来源：《洛杉矶时报》
原文刊登日期：2022年3月10日
Governor Gavin Newsom’s promise of a gas tax rebate during his State of the State speech seems intended to show voters ahead of midterm elections that he and other Democratic lawmakers are doing something to help Californians with rising prices at the pump.
加州州长加文·纽森在发表州情演讲时承诺将退还燃油税，似乎是为了在中期选举前向选民表明，他和其他民主党议员正在做一些事情，帮助加州人应对油价上涨。
But why focus solely on gas prices and help for motorists? Price hikes are making practically everything more expensive, from a gallon of gasoline to a gallon of milk, and people clearly need relief from that financial strain. Newsom’s administration has provided few details beyond his plan to submit a proposal to “put money back in the pockets of Californians, to address rising gas prices.” However, some of the specifics his aides shared are concerning.
但为什么只关注汽油价格和对驾驶者的帮助呢？从一加仑汽油到一加仑牛奶，价格上涨使得几乎所有东西都变得更加昂贵，人们显然需要救助来缓解经济压力。除了提交一份“把钱放回加州人口袋，以应对不断上涨的汽油价格”的提案外，纽森政府几乎没有提供任何细节。然而，他的助手们分享的一些细节令人担忧。
Dee Dee Myers, Newsom’s senior advisor, told reporters the rebate would probably total billions of dollars, occur as soon as this spring and be limited to people who have a car. That carless residents may be excluded is worrisome and raises serious questions about equity for low-income families that are among those hurting the most from inflation.
纽森高级顾问迪•迪•迈尔斯对记者表示，退税总额可能达数十亿美元，最早将于今年春天开始，而且仅限于有车人士。无车居民可能被排除在外，这令人担忧，并引发了对低收入家庭公平问题的严重质疑，这些家庭是受通胀伤害最大的群体之一。
Prices in the Los Angeles area rose 7.5% between January 2021 and January 2022, the largest increase since 1982. Gas prices jumped nearly 40% over that period, but the cost of groceries, child care, clothing, natural gas and electricity all shot up dramatically too. The problem isn’t just at the gas pump; it’s everywhere you look, including the grocery store, your utility bill and shopping for a used car.
洛杉矶地区的价格指数在2021年1月至2022年1月期间上涨了7.5%，是1982年以来的最大涨幅。在此期间，汽油价格上涨了近40%，但食品杂货、儿童看护、服装、天然气和电力的价格也都大幅上涨。问题不只是在加油站；它无处不在，包括杂货店，你的水电费账单和购买二手车。
A tax rebate is a good idea, but must be applied broadly so that it helps all Californians who are struggling. Call it the gas and groceries rebate, and everyone should be able to get behind it.
退税是个好主意，但必须适用于更多的人，这样才能帮助所有苦苦挣扎的加州人。把它称为汽油和杂货退税，每个人都应该会支持它。
Newsom is trying to show voters that he’s doing something to ease the impact of rising gas prices ahead of the coming election, and sending a rebate to owners of registered vehicles is a simple way to get money out quickly. That will help him and Democrats, particularly those in swing districts where rising gas prices are a political liability. But that should not skew their priorities or distract from the need to extend relief to all Californians who need it.
纽森试图向选民表明，在即将到来的选举之前，他正在做一些事情来缓解油价上涨的影响，而向有车登记的车主发放退税是一个快速花钱的简单方法。这将有助于纽森和民主党人，尤其是那些摇摆选区的民主党人，在这些选区，不断上涨的油价是一种政治负担。但这不应该影响他们的优先事项，也不应分散他们对向所有需要救助的加州人提供救助的需求。