While I don't recommend reading the source article, for the same reason I wouldn't recommend mailing a dollar bill to the North Korean Government, I've chosen to discuss it on TTAC today because it's important to understand the mentality of people who push for outrageously oppressive anti-automobile regulation and taxation. Every idiotic, short-sighted, reality-averse program that comes from the state and federal governments, from "clunker crushing" to per-mile vehicle tracking, starts off as a vague idea in the head of somebody like Jane Brody. Somebody who hasn't the faintest fucking idea how the majority of Americans live, somebody who lives in a $2.85 million private home, someone who is as far removed from the everyday cares and concerns of working Americans of any class as a visitor from another star system would be.
Read on. It's a thing of beauty.
She makes one have fond thoughts about Guillotines made for modern day aristocrats.
Another half mad recluse making policy
I particularly love the last paragraph. It is a gem and could be equally applicable to so much hypocritical "I'm more equal than you" leftist crap being shoved down every Joe and Jane Smuck-Working-Stiff who is just trying to make an honest living.
The last paragraph: "Luckily for these modern-day aristocrats, this isn’t pre-Revolutionary France, or even pre-Revolutionary America. But that’s subject to change, you know, and when that day comes and a nation full of hopeless, unemployed, desperate people makes a final journey into the cities to take what’s left, Ms. Brody shouldn’t be surprised if she’s one of the first ones up against the wall."
I'm glad the old cow is so proud of her darling son for moving back to New York, the centre of civilisation. Rest assured that the moment the devil takes her, her darling son will cash in his share of the 2.85 million greenbacks raised from the sale of the house and retire to somewhere where people work for a living, believe in God, don't have to pay New York State taxes, and won't be completely ruined the day Uncle Sam runs out of other people's money to hand over in tribute to Wall Street.
With luck the grandsons will still be young enough to follow him, in which case they will surely live to thank their father for getting them out of New York---and curse the memory of their grandmother and the New York Times.
If I might add, these changes are never pretty, no matter what evolves. Some of us have some family experience with that sort of thing.
Don't kid yourselves, we have the same aristocrats Laurentian Elite country club here in Canada, and some of them are politicians, including an empty suit Shiny Pony promising lies. People will only take so much abuse from their betters.
Our Public Masters
Career politicians are a recent phenomenon, and one we can well do without.
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/362408/our-public-masters-thomas-sowell
Nice find, thanks.
Term limits for politicians and limited service time for bureaucrats.
5 years maximum time any person can suck on the public teat, sounds good to me.
"The contrast extends beyond these two presidents. What we have today that we did not have in the early history of this country is a permanent political class in Washington — a Congress and an ever growing federal bureaucracy composed of people who have become a permanent ruling class."
This to me is the crux of the problem. Insulated from reality and believing life in DC (or Ottawa) is nation wide in thought and deed. In other words, bureaucratic empire building that has succeeded in becoming the real power behind the politician. Doesn't matter who is elected, the monster continues to grow. Rules and regulations continue to strangle freedom and taxes continue to escalate in order to feed the monster called bureaucracy. Perhaps the answer is for every head of every department to be elected as well as the politician. Eliminating patronage appointments and lifetime tenure would be a marvelous first step in the same vein as elected judges or senate would be. Can you imagine a bureaucrat having to stand on his/her record of efficiency ? That would really be democracy.
Everyone in the civil service should be entered in an annual lottery that would cull a certain percentage from employment in publicly funded organisations. Some of them permanently, some required to take a hiatus of several years in the private sector. And their salaries should be tax-free, so they can remember that only their actual work contributes anything to the good of the country. Taxes you pay with money taken from other people by taxation is not a contribution of money to public funds.
Greg Mankiw wrote a similar Op-Ed in the Wall Street Journal, back in 2006. He argues for an increase in the gas tax:
http://provocateurjim.blogspot.com/2006/10/greg-mankiw-talks-big-with-other.html
toner
"Taxes you pay with money taken from other people by taxation is not a contribution of money to public funds."
and that concept is totally beyond a lefties mental grasp. I'v tried, in vein, to explain that on several occassions, to no avail
my mantra is , and it applies to some in here, they do not know that they do no know!!!
American’s need to give up their cars and big homes to make room for the Chinese that will be displacing them as they collect on their debts. Heh.
Great article, a sliver’s glimpse into the alien minds that rule the western world.
I've been learning to read pinyin Mandarin the last while just because I have a friend who speaks it. Perhaps it's a good idea afterall? Zai Jian.
It will be interesting to see how quickly Ms. Brody's precious snowflake will be able to pedal his bike to get the hell out of Brooklyn next month when the riots start over the government's planned reduction of EBT cards.
I'd like to see Ms Brody walk around NYC with a stone in her shoe for just one day. See how she feels about cars after that.
For some, Pain is the only teacher.
Interesting how those who evangelise the new green austerity never lead by example.
My read on this phenomena is that austerity, in all its forms - collectivism, green cult, climate self-denial, socialist economics etc., is generally preached by the well to do and those connected with the crony elite (the oligopolist establishment). This is a small group of people who made their fortunes with insider hooks and manipulating markets and government. It's the old "austerity for thee but not for me" elitism which washes down into their foundation funded activist organs.
The automobile, or more precisely personal private mobility, is under attack by a coalition of statist control freak government, the oligarchy and their NGO cheerleaders. Why? Well think about it - what singe modern invention other than the personal computer and free internet has liberated the average person from the bondage of reliance on local economic and political forces? - of course the private vehicle. It allows us the freedom to go where we choose to market our goods, services and skills where we will get the best price for them - or to relocate at will where taxes and politics are more friendly. This mobility make the markets competitive, makes employers competitive for skilled labor, makes government competitive to attract populations who become the local tax base.
No longer does a single local industry or big employer dictate wages to a stranded population - they have mobility, they will drive to work where the pay is better or conditions are better/freer or markets more open. The personal vehicle frees us and keeps larger forces in competition for our patronage - and you have to know government and the oligarchy hate free mobile people - this makes them independent and independent people are not easily controlled or subjugated through dependence.
I believe the anti- auto (aka anti personal free mobility) cult has its roots/impetus in a controlling elite - it shows when those who evangelise mass limited transit or those they direct activists whe advocate the end of the personal vehicle, are always driving the latest model luxury cars and never have t worry about getting where they have to go when they want to go.
The automobile represents the individual freedom to go wherever you want whenever you want.
No wonder it is so hated!
I live in the BC interior where you would think the population density would preclude public transit. Nope! Our mayor (town of 5000) wrote the other day that it would be cheaper for the BC Transit buses be parked and a taxi called for riders. Yes, the traffic is that sparse. It doesn't end there.
Since the province centralized health care into regional hospitals it means travel of 100 km to Cranbrook. IHA and BC Transit said not to worry they would
co-op on transport. You guessed it I can round trip my Cranbrook trips for $5. By the way that fair is open to anyone who wants a ride! I guess I am old fashioned as I drive myself. I was sitting on the main street of Cranbrook the other day and observed their transit. These are big buses that were pulling into a major drop off. In the hour I sat there I did not see a single bus pull in with more than 3 passengers! Cranbrook's pop is roughly 18,000 people. I have seen the same thing in Trail.
The point of all this is a demonstration of the extent that politicans will go to act responsibly in the public's eye. It is a feel good exercise that most people realize but the beat goes on anyway. It is BS but what the hey we are so rich that we can afford it. Right?
I agree with Ken (Kulak)-- the last paragraph of that article is quite striking. Seems to me that more and more articles out there are ending with paragraphs like that these days.
Not to mention, if we're all on bikes the Attorney General won't even have to get out of his convertible lexus to properly kill us.
"Stunt driving to me but not for thee"
Here in Victoria BC, they want to raise the gas tax another 2 cents a litre to pay for transit. We have 3 levels of government taxing gas here, and already have the most expensive gas in North America.
mr mayor nenshi also wants on the gas tax bandwagon.
In Quebec - may be higher or lower than BC - we have federal tax = 10 cents per liter Quebec tax per liter 19.2 public transit tax 3 cents per liter
Using base cost (which includes royalties to various governments + tax on profit for corporations) for fuel we have then a 32.2 cents per liter tax plus 15.5% applicable to the total of base costs plus additional taxes. Adding tax to tax to tax to tax. This is a magnificent example of squeezing the lemon. But on the other hand buses carry 8 passengers on average and produce a lovely black soot. What,s not to like
CT, same situation here in Kelowna,except for the buses that go to and from UBCO,which are loaded with students.
Most buses I see have about three or so riders,maybe as many as ten in rush hour,but overall very low ridership. Ironically, for some reason the local transit system won't send a bus out to Commonwealth Road,where about 2000 seniors live in MH parks,and many of whom do not drive.
"In a breathtakingly ignorant and Antoinette-esque work of empathy-free idiocy, Jane Brody looks out of her castle windows and discovers Commuting’s Hidden Cost."
Love that sentence,and would like to overhear a conversation between Brody and our own Marie, the lovely Elizabeth May,who is of the same mind set.
Gaston;
When I was still in the wholesale fuel business the BC cost included;
Federal: 8.5 sales tax + 8.5 exise tax = 0.17 per litre
Provincial: = 0.17 "
GVRD transit tax = 0.12 "
Environmental levy = ? "
I am sure that none of these taxes have gone down. The Enivronmental levy came in after I was gone so I am not sure how much that is. I used to strip all the taxes off and compare the price with the gas prices in Idaho. USA federal and state taxes are way less than in Canada. Currently we are paying $1.049/litre and 30 miles further south about $1.00/litre. Our local pump price in Canada is $1.299/litre. Factor the taxes out and we are probably paying less for gas than our USA neighbors.
That's an awesome rant and I agree with every word of it.
But that type of venom aimed at the 1% is a little odd coming from a guy with three Porsches and a vintage Mercedes convertible in the garage, not to mention his collection of over a hundred rare guitars. If he isn't in the 1% himself he's got to be close.
Of course elitism is as much attitude as actual wealth accumulation and he obviously is not culturally a limousine liberal.
A classic example of arrogance from a loathsome member of the busybody class. I don't commute, but I can certainly understand why others would do so. One of the things I hate doing is driving long distances to get to and from work and, probably more by accident than design, I've ended up living very close to where I work for the last 30 years. Right now I'm an 8 minute walk from the local hospital which, given the horrendous parking situation there, is a benefit. I lucked out with the house I bought in that it has a huge yard and privacy.
People I work with have hour or more commutes, but for them it's worth it as they live on 20+ acres in the country, are exempt from the increasingly totalitarian municipal regulations, and get to keep sheep, chickens, cattle and horses on their properties. When I last looked, we were supposed to be living in a free country where people could make their own choices about their lifestyle.
Automobiles represent the freedom to go where one wants and the self-styled elites hate the fact that the great unwashed are able to freely access wilderness areas that they believe are the sole preserve of the self-annointed. If the proletariat was limited to walking or cycling, then it would take considerably more effort for them to get to such places although the self-styled elites would still consider themselves to be entitled to the use of automobiles. The hypocrisy levels are becoming absurd and Revnant Dream's musings about a return of the guillotine may soon be shared by a majority of the population.
These self-styled elites are the antithesis of Libertarians believing they have been blessed with special powers to determine how the rest of the population should live. These loathsome individuals are the backers of every type of intrusive law in which they attempt to remake the world in the way they arrogantly believe it should be. They claim to be "environmentalists" whereas they're really greedy pigs who pass legislation to prevent people from doing what they want with land they own so their own property values go up as a result of artificially engineered scarcity.
Personally, I would rather cycle than drive, but I refuse to wear a bicycle helmet and have enough things to deal with that I don't need the hassles of going to court to fight kleptocratic legislation. Presumably, if I got a mountain bike I could stay off the local streets, where the Gestapo has jurisdiction, but there's sections where I have to go on a public road to get to work. In large cities, there's no damn way I would do anything except drive through certain neighborhoods. The last time I was in Boston, I was very pleased with the Bostonian habit of not stopping at red lights as my explorations put me in rather unsavory parts of the city where I felt my best course of action was just to keep on moving given the intense interest shown by local loafers about the lone white guy in the neighborhood. I probably wouldn't have made it out were I on a bicycle.
The myth of the grossly obese commuter may be true in some parts of the US where spherical body shapes are admired. However, most of the individuals with such symmetric anatomy look as if they're too poor to afford even a bicycle and one thus has the perplexing problem of people claiming they can't afford food yet their primary medical problem is marked obesity. Most individuals I know who commute long distances tend to be quite fit as they live on rural properties that require an intense expenditure of physical energy to maintain. This is in marked contradistinction to the obese welfare recipient in Vancouver whose physical exertion is limited in waddling to and from the local food bank. Presumably the author of the sanctimonious article didn't have this city population in mind but rather the "ordinary people" she knows who just happen to live in 2.7 million dollar houses and feel smugly superior to those of the proletariat who are trapped in city traffic jams in their planet-destroying vehicles.
While it will create considerable economic destruction, I would consider it cosmic justice when the big city parasites revolt and the busybody and political classes suddenly realize that there are some serious bugs in their "gun free zone" policies.