It’s that simple:


And punish those who use cars. Also punish those who move to new developments in the suburbs, as it makes no sense why someone in the city should pay the same rates for water and electricity as someone living in a new house outside the city’s established grid. The expense of building basic infrastructure away from what is already built has a huge impact on public resources, and this cost should be reflected in the utility bills suburbanites pay. Those who live in the city, and therefor live more efficiently (and sanely), need to stop subsidizing those who are bent on living the impossible American dream. Life in the city should be rewarded at every opportunity.

15 replies on “Reward Those Who Use Public Transportation”

  1. I do appreciate it when you social engineers state your agenda flat out, instead of trying to obscure and green wash it.

    Here’s an idea for you: You live in the city and enjoy it. Others will choose to live in other places. Worry about yourself, and not them. You don’t need to bend the human race to your will. There are all kinds of people with all kinds of preferences in the world.

    Also, you don’t pay for the infrastructure of people in the suburbs. The suburbs are separate cities with their own taxes and fees. New streets and utilities are generally built by the developers of new subdivisions. Where they have impacts on surrounding streets, the developer pays “system development charges” specifically to help the city build out the system to accommodate the new growth.

    When you find yourself saying that your lifestyle choices “should be rewarded at every opportunity” it is possible that there is just a little solipsism and self-righteousness underlying your thesis.

  2. Blabby ignores:

    Federal gas tax
    State gas tax
    State income tax dedicated to regional planning processes
    Environmental costs of sprawl/congestion
    Health costs of sprawl/congestion
    Use of city street parking for free or under market value
    Energy usage of larger homes
    Water usage of larger lots/yards

    But..but….solipsism! Self-righteousness!

  3. This may shock you to hear, but not everyone in the suburbs is constantly scheming on how to pilot their SUV to wherever you are. Many people don’t actually like Portland, or the types who live here, or your favorite bar. Most actually live, shop and work… in their suburbs! (GASP!)

    And if you try to drive out to Washington County, or to Salem, or even East Multnomah County at 8am, and back into the city at 5pm, you’ll find (GASP!) many of your virtuous “my ass don’t stink” city-dwelling neighbors commuting by car! Every day! The exact same distance that suburbanites commute into the city! Using those same regional transportation improvements that the evil Feds and State so cruelly taxed them for! (It’s gubmint redistribution of wealth! Goddam Kenyan socialists!)

    It might also interest you to know that about 3 times as many people in the Metro area live outside of Portland proper than live in it, and the population of those areas has grown faster than the population of Portland for quite some time now. Why? Because some people like it. And more power to them.

  6. Blabby: “Blind assertion. Unsubstantiated anecdote. Nonresponsive statistic. Empowering statement about the rightness of previously-state blind assertion.”

  10. For the record, Boulder IS a suburb. Of Denver. Other than the University, there aren’t a lot of living wage jobs there.

    Also, ‘CYCLISTS SHOULD PULL THEIR OWN WEIGHT, SUBURBANITES CAN DO NO WRONG!!!’

    Amirite, Blabby?

  11. Charles, seriously. I can’t see a number of valid points you are trying to make because I am blinded by this statement: “And punish those who use cars. And punish those who move to new developments in the suburbs…”

    We don’t have to punish anyone. But we can ask them to pay their own way. The attitude you display is why we can’t get the fucknuts out in Clackamas to get along with the rest of the region and pay for shit they use, like bridges across the Willamette. All of this because they read stupid shit like this and become even more convinced that “Portland is out to git us!”

    Grow up.

  12. If only there was some way to tax each gallon of gasoline such that people who use more gas would pay more towards making transportation improvements….

  14. If only a city could function without millions of truckloads of consumable goods and other basic amenities such as water and energy being brought there on all of that useless infrastructure…

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