Comment El Lay, CA viewpoint (Score 1) 1351
As a person who actually lives in California, specifically the L.A. area, lemme give a biased perspective (with background):
The "freeway" concept was brought about because it was a PR message to get Cali folks to buy into having interstates built for them. The cost of maintaining them was a future generation's problem cos how could you sell folks back then on maintaining such vast expanses of roads when it was such a fiscally conservative state? It was short-sighted and we are paying for it now.
All Big Brotherliness aside, this GPS based "solution" is only the latest, simply ridiculous way to make up for that short-sightedness. The current gas tax is perfect since its a tax on consumption that affects that largest, most fuel inefficient vehicles most adversely. An 8,000 lb SUV does considerably more wear and tear on the roads than a typical 3,800 lb sedan (remember that these roads were engineered to carry smaller loads when they were built in the '50s and '60s. I'm pretty sure that they didn't envision passenger cars that had the weight of a delivery truck running about on them). If the cost of gas is your biggest concern, drive a more fuel efficient (and generally smaller) car. Or how about this: Add a vehicle weight "fee" as part of regular registration. You drive a big car, you pay the premium for this "right".
In a place where a truck/SUV monstrosity is seen a "bling-bling" conveyance for all of its road going room, make sure that the cost is placed where it belongs: squarely on the shoulders of the biggest vehicles. If you want the premium room, pay the premium price.
P.S. Please don't try to cloud the water with the semi rig argument as they already have a separate set of rule regulating them... and yes, I drive a little Toyota Corolla and carpool to work, when I don't take mass transit.
Freedom as in choice, not as in free-to-assume_everything_you_want_is-a-right. ~Q
The "freeway" concept was brought about because it was a PR message to get Cali folks to buy into having interstates built for them. The cost of maintaining them was a future generation's problem cos how could you sell folks back then on maintaining such vast expanses of roads when it was such a fiscally conservative state? It was short-sighted and we are paying for it now.
All Big Brotherliness aside, this GPS based "solution" is only the latest, simply ridiculous way to make up for that short-sightedness. The current gas tax is perfect since its a tax on consumption that affects that largest, most fuel inefficient vehicles most adversely. An 8,000 lb SUV does considerably more wear and tear on the roads than a typical 3,800 lb sedan (remember that these roads were engineered to carry smaller loads when they were built in the '50s and '60s. I'm pretty sure that they didn't envision passenger cars that had the weight of a delivery truck running about on them). If the cost of gas is your biggest concern, drive a more fuel efficient (and generally smaller) car. Or how about this: Add a vehicle weight "fee" as part of regular registration. You drive a big car, you pay the premium for this "right".
In a place where a truck/SUV monstrosity is seen a "bling-bling" conveyance for all of its road going room, make sure that the cost is placed where it belongs: squarely on the shoulders of the biggest vehicles. If you want the premium room, pay the premium price.
P.S. Please don't try to cloud the water with the semi rig argument as they already have a separate set of rule regulating them... and yes, I drive a little Toyota Corolla and carpool to work, when I don't take mass transit.
Freedom as in choice, not as in free-to-assume_everything_you_want_is-a-right. ~Q
