++ 04/03/00 13:26 -0500 - Crist J. Clark:
> Driving is an activity that incurrs a cost on society, building roads,
> regular maintainance, salter, snow plows, maintainace to fix the
> damage the snow plows did, etc.
A cost that is not fully realized in the US.
> > This week, I traveled from Wyoming to California and discovered that
> > gas prices were 25% higher in the Golden State than in the Cowboy
> > State. Why? Because Californians "tax" themselves by requiring that
> > everyone buy fuel with high concentrations of MTBE, an oxygenating agent.
> > MTBE was supposed to reduce pollution, but in fact is a worse pollutant
> > than oxides of nitrogen ever were. However, since only California
> > refineries make gas with a high enough concentration of MTBE, Californians
> > are locked into buying from these few sources and the price goes up.
> > WAY up. Los Angeles will have $2.50 gas this summer.
>
> Yet the number of f*cking SUVs and other gas-guzzling vehicles in the
> region will continue to rise as will the miles driven per vehicle.
Sure, personal assult vehicles consume more than they pay for. If
they were taxed at a sane rate, far fewer people would drive them.
This from a serious anarchist who wants to see private roads everywhere.
If everyone payed a private entity to get to work, we'd see a saner
commute schedule. It would be a lot different. Makes you ("you" meaning
people in CA, US) wonder, I hope. I live here.
> > It's the same the whole world over. Energy policies and fuel costs aren't
> > driven by markets or even common sense. They are controlled by big
> > cartels, big government, and politics.
>
> Just like everything else.
The interesting part is that things are about to become a lot different.
The same cartels know that, and they may end up on top, but there is a
radical change in personal transport coming. Things are becoming interesting.
If people choose (if alternative projects advertise well), we'll see
neat things happen.
-j
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