I listened to an interview with the United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg this week. I nearly wanted to cry at the lack of common sense approach of such a high-ranking government official.
He was answering questions about the obvious impact on roads that less gas consumption would have. Less gas consumption means less gas taxes and gas taxes pay an overwhelming amount of our road maintenance in this country, at all levels of government.
The question from the host revolved around electric cars being heavier than internal combustion engine cars. The experts indicate that electric cars that are favored by the environmentalist crowd cause 3.6 times more road wear than the gas guzzlers.
Buttigieg answered that dilemma by explaining that the lack of harmful emissions would save us money in other places, like “Medicare.” I’m not making this up. The secretary of transportation somehow thinks that road damage from heavy cars is going to be offset in part by less people getting sick from emissions and savings in government health care expenses. Take a drink and let that all sink in.
I’m fairly sure most of the guys and gals at your local coffee shop or bar could punch holes in this thought process, yet here we are.
I’m a little old fashioned, but I like my Transportation Secretary to be worried about things like transportation stuff, you know, roads, bridges, airports, blah, blah, blah. Don’t we have enough government people weighing in on health? Is Dr. Fauci on vacation?
I’m not against “green” cars. I might own one someday. I’m pretty interested in what the new electric trucks are going to be like. But the expectation that we can shove gas powered engines out the door in favor of green alternatives without repercussions is an obviously misguided premise. The government policies that have attacked gas engines have already caused economic harm and expect more if the “one or the other” approach continues. They two types of power are going to have to coexist for an awfully long time.
Speaking of health care and weight. The Missouri legislature recently passed legislation that would allow food stamps to be utilized at many fast-food restaurants. It’s really not food stamps anymore, it’s a card I think, but you get the point.
Full disclosure. I’ve been on food stamps. My sister wouldn’t go to the store with my single mother when she was using food stamps, she was 13-or 14-years old, and it embarrassed her. I was 10-years-old and oblivious to the social stigma that may have been attached and I knew that was a bigger shopping experience, so I was all in.
Anyway, the same governments that were demanding we wear masks and social distance and shut down entire industries in the name of “health” just contributed to the obesity epidemic of our country by throwing government money at families in need of food, for the very food that is killing most of us quicker than COVID. It’s a fascinating compartmentalization of policy by government; and it’s another way they’re contributing to our demise more than our rescue.
So, students, the bottom line on my opinions today is that I would like to take a government subsidized Tesla, windows down to enjoy an emission free ride on a freshly-paved government funded highway to McDonald’s to spend government money on a Big Mac and fries. That sums it up.
Honestly, my strongest feelings about involvement with any of this are the Big Mac and fries. Gonna see if my Landmark “health spending plan” includes those as an eligible expense. If not, I’m filing a complaint with the United States Department of Transportation.
(Guy Speckman can be reached at gspeckman@me.com or weighing electric cars at McDonalds)