🚀 go-pugleaf

whheydt@pbhya.PacBell.COM (Wilson Heydt) writes:

>I have mentioned several times that I *support* raising gas taxes to
                                      ^^^^^^^^^^^
         Is this a "libertarian" opinion?

>fully fund roads.  A great deal of the the discussion of that issue
>has revolved around just how large the gap/surplus is.  What I have
>also pointed out in this conection is that if drivers are to fully
>fund roads (or, at least, to fund them to the extent they sue the
>roads--debates have taken place over issues around emergency vehicle
>usage and usage by some forms of mass transit), then it is equally
>fair to insist that mass transit systems be self-supporting as well.

   I think it is interesting how the libertarians always try to
   deflect the discussion of gasoline subsidies and cars into a 
   discussion of funding for roads.   Silly.

   Hey, you libertarians out there!  You want to do away with subsidies
   of mass transit?  Fine.  Great.   You say this everytime someone 
   mentions doing away with subsidies for cars.

   Hey, I'll go along with it.  I agree.  No subsidies for mass transit,
   OR solar energy, OR wind energy, etc, 

                   PROVIDED

   We also eliminate the following:

       1.  The oil depletion allowance.   That's right folks, let's get the
           oil companies off the welfare trough.

       2.  Get the Federal Government out of the roadbuilding business.   No
           more free roads built for the oil companies so they can send their
           oil exploration teams into public lands.   In fact, no more
           free roads built for loggin trucks and cattle ranchers, either.

       3.  The oil on public lands belongs to ALL taxpayers, right?   So
           the federal government should CHARGE a percentage on all oil that
           comes out of the ground on public lands (how's that for a switch?).
           The money will be used to reduce the federal deficit, and when that
           is done, it can be distributed as a TAX REFUND.

           (By the way, the same can be done for all mineral rights as well,
            uranium, iron, coal, copper, etc.)

    Of course, I would like to go one step further.  Let's charge agriculture
    the SAME PRICES for water as the rest of us pay.   Charging municipal
    users and agricultural users different prices for water amounts to another
    subsidy of the agriculture industry.  ELIMINATE IT.   Then, the market
    prices of foods might begin to reflect the resource usage.   

    The libertarians talk big about eliminating government "interference" in
    our schools, medical system, welfare, etc.,  but when it comes to 
    government subsidies of wasteful and harmful big business, the are
    STRANGELY SILENT.    Let's get it out in the open.   My personal opinion:
    Libertarians are just our old friends the selfish conservatives, 
    masquerading under a lot of questionable economic theory.   The basis
    of that economic theory:  Ayn Rand's novels.   

    But when you press them seriously for opinions, you get the same story
    from them that you get from the republicans:  Support BIG industry,
    BIG profits, like Oil, Agribusiness, mining, automobiles.   To hell with
    Labor, the poor, the environment, the homeless, minorities, and our 
    kids.   I don't buy it for ONE MINUTE.