If there really is an emergency and people are convinced of that I don't see
why rationing
would not work. While I agree that public transportation should be supported,
as long as the
rich don't use it they will use their influence and power to sabotage attempts
to subsidize a system they do not use. You are right of course about the growth
of grey markets and black markets that still afford the well off superior
treatment under rationing. THe same thing happens with our medicare system
where doctors, and politicians jump queues or travel to the US but the system
nevertheless works reasonably well--and would work much better if
properly funded. If the rich are part of the rationing system then they have a
stake in it and will be interested in seeing to it that it works. At least you
show concern for the relative impact of policies on different income groups.
Mark Jones apparently thinks this is fiddling while Rome burns.
Jim Devine wrote:
> At 09:41 PM 06/27/2000 -0500, you wrote:
> > Although I appreciate Jim Devine's argument for higher gas prices
> > there is a definite income bias involved. The relatively well off can
> > continue to drive their SUV's etc. while the lower middle classes will be
> > priced right out of the automobile market. This saves oil but in a
> > totally unfair way. THe large group of drivers who now enjoy relatively
> > cheap gas can hardly be blamed for opposing a more progressive energy
> > pricing policy if it threatens to end or curtail their enjoyment of
> > automobiles while those well off continue as before. Why not ration
> > gasoline as was done in wartime? Rationing by the market is rationing for
> > the rich.
>
> Rationing is only a defensive maneuver, one that eventually gets weak as
> the rich use their political connections and their ability to afford high
> illegal-market prices. Though it worked during WW 2 in the US, how long
> could it have lasted?
>
> Instead, the government should deal with the problem by increasing the
> amount and quality of public mass transit drastically, including getting
> many more of these natural-gas-driven wheelchair-friendly busses. Much of
> the expense can be covered by the gas tax. In general, the idea is to move
> toward the best W. European model.
>
> Jim Devine [EMAIL PROTECTED] & http://bellarmine.lmu.edu/~JDevine
