North Carolina Republican Rep. Responds to Fourth Grader's Essay Urging Electric Vehicle Tax Rebate

A fourth grader received a written response from a Republican North Carolina representative after mailing an essay written for class that promoted electric cars and called for a $5,000 federal tax rebate for new electric vehicle purchases. The child's mother, Emily Mango, shared details of the exchange on Instagram on Saturday.

She said her son sent the essay in a school envelope that listed "4th Grade" as the return address. Mango described the reply as "so NOT OK" and attached an image of the letter. The representative began by noting the importance of hearing from constituents and stated agreement on fostering innovation and American competition in the automobile industry.

The response then addressed the essay's central proposal. It argued that one-size-fits-all government regulations are not the best solution to environmental problems and instead supported free market approaches. "What many folks do not realize is that the money that 'comes from the federal government actually comes from ordinary citizens who pay taxes to support that government.

Therefore, your request that 'the federal government should give a $5,000 tax rebate for all new electric car purchases' means that the federal government must take that money out of the pockets of hardworking people who may not have the means to buy an electric vehicle in the first place," the letter stated, according to the version shared by Mango.

The representative included links to six articles that discussed the record of policies enacted to address climate change. The linked pieces came from the Wall Street Journal, Fox News and National Review.

and Classroom Instruction

Toward the end of the letter, the representative noted that 2038 is only 12 years away and that the student and his classmates would be responsible for the national debt. The letter then stated, "Incidentally, please ask your teacher to explain propaganda to you.

While I will never be able to know, my guess is that your teacher will not give you a good educational experience and help you learn to think as they are too interested in indoctrinating you. " Mango shared the letter on social media, where it drew attention from political accounts.

One post described the reply as attacking the student and his teacher. The original essay was a persuasive writing assignment. The representative's office has not issued a public statement beyond the letter itself.