[lbo-talk] NY blocks mayor's congestion plan

[John Thornton]

Jordan Hayes wrote:
> John Thornton writes:
>
>   
>> It doesn't necessarily save them time or money and so isn't 
>> necessarily
>> "better" for them in any way except as a class signifier.
>> This is to be discouraged.
>> What percentage of total NYC individual drivers these people make up 
>> is
>> not known by me. Probably not by anyone else either but I bet it's
>> significant.
>>     
>
> Well, there you have it: I don't know the answer, but I bet it's big, so 
> let's nail everyone equally.  A very American "feel-it-in-my-gut" 
> response.
>
> I'll take the other side of that: we don't know, and probably can't 
> know; so if we're getting a posse together to nail the richies, why not 
> do it through the progressive income tax?
>
> It seems like you've made my point for me, thanks.
>
> /jordan 

I didn't say it was right, only that it is.
Of course some public policy is based on "feel-it-in-my-gut" reactions 
by politicians.
If we can't acknowledge this we'll never have any chance to effect 
policy changes for the better.
The real world is sometimes irrational and messy.

John Thornton