The latest news is that gas prices could reach $4.25 a gallon by April, on the road to $5. Great. As an RV owner and SUV driver, I’m thrilled at the prospect. Especially when our energy policy is a joke. I’ll spare you the expected rant about the necessity for energy independence.
That goes without saying.
Sadly, our politicians on both sides of the aisle pat us on the head time and again, knowing that when all is said and done, we, the beleaguered middle class, will do what we always do. We’ll grumble, but we’ll suck it up and pay whatever the price is. And vote most of the idiots back in.
It’s time to wake up the rest of the people. You know, the ones who depend on ME to subsidize their transportation, their food, diapers, rent, birth control, and everything else I foolishly toil to provide for myself.
Take public transportation, for example. Virtually none of the public bus lines in America are profitable, and in the case of my home city, there'’ only ONE route that makes money, and that’s the one that runs along the Las Vegas Strip.
Government subsidizing of anything hides the “real” costs, whether you’re talking about education, medical care, so called “green” technology, etc. In the case of public transit, especially in my town, where the only people who ride busses are poor or unable to drive, there are many people who rely on it because they chose to have children before they could afford cars. So by subsidizing public transportation, in reality, I’m also subsidizing illegitimacy, the number one cause of poverty, and continuing the cycle.
I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that most of the people relying on government subsidies are Obama supporters. So to help them decide which way to vote in November, and because the president is such a proponent of “fairness”, I propose that we index bus fares to gas prices, on a daily basis if need be.
The last time bus fares were raised in Vegas by the RTC (Regional Transportation Commission) was in 2010, when gas was approx. $2.64 a gallon. Now it’s $3.57 a gallon, and rising rapidly. Who do you suppose is making up that difference? I wish someone would make up that difference in my personal budget.
Sure, it would cost a little to implement the changes I’m suggesting, and of course the daily rate would not apply to people who bought monthly passes, but as John Adams once said, “facts are stubborn things”.
Since the Obama administration is so big on education wouldn’t some lessons in economic reality benefit everyone? If ‘m feeling the pain at the pump, shouldn’t you feel the pain at the bus stop?
Just give up your cigarettes for a month and you’ll be fine.
Indexing bus fares to gas prices would immediately benefit taxpayers who are effectively paying twice for the rise in gas prices. And the long term effects could be tremendous. Bus riders would be forced to pay attention to what’s really going on in the world of Obama policies. And that could shake things up in November.
Intentionally sheltering “the takers” from the economic
reality we “makers” face every day benefits only ONE side of the aisle. In the interest of “fairness”, and “education” it’s time to wake these people up.
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