The law of unintended consequences is once again on full display in California.  The Golden State has done its best to promote what the great economist Thomas Sowell calls "Stage One" thinking.  In the fantasy land of left-believe intentions are all that matters: consequences be darned. 

In California, environmental purity is of primary importance.  Laws and regulations have been piled upon businesses and communities in an effort to create a pristine environment.  A recent study demonstrated that the costs of these regulations have come to the tune of $493 billion, and a net loss of 3.8 million jobs.  But why let a little thing like the health of the state economy get in the way? 

So what's the most recent example of environmental absurdity?  Electric cars.  We've all heard the argument for electric cars.  We need to get off fossil fuel dependency to "save the planet".  Subsidies for electric cars alone topped $2.8 billion last year, and that doesn't include an additional $7,500 charged to taxpayers in order to encourage their purchase. 

Still, electric cars remain a dream for most as the costs of purchasing remains prohibitive.  But where does environmentalism shoot itself in the proverbial foot?  Well, in California, the sheer amount of clean air laws and energy restrictions has made the cost of energy use skyrocket.  Currently the cost of electricity usage in Indiana is 8 cents per kilowatt hour to California's 14.4.  Sadly, this development has killed some of the incentive for potential business owners to purchase electric vehicles.  So now California is truly in a quandary.  How does one promote an electric car while discouraging electricity use?  Perhaps more subsidies and regulations?  They've worked so well thus far.  Why not a little more?