\/smdp.com\/2023\/08\/21\/hardly-anyone-owns-a-hydrogen-car-california-may-pay-up-to-dollar300-million-for-fuel-stations-anyway\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$202 million<\/a> already spent on the fueling stations. Total: $308 \u2064million.<\/p>\n<p>Calmatters <a href=\"https:\/\/calmatters.org\/environment\/2023\/09\/hydrogen-cars-california-funding-legislature\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">noted<\/a> \u200conly about 12,000 \u200dhydrogen vehicles run\u2062 around California, \u201cabout 1% \u200cof the 1.1 million zero-emission vehicles on the road today.\u201d And, I would\u200d add, just \u20630.034 percent of\u2062 the \u200bDMV\u2019s \u2063 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dmv.ca.gov\/portal\/file\/california-dmv-statistics-pdf\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tally<\/a> for 2023 of \u2062the 35 million fee-paid vehicles registered here.<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019re rich people\u2019s toys.<\/p>\n<h2>Public Private Partnerships<\/h2>\n<p>That\u200d $308 million, grabbed from all \u2063the DMV fees \u200bpaid by the rest of us, certainly\u200d could fill a lot of potholes. But the Green Dream must remain\u2063 alive!<\/p>\n<p>This program \u2064was one of\u2063 the environmental projects I\u2019ve \u200cbeen <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/audio\/opinion\/the-media-is-helping-schwarzenegger-rewrite-his-governorship-5457676\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">writing\u200c about<\/a> in the Epoch Times that were\u2062 started by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. All\u2064 have been expensive \u200band disastrous for the \u200cstate\u2014although providing plenty of opportunities for posturing \u200bby him.<\/p>\n<p>In 2004 at U.C. Davis, \u2064he unveiled \u200dhis California \u2063Hydrogen Highways Network. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.renewableenergyworld.com\/storage\/schwarzenegger-unveils-hydrogen-highways-plan-11008\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">According<\/a> to Renewable Energy World at the\u200d time,\u2062 he signed \u201can executive \u2064order creating a public and private partnership to build a\u200b Hydrogen Highway in California by 2010. The governor drove a\u2062 hydrogen-powered fuel cell car to \u200dthe event and refueled it at UC Davis\u2019 new hydrogen fueling\u2063 station\u2014the\u200b first publicly \u200daccessible station on California\u2019s Hydrogen Highway. He is the first member of the general \u200bpublic to\u2064 use it.\u201d And \u200cstill one of \u2064the few.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"aligncenter\"><figcaption>Actor and former governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger poses with the 2016 Toyota Mirai \u2063pace car, a hydrogen fuel-cell \u200delectric vehicle, on \u2063pit road\u200d prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Toyota\/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway in\u200b Sonoma, Calif., \u200con June 28, 2015. (Robert Laberge\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>At the time he \u200denthused, \u201cThis is the future of\u2064 California and the future of\u200c our environmental protection. This starts a new era for clean \u200cCalifornia transportation.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Legislative Unreality<\/h2>\n<p>The real problem, according to State Sen. \u2063Josh Newman (D-Fullerton), is not the \u2063lack\u2064 of enthusiasm by the driving public, but, \u201cThe \u200dreason it\u2019s behind is because\u200c we haven\u2019t made the appropriate investments.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That is, we need\u200c more of the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/what-i-learned-at-the-aspen-ideas-reet-festival-sponsored-by-mastercard-paypal-and-prudential-in-partnership-with-bloomberg\/\" title=\"What I Learned at the Aspen Ideas RE$ET Festival Sponsored by Mastercard, PayPal, and Prudential in Partnership with Bloomberg\">public-private partnerships<\/a>\u201d Schwarzenegger\u2064 always was prattling about.\u200d In\u2064 2009 he published a\u2064 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/entry\/the-moment-for-public-pri_b_210972\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">column<\/a> co-written with then-New York Gov. David \u200cA. \u2062Paterson \u2062urging: \u201cIf we are\u200b to \u200cfinance and build a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dnc-ad-compares-trumps-promises-and-bidens-presidential-record\/\" title=\"DNC ad contrasts Trump's pledges with Biden's track record.\">world-class infrastructure<\/a> for America, we must seek new solutions. And a promising solution is at hand:\u2062 public-private partnerships.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Not coincidentally, it is those two states which \u200bhave lost the \u2064most\u2062 population since their\u200c column\u2063 appeared. The \u200d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.richstatespoorstates.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2023 \u2064edition<\/a> of \u200cthe Laffer-ALEC \u201cRich States, Poor States\u201d report tallied Cumulative\u2063 Domestic Migration (those leaving\u200b for other states, minus those coming in) between the years 2012 and 2021. For\u200b California, it was an exodus \u200cof\u200c 1,551,510; but for New\u200c York it was worse,\u2064 with 1,778,252 \u2064leaving.<\/p>\n<p>The problem is these projects easily devolve into crony capitalism\u2014the \u200cpolitically connected businesses get the contracts, the rest of us get the bill. The efficiencies of the private sector supposedly are used \u200bto\u200b reduce the cost of a public project. But\u2062 the\u200c real effect is to increase \u200dthe size of government \u200dcontrol over our lives.<\/p>\n<p>Economist Chris Brown for the Mises Institute <a href=\"https:\/\/mises.org\/library\/back-door-socialism\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">called<\/a> \u200bPPPs \u201cthe back door to socialism. \u200b&#8230;\u200b When \u200dgovernment is able to partner with a\u200b private\u2064 company and grant access to land, labor,\u200b or capital\u200d that would not \u200chave occurred absent government intervention, everyone&#8217;s property \u2064is exposed to the risk \u200bof government takeover.\u200d A private company may not be able to construct a highway through the private property of others. Government, \u200bthrough powers of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Eminent_domain\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">eminent domain<\/a>,\u200c is\u200c able to seize \u2064private property from individuals \u2064and construct nearly anything it desires.\u2064 In other words, government is able to not only extract money from \u2064private individuals\u200b (taxes) but also to take away their (more tangible) \u2062private property.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Newman, \u200dby the way, was <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/Josh_Newman_recall,_California_State_Senate_(2017-2018)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recalled<\/a> in 2018 after he provided the \u2064crucial vote for\u200d the unneeded 2017 gas tax increase of $5 billion a year, which\u200c contributed to making the state\u2019s gas \u200cprices the \u2063highest in America. Inexplicably, in 2020 \u200dvoters returned him to the Senate.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"aligncenter\"><figcaption>A \u2064Hyundai Motor&#8217;s Nexo hydrogen car\u200d is fueled at a hydrogen station in Seoul, South Korea,\u2062 on Aug. 13, 2019. (Kim Hong-ji\/Reuters)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><h2>Conclusion: The Irresponsibility Continues<\/h2>\n<p> The $106 million for the hydrogen stations shows the\u2063 irresponsibility continues in the Legislature and the rest of the state government. The state\u2062 this year <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2023-05-12\/california-budget-deficit-need-to-know\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ran\u2062 up<\/a> a $31.5 billion\u200d budget deficit. \u2062They should \u200bbe cutting every\u200d bit of waste. Instead, they just keep wasting. It\u2019s\u200c the\u200b taxpayers\u2019 money,\u2064 not theirs,\u2063 so why should\u2062 the legislators and the governor care?<\/p>\n<p>Any responsible family falling into budget problems cuts all \u2063the waste, even the seemingly little stuff: the Netflix subscription, the trip to\u200b McDonald\u2019s, the new iPhone\u2014all \u200dof it goes. Not so \u200bthe California government. Every expensive indulgence is \u2062maintained. No wonder\u200c the state has become a\u200b global watchword \u2064for misgovernance.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\"><em>Views expressed \u2062in this article are opinions of the author and\u2064 do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.<\/em><\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> Considering\u2064 the high cost of the Mirai, what measures\u200c are being taken to make it more accessible and affordable for consumers?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  The Mirai, a hydrogen-powered car from Toyota, made quite an impression when it was\u200c first\u200b introduced. As a press secretary for then-State Senator John Moorlach in \u20632019, I had the opportunity to witness this impressive vehicle \u2062firsthand. Under the\u200c hood, we marveled at its high-tech engine. I remember the\u200c senator driving with the Toyota representative riding shotgun and\u2062 me sitting in the back, enjoying \u2062the ride. Since then, I occasionally \u2062spot a Mirai on the road.<\/p>\n<p>The question\u2064 arises, would I personally own a Mirai? Certainly, if it were given\u2063 to me as a gift and all the\u2063 associated expenses such as taxes, licenses, and maintenance were covered. The starting price for the 2023 model \u200dis $49,500, making it the most expensive vehicle\u200c in Toyota&#8217;s sedan lineup, surpassing \u200deven the $44,590 price tag of the ES Hybrid \u200dby Lexus, Toyota&#8217;s \u2062luxury brand.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s worth noting that the Mirai is primarily an experimental car, running on clean hydrogen as a \u2062potential alternative to \u2063electric vehicles. In terms of market capitalization, Tesla currently holds the top spot with $761 billion, but its fortunes are closely tied to the leadership of its CEO, Elon Musk. Toyota, on the other hand,\u2064 ranks\u2063 second\u200d with a\u2063 market capitalization of $247 billion, making it the most successful traditional car company. This financial stability allows Toyota to invest in experimental ventures like the Mirai. The company&#8217;s previous hybrid experiment, the Prius, introduced in 1997, proved to be a significant success and\u2063 gave Toyota an edge over \u200bits competitors.<\/p>\n<p>The success of the Mirai, however, relies heavily\u200c on financial support from\u2063 California taxpayers. Currently, this support continues through the Clean Transportation Program, which was recently funded\u2064 by Assembly Bill 126, introduced by Assemblywoman Eloise G\u00f3mez Reyes.\u2064 This<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In 2019, as press secretary for State Sen. John Moorlach, I witnessed an impressive moment when a Toyota representative showcased their Mirai hydrogen-powered car. We examined its advanced engine and took a ride, with the senator driving, the Toyota representative as a passenger, and me in the back. It was a pleasant experience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1801,"featured_media":2053295,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2053294","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2053294","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1801"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2053294"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2053294\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2053295"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2053294"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2053294"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2053294"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}