[I got carried away, and wrote up this idea. Then I got even more carried away, and sent it to my state reps, and to a local paper.]
The state legislature's proposal to impose a tax freeze on local governments is nothing short of amazing. Responding to the quite understandable desire to control taxes, the Republicans simply said 'make it so'. This kind of magical thinking is inspiring. That is why I am urging my representatives to follow up with a Traffic Freeze. Lets limit the number of cars and trucks on our roadways to 2003 levels. Who needs more noise, more pollution? Who needs the increased threats to safety? In Madison, traffic is typically the most common complaint to the city council. I suspect the same is true around the state. Critics may argue that my idea is 'impractical'. But it is far more practical than a tax freeze. Municipalities already have the tools in place. Even the smallest village has regulations governing transit, roads, traffic, parking, zoning, and land use. Economics, on the other hand, is subject to national and global factors that far outside of their control. It is often argued (by the road building lobby) that transportation is essential for a strong economy. They are correct, up to a point. I think we are well past that point, at least with respect to motor vehicles. The Wisconsin Taxpayer's Alliance reports (http://www.wistax.org/news_releases/index.html) that Wisconsin has "more paved road miles per capita than all but five states". In any case, we know that we cannot build our way out of congestion. Lets stop paving the earth, and stop approving auto-dependent sprawl-burbs. Instead, lets plan for real communities that are bike, pedestrian, and transit-friendly. Make it so. Darin Burleigh Madison, 2003 _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
