Allen suggested a "city fuel tax" to help pay for city streets and trails. Actually, a "Congestion Tax" such as has been in effect in London, England, could work better. Minneapolis leadership should explore this with leadership form other metro areas as a way to reduce congestion, encourage transit use and walkable-bikable living-working arrangements -- as well as to raise revenue.
Of course, we will pay the equivalent of the "congestion tax" many times over to the oil industry soon, as world wide demand far exceeds supply within the next few years. We will not benefit from oil price increases. The dollars will be sucked out of our city. In five years it will be more expensive to use the energy resources we have to leverage a sustainable infrastructure into existence. The reality of the impact of peak oil production will not be allowed to "trickle down" to the so-called "free market" until we are bound even more tightly to those who want to mix the blood of our children with petroleum in order to make a profit. Economic democracy, sustainability, energy and food self reliance, and careful knitting of our urban economy into that of the bioregion need to be top priorities. A Congestion Tax would be a win-win. Revenue would be raised while encouraging a transformation to a healthier, more energywise city. My guess is that the powers that be will not propose such a tax. We are being sold out to pay more tribute in blood and money directly to the petroleum industry. See where our library and education-poor children will be heading in this article: "Business Booming For Soldiers of Fortune" http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0730-06.htm Do google searches on "economic democracy" or "peak oil" or visit The Center for Public Integrity online to see the report "The Politics of Oil" at: http://www.publicintegrity.org/oil/default.aspx While more tax money is sucked out of Minneapolis to pay for more private proxy military ("Private Military Contractors") to fight for the petrochemical industry, the US may face up to $110 billion in bailout costs for the airline industry. Airline industry pension commitments may not be honored. Dollars will be sucked out of Minneapolis to subsidize the Corporate Welfare Queens of the airline industry who also "own" our local MAC. The supposedly "free market" which requires the blood of the poor also require the pensions of retirees along with increased pollution around the airport. Who benefits? Who loses? http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/01/business/01PENS.html?hp Minneapolis is now changing to reflect our place in the permanent war economy. Meanwhile, the "citizens" of Minneapolis are kept distracted arguing over how to accomodate the fascist-imposed budget cuts. How many political leaders even suggest ways to increase local economic democracy, sustainability, or energy independance? Are we Minneapolitans sleepwalking, hoping that everything will be alright if and when we wake up? We and our kids are headed for more poverty and violence unless we organize to build a peaceful urban fabric -- whether or not the government and big corporations have anything to do with it. Government and corporations are not our parents. We are responsible for ourselves. We are the people. We must plan healthy lives for ourselves and our children in a shrinking world. Go see the movie documentary "The Corporation" at the Lagoon if you have not already done so. Organize! -- pedaling for peace and ecojustice from Kingfield neighborhood -- Gary Hoover REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
