"Robert Haston" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:There would be much less of this sort of thing (and the human meatgrinder,
too which accounts for more productive years of life lost than anything
except cancer) if the USA didn't engage in the largest social program in
the world - funneling property tax, income tax, sales tax, and consumer
and worker dollars (via "free" parking) towards driving
40,000 human lives are lost in the US each year from auto accidents alone,
more than 13 times the number killed in the 9/11 attacks EVERY YEAR. There
must me a safer alternative. This is the 21st century. We need to devote
research to solving the deadly health hazards presented by automobiles and
OTR trucks. The solution is out there; but it will take a concerted effort,
and a great deal of vision, to make it happen.
Quoted message said:Ironically, Socialist Europe
Socialist Europe? I didn't realize the EU owned the means of production.
What do you mean by "socialist?"
Quoted message said:has fair auto taxation, while we mask our Socialism.
Why is it necessary for you to cast such a label on our society?
Quoted message said:The end result is the urban poor of our society who otherwise couldn't
afford to drive in the city are clogging our streets.
Why are the non-poor more deserving of driving rights, as you seem to imply?
Quoted message said:Instead of going after their kids, retirement, or health care, the right
wing should be fighting for $3 a gallon in gas taxes, in exchange for a
$2,000 property and income tax break for themselves.
I like the idea of subsidizing highway costs with gasoline taxes. It would
create an immediate demand for fuel efficient cars. When you're paying
$5/gal, you definitely want the best possible fuel efficiency. The
popularity of SUV's would die overnight.
Quoted message said:The rich would pay the same and drive just as much, the poor would get on
the bus and ride their bikes more.
Interesting points. Presumably you also advocate expansion of commuter rail
services in all major and minor cities in the US? And what about electric
trolleys, which were vital to developing cities all over the US at the turn
of the 20th century?
There was a time in US history when cities were vital, sustainable,
beautiful and energy efficient places to live. The architects of those
cities were largely European immigrants, who built American cities in the
image of the cities they had left behind.
Streets and highways take up more than a quarter of the area in US cities.
The number is growing. There are more sustainable, more efficient,
quieter, more social, more beautiful, less polluting alternatives available.
It will take a US president with hope, conviction, vision and strong
leadership to move the US toward those alternatives.
SDB
Quoted message said:"BringYouToLife" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:Rush is always talkin about having a big SUV makes you a big, tough
man, and today he was talkin about how much he loved it when his
little kitty licks his face in the morning, meowing and cooing in his
ear.
This is true, right after that I saw a large Red truck flatted my
neighbors cat, it was flailing about, jerking around in agony, really
sickening, the [censored] didn't even slow down, it was loud as hell
though and I know he knew he hit the cat.
But dead animals are an almost daily occurence along the road in
front of my house. REally, there is no way an animal can go anywhere,
without being run over, eventually, because we have gone totally
insane with cars. WE pave over 3/4's of the surface of the earth in
cities with ugly blacktop so we can park our mechanical, murdering,
polluting monstrosities on it. We start wars over Oil. Oh, comon'
now, it's a tactical doctrine that we WOULD launch a nuclear strike to
maintain oil production in the Middle east. It is defacto law that we
would start a nuclear war over oil if our supplies were threatened.
Such madness, and there doesn't seem to be anyone in sight that's
even considering any solutions. I don't see any, ANY consideration at
all given for public transportation, buses, or ways to ride your bike
for practical purposes, like to and from work, to and from shopping
areas, absolutely none. It is just plain foolishness, wrought by this
mad infatuation with cars and black top.
Just think if that was your cat, Rush LImbaugh, writhing about on
the ground, it's bones crushed, just think of that wonderful, new
shiny new truck and the [censored] who was speeding in it, he probably
listens to you, he probably laughed and thought of you as he felt the
sickening thud of the car being rumpled beneath the undercarriage.
