[PLUG-TALK] Re: [PLUG] PLUG meeting

Brent Rieck bsr at spek.org
Sat Dec 7 06:38:48 UTC 2002


On Fri, 2002-12-06 at 21:01, Jeme A Brelin wrote:
> > You have that wrong. The Eugene public schools are better than
> > anything the Portland metro area has. We had a choice of locations
> > when we relocated. School quality was high on the list, because our
> > kids are already there, and we can't afford to wait 5 years for the
> > schools to improve. It's a moot point then, as they're all graduated.
> 
> I don't have it wrong.  You're more interested in giving your own children
> a good education than improving education for everyone generally.  It was
> a selfish, anti-community move.

Jeme, you are so right, what a selfish bastard!  He probably pays his
rent or mortgage and buys groceries for his family before giving to
charity and running a weekly neighborhood barbecue too.  Of all the
selfish, anti-community NERVE!

> > >When a friend of mine was living in Eugene and working in Portland, he
> > >took the train every day from Union Station.  I believe it came out to $10
> > >each day (or perhaps each way) and he was able to work and read and eat
> > >packed breakfasts and dinners on the train.  And he wasn't encouraging
> > >sprawl by supporting parking structures and personal motor vehicles.  All
> > >around, it seemed more sensible than driving.
> >
> > It's $100 per week.
> 
> If you MUST commute that far, that's a pretty decent rate.  Much cheaper
> than a car, all tolled.

And you're taking into account the massive rail subsidies and historical
land grants?  Right?

> > Which works, if you have a job where you can guarentee your hours. I
> > can't. If I miss the 6:00 train, I'm stuck in Portland until the next
> > day. If I miss the early train, I'm 3 hours late to work.
> 
> Convenience, then... and laziness.  You're not working hard enough.  You
> expect the public to pick up the tab for the convenience of your private
> automobile.
> 
> > Besides that, the car I had at the time (1987 Mazda) only cost about
> > $5 worth of gas to get me both ways.
> 
> Gas is hardly the only cost.  It's one of the few you pay individually
> (insurance is another).  But MOST of the cost of car ownership is public
> and paid through my taxes.  I'm sick of subsidizing your lazy,
> convenience-loving ass.

I'd almost forgotten that you hold convenience in contempt, thanks for
reminding me.  Yes, right now even the carless help pay for the people
that drive cars and I think that's bad, blah blah blah - but it's
undeniable that a car is vastly more convenient, comfortable, and timely
for most people.

Even if cars paid their true costs through an appropriate gas tax, their
capabilities still vastly exceed the convenience, comfort and timeliness
of our current public transportation system.  A few more people would
ride the bus however - as they could no longer afford their cars - but
they'd be the less "economically advantaged" people.  I'm sure they'd
love chatting with their new busmates about the pleasure they get
getting up an hour earlier just to get to work on the bus.  Yes they
could move closer to work to get a better bus commute, if they work in a
neighborhood that they can afford.

--Brent




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