Friday, June 27, 2008

Stimulus checks - more autosprawl subsidy

The U.S. carbon-auto industry is trapped. They have trillions invested in the autosprawl system. But their oil wars have not gone well and they can't control the price of crude oil. They are looting the U.S. Treasury - note the recent "stimulus check" scam:


A consumer group that favors increased funding for mass transit thinks it knows how a lot of households spent the economic-stimulus checks being mailed out by the federal government: putting higher-priced gasoline in their cars. -seattlepi.com

Meanwhile the public and other businesses absorb the costs of autosprawl, while the carbon-auto industry profits:

The Puget Sound region is one of the most congested areas in the country and the economic, environmental and social costs of congestion are great. Traffic congestion costs the Puget Sound Region $844 million annually, or $465 per person each year in wasted time and fuel.
Traffic congestion is not just a Puget Sound problem. Congestion costs the Portland-Vancouver area $757 million per year, 62 million gallons of excess fuel, and an average of 24 hours per person a year. Even in a small urban area like Spokane, congestion cost businesses and individuals approximately $30 million a year, 2 million gallons in excess fuel, and an average of five hours per person a year. WashPirg
We need to STOP the autosprawl subsidies. Join your local transit advocacy group.