Last week Gov. Scott held a news conference where he announced several steps he’s taking to assist Vermonters who have lost their vehicles to flood damage and presumably didn’t have insurance protection for the loss.

This item, in his agenda jumped out at me: “Gas or diesel-powered cars and trucks damaged by flooding – drivable or not – will be eligible for up to $11,000 dollars in trade value for an electric-powered vehicle.” 

I’m having a hard time visualizing this exchange when a flood ruined car is hauled on a car carrier into a dealership, where the dealer is told to give the owner $11,000 credit toward a new - and heavily subsidized, of course  -  electric car. Is the Governor going to show up with a state check for $10,800 to top the ruined vehicle’s trade in value from $200 bucks’ worth of scrap metal up to $11,000? Am I paying for this?

But more quizzical was this from Transportation Secretary Joe Flynn: “We hope these incentive changes will make a difference in curbing the worst effects of climate change and a big difference in the lives of residents still struggling to get back on their feet.”  Does Flynn really believe that paying auto dealers a million bucks or so to take in junk cars and hand out electric cars will help defeat climate change? Secretary Flynn has been drinking too much climate change Kool Aid.