Economically, many of the suburban riders would still have to look elsewhere for employment, even if the state gve them a car, as they would not be able to afford the cost of maintenance, insurance AND downtown parking. Those that would be able to afford the periphreal costs (of car ownership for commuting), would likely decline the offer of a $5,000 "free car" and pull their Lexus, or SUV out of garage and start commuting anyway.
Environmentally, what are the hard-to-quantify costs associated with adding all these cars to the daily commute?
You know, while we're at it, maybe we should do away with MNDot and buy everyone snowblowers? You could build a pretty strong case financially for having everyone responsible for maintaining their own stretch of highway. It's not all that far-fetched. In the rural town in northern Maine I grew-up in, the road I lived on was maintained by the county & state. I remember one winter, after an ice storm, I got tired of strangers knocking on my door (I lived on a farm) to pull them out of the ditch because the state hadn't sanded the road. After complaining numerous times (to no avail) I loaded-up the manure spreader and headed straight down the middle of the road for about a two-mile stretch. The frozen manure chunks played hell with the under carriage of the cars, but it completely eliminated the knocks on the door at all hours of the nite.
I must say however, I find the Taxpayer Leagues' statements somewhat appealing. W/O the transit system, all the drug dealers that live in the 'burbs and come into my neighborhood on the bus, to undermine the quality of life through the livability crimes they commit, would then become the problems of the 'burbs exclusively and undeniably.
It's nice living in a progressive society.
Dennis Plante Jordan
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