Hurricanes and bureaucracy
Bob Krumm notes that governor Bredesen is extending reciprocity to medical professionals licensed in Louisiana or Mississippi. He also adds:
That’s a great first step. Let’s push the governor to also grant reciprocity to licensed teachers who will be needed to educate the influx of students, as well as lawyers, hair stylists, architects, engineers . . .
Don’t forget accountants.
Stacey Campfield asks the governor to repeal the state tax on gas. If you’re in Tennessee and paying over $3 per gallon of gas, you should be aware that you are paying about $0.40 in state and federal taxes on it.
And via Rich, the Jefferson Parish president:
“Bureaucracy has murdered people in the greater New Orleans area,” he said on CBS’ “Early Show.” “Take whatever idiot they have at the top of whatever agency and give me a better idiot. Give me a caring idiot. Give me a sensitive idiot. Just don’t give me the same idiot.”
Murder is a bit harsh but it’s a valid point. Meanwhile, Rick asks:
It’s not so much the notion, that many conservatives agree with, that government doesn’t work; we all feel like that is the case from time to time. The issue I have is why the conservatives in government now seem to be trying their level best to prove the point.
Why on earth would they not? Sure, some of it may be to score political points but unless we deal with why it failed, it will again. And, particularly with the current administration, the solution to bloated government failures is, well, more bloated government.
September 7th, 2005 at 11:28 am
If anything, we should be increasing the gas tax, not decreasing or eliminating it. If high gas prices bug you, then maybe you shouldn’t have bought that 18 mpg SUV and that home in the suburbs 20 or 30 miles from where you actually work. I’m tired of people whining about high gas prices but not giving half a shit about efficiency. I don’t care if my gas addiction gives money to the Saudis, I wanna drive my Excursion!
Oh, and many (if not most) of the “working people” that Campfield talks about could carpool or take a bus. (You want to exempt buses from the gas tax? Fine by me. I’ll even grant a partial exemption to commercial trucks if you want.)
September 7th, 2005 at 11:43 am
Yeah, tell that to the guy who delivers pizza for a living.
September 7th, 2005 at 4:39 pm
Ahh.. using taxes to influence behavior. Such is the progressive mentality.
September 7th, 2005 at 7:04 pm
How about just using taxes to have people pay for the cost of driving? Gas taxes don’t nearly cover that. And whats wrong with influencing people to drive less? The roads are a public resource. Anything causing people to use a public resource less will ultimately cost the government less to maintain. I thought conservatives/libertarians liked use taxes.
September 8th, 2005 at 11:34 am
The guy who delivers pizza for a living will demand a raise or find another job. Don’t you remember, the market is magical and omnipotent, and will fix all such ills! The market will respond! The market knows all! All hail the market!
Otherwise, Manish is right: current gas taxes don’t even come close to covering the true cost of gas and/or driving. Never mind roads and so forth, look at the cost of US foreign policy in the middle east, much of which is concerned with preserving “cheap” oil. None of that ever finds its way into your gas prices.
And remember, in Libertarian Fantasy Land ™ we’d all be paying use taxes, which means the pizza delivery driver would be getting absolutely raped, based on his disproportionate use of resources and infrastructure.
September 8th, 2005 at 12:00 pm
“Yeah, tell that to the guy who delivers pizza for a living.” He needs to re-negotiate his contract. If the market is working right, the price of getting pizza delivered just went up. If the pizza parlors won’t raise the pay, is this actually the only job the guy can get?