JHZR2
Staff member
OK, this one is out there... and I don't want to sound insensitive, but I think it might be an interesting academic parallel:
Think about handicap laws: the best spots at the front of the lots that you cant use, the two or three lost bathroom stalls combined to make a big one that is of no use to you, the ripping up of every corner to make sloped corner curbs for wheelchair access...
There are lots of things that we as taxpayers have to pay for, to acomodate one small subset. Sure, if I was ever handicapped, id appreciate the stuff being there, but the reality of it is that most of us pay for these things in one way or another, while some take advantage of them because theyre lazy or dont care, and some really use them... while most of us wont ever make use of them.
OK, bear with me here...
So then there are some of us who have owned smaller more efficient cars for one reason or another. We think its the right thing to do, we're cheap, we dont have the money for fuel costs... Yet someone somewhere claims that SUVs and big trucks are all the rage, so society gets wedged into a spot they cant get out of, driving is necessary, so traders and speculators can leverage on this and gouge ALL consumers for higher prices for fuel... as is happening today.
Both are situations where the average joe ends up paying for things that they didnt cause and that they wont necessarily ever get use of... No derived utility = big loss if you have to pay for it in some way anyway.
When its raining, the supermarket lot is full, but there are ten empty handicap spots in the front that Im not legally allowed to park in... I end up getting wet, potentially sick, and majorly inconvenienced. When my corner doesnt have a sloped curb, I or the town (and thus me anyway through tax) have to pay for it. When I need to use the bathroom at the train station, but there are only two now instead of four because they had to be converted into a handicapped stall... I have to wait.
When I drive an economy car, and minimize my driving, I dont cause excessive demand. When I bike to work or take public transport to reduce fuel use, I create no demand. When I keep my thermostat at 62-65 in the winter, I minimize demand. Yet when joe schmoe drives a guzzler vehicle, becaue its all the style, and keeps his house at 85 in he winter, he increases demand, which I once again have to pay for. Inconvenience and larger payments due to no fault of my own.
Much like the handicapped parking spots, which Ill never (hopefully) be able to park in, Ill never be able to use copious quantities of fuel... yet I pay all sorts of extra money because of someone elses needs, choices, etc.
Some folks are born handicapped, some get that way. Some are born rich, some get that way. Some are born stupid, some just get dumber. For the rest of us, we just pay for habits and situations of which we shall never see with no real benefits or utilities derived.
I really dont have a problem with the handicapped, let me make that clear. In fact, my fiancee is devoting her career and life to helping make people with disabilities lives better, and I totally support her. But all the same, sometimes I think that the accessibility stuff goes a bit too far, especially considering how everyone pays for it but very, very few derive utility.
Now some could argue that any time we pay tax, were paying for lazy people (welfare), poor people (food stamps), old people (medicare), etc., etc. However, when we pay taxes, we pay more as a result of our increased success. When we pay more for fuel, we often pay for someone elses' habits, not our own. When we have to devote taxes to put in a special wheelchair lift that never gets used, we have to devote our taxes to someone else's unfortunate situation. There is a difference.
In general, I dont like paying for someone elses' situation or choices or habits. But thats what Im doing due to the increases in fuel pricing... Say all you want about it being inline with history... everyone is feeling the squeeze (unless they dont drive or only commute a few miles and dont go anywhere else) somewhat... and many of us didnt contrbute to it at all. Very annoying to me...
I guess if you drive an 8mpg guzzler, keep your heat/AC on at ridiculously hot/cold points, or generally dont care, then this doesnt apply... All the same, the parallel struck me and I thought it was interesting.
JMH
Think about handicap laws: the best spots at the front of the lots that you cant use, the two or three lost bathroom stalls combined to make a big one that is of no use to you, the ripping up of every corner to make sloped corner curbs for wheelchair access...
There are lots of things that we as taxpayers have to pay for, to acomodate one small subset. Sure, if I was ever handicapped, id appreciate the stuff being there, but the reality of it is that most of us pay for these things in one way or another, while some take advantage of them because theyre lazy or dont care, and some really use them... while most of us wont ever make use of them.
OK, bear with me here...
So then there are some of us who have owned smaller more efficient cars for one reason or another. We think its the right thing to do, we're cheap, we dont have the money for fuel costs... Yet someone somewhere claims that SUVs and big trucks are all the rage, so society gets wedged into a spot they cant get out of, driving is necessary, so traders and speculators can leverage on this and gouge ALL consumers for higher prices for fuel... as is happening today.
Both are situations where the average joe ends up paying for things that they didnt cause and that they wont necessarily ever get use of... No derived utility = big loss if you have to pay for it in some way anyway.
When its raining, the supermarket lot is full, but there are ten empty handicap spots in the front that Im not legally allowed to park in... I end up getting wet, potentially sick, and majorly inconvenienced. When my corner doesnt have a sloped curb, I or the town (and thus me anyway through tax) have to pay for it. When I need to use the bathroom at the train station, but there are only two now instead of four because they had to be converted into a handicapped stall... I have to wait.
When I drive an economy car, and minimize my driving, I dont cause excessive demand. When I bike to work or take public transport to reduce fuel use, I create no demand. When I keep my thermostat at 62-65 in the winter, I minimize demand. Yet when joe schmoe drives a guzzler vehicle, becaue its all the style, and keeps his house at 85 in he winter, he increases demand, which I once again have to pay for. Inconvenience and larger payments due to no fault of my own.
Much like the handicapped parking spots, which Ill never (hopefully) be able to park in, Ill never be able to use copious quantities of fuel... yet I pay all sorts of extra money because of someone elses needs, choices, etc.
Some folks are born handicapped, some get that way. Some are born rich, some get that way. Some are born stupid, some just get dumber. For the rest of us, we just pay for habits and situations of which we shall never see with no real benefits or utilities derived.
I really dont have a problem with the handicapped, let me make that clear. In fact, my fiancee is devoting her career and life to helping make people with disabilities lives better, and I totally support her. But all the same, sometimes I think that the accessibility stuff goes a bit too far, especially considering how everyone pays for it but very, very few derive utility.
Now some could argue that any time we pay tax, were paying for lazy people (welfare), poor people (food stamps), old people (medicare), etc., etc. However, when we pay taxes, we pay more as a result of our increased success. When we pay more for fuel, we often pay for someone elses' habits, not our own. When we have to devote taxes to put in a special wheelchair lift that never gets used, we have to devote our taxes to someone else's unfortunate situation. There is a difference.
In general, I dont like paying for someone elses' situation or choices or habits. But thats what Im doing due to the increases in fuel pricing... Say all you want about it being inline with history... everyone is feeling the squeeze (unless they dont drive or only commute a few miles and dont go anywhere else) somewhat... and many of us didnt contrbute to it at all. Very annoying to me...
I guess if you drive an 8mpg guzzler, keep your heat/AC on at ridiculously hot/cold points, or generally dont care, then this doesnt apply... All the same, the parallel struck me and I thought it was interesting.
JMH
