Eric, Perhaps I left my intentions unclear so let me clear them up now: I am sincerely interested in your analysis of Randal O'Toole's document, and the effectiveness of the counter-arguments in the VTPI paper. Your perspective on this will be especially useful to me, even if you don't have a deep background in planning issues in Madison or Portland because your gut reaction as a libertarian to the ideas is what I am really looking for.
In another clarification of my position: I actually do believe in exploring free-market approaches to transportation issues. Randal O'Toole is for using tolls to fund bridge repairs and I think that is a wonderful idea. The more costs of operating a motor vehicle that are directly tied to the use of the vehicle the better. However, 40% of the costs of local roads in Wisconsin are not paid via user fees, and this has created a distorted market for Transportation. Until that 40% is reduced to something more reasonable I feel that heavily subsidizing high-potential rail (and other motor vehicle alternatives) projects is necessary to help correct the imbalances that exist today. Where I disagree with Mr. O'Toole is on the issue of measuring the success of rail - he carefully excludes key facts that completely change the conclusion. For one, he suggests that Portland's land-use policies have driven people to move to Vancouver Washington, but fails to mention that Vancouver is something of a tax haven - there is no income tax in Washington, and no sales tax in Oregon. This is well-known to Portland Residents, which Mr. O'Toole claims to have been. Second, on the Vicky McKenna radio show, Mr. O'Toole stated that the percentage of people using transit to commute into Portland has decreased since light rail went in. What Mr. O'Toole fails to mention is that there was huge growth in employment to the east and west of Portland along the rail line. In fact, shortly after the first light-rail line went into operation, the number of total morning commuters traveling out of Portland actually exceeded the number of morning commuters traveling into Portland. Matt Logan. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Eric Westhagen Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2007 2:42 PM To: BikiesSubmissions Subject: [Bikies] "The height of it?" Dear Matt Logan, "Indeed, that is the height of reason?" If ever a person showed their true colors--your closing sentence of your last screed for or against a non-market version of rail transit--"wondering how Eric Westhagen takes this issue?"-------of course you are not wondering about my libertarian views on your local light rail issue. For some reason you cannot pick a fight with target--a man named O'Toole---so my name popped into your brain to fill the void? I have nothing to say about Madison, Wisconsin's local issues? If I knew more about Portland I might make a comment as an economics--"social scientist"---but not fly off the handle in a personal manner. Eric Westhagen _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
