Sure, yeah, let's tax the heck out of gas (and diesel) like other countries
do. Since just about everything is transported by vehicles that burn gas or
diesel, we can make everything cost more. This would be great for the economy!
And it would have another salient benefit: we could carry things on our backs
instead of transporting them with vehicles that use fossil fuels. Not only
would this give us cleaner air, it would create thousands of jobs overnight!
But why stop there? We could also adopt the socialist economies of other
countries, so we can enjoy right here at home the benefits of double digit
inflation and unemployment, without having to travel to Europe!
Seriously, consider that gas powered vehicles so far outnumber "alternative"
transportation, that making new gas powered vehicles even 1% more efficient
would lower overall pollution far more than a fleet of electric cars ever
would. When you consider that the millions / billions of dollars spent so far
on electric cars and other "alternative" technologies, in the absence of
government subsidies, would have been spent on current gas technology, we
might have cleaner air today if these programs had never been enacted.
In short, as Kevin says, social engineering sucks. Not only does it rarely
(never?) achieve its intended objective, it usually exacerbates the very
problems it was intended to solve, leaving a morass for future generations to
fix.
just my $0.02. P.S. my sarcasm is directed at the idea, not at any person.
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-ba-autox@autox.team.net
[mailto:owner-ba-autox@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of Nandaholz@aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2001 09:06
To: ba-autox@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Cheap Gas?
I really think we need to increase gas prices....say up to $5 per gallon like
in other markets around the world. This would have a serious impact on the
amount of single occupancy cars and FUV's on the road, and would promote
alternative transportation like motorcycles and smaller hybrid vehicles. Maybe
more attention would be devoted to telecommuting, shifted work schedules etc.
.. just my $0.02
~Nanda
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