Comments on: Spending Money Wisely

By: J Drake

J Drake — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 22:37:55 +0000

Ted, that’s funny.

By: Ted Vigodsky

Ted Vigodsky — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 19:58:41 +0000

Trust me…Those who scratch their heads over puzzling federal government policies become bald sooner than later.

By: Ron Clark

Ron Clark — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:26:58 +0000

Let’s remember that any oil drilled in the USA will be sold to the global market, not necessarily used for domestic consumption. That’s just the way it works and whether you are an oil baron or environmentalist, it will not change. Oil produce in Alaska could go to Japan while the US continues to import from Iran.

By: J Drake

J Drake — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:10:45 +0000

There’s going to be a new bunch of folks in DC by January. We need to believe that something can change, because many things must change. And ‘change’ is touted by both parties at this time. Let’s see, let’s do! I so agree with the comments thus far. We simply must begin paying attention to America, literally.

By: Schuyler

Schuyler — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:37:20 +0000

Fred, you are 100% right, though I don’t think we should completely stop foreign aid.

But what’s a billion? The war in Iraq is calculated to cost, directly to the US Government, $720,000,000 per DAY. Two days, and you’re well beyond the measly billion in question. And precisely what, please, are we accomplishing in Iraq?

Drilling for domestic oil, whether ANWAR or off-shore, will not result in lower prices for oil. By the time either option comes to pass, the prices will have escalated to higher prices than we see today. But what I think we should be doing is raising the gasoline taxes from the levels they were set at, rigidly, years and years ago, to something like triple what they are now. And it should be set at a percentage of the pump price, not a fixed amount, so when prices rise, the tax take is enhanced. The money thus raised should be dedicated to improving transit, both local, like RIPTA, and intercity.

Am I happy that I paid $3.59.9 for gas last night, and not the $4.38.9 I paid a couple months ago? Sure. But what I am truly angry about is that the tax take for either purchase is precisely the same, and that extremely little of that goes to transit.

By: Chaz Nickolaus

Chaz Nickolaus — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:29:29 +0000

Couldn’t agree with you more. St. Louis Metro transportation is facing a simalar problem, with a shortfall of funding. Who really gets hurt? Those individuals who are barely getting by as it is. People who already spend hours just getting to and from work, who depend on public transit. I hear from many people with disabilities who want to work, who want to contribute to society, but face the barrier of the lack of accessiable public transportation. How about setting a goal of reducing overseas aid by 10% and using that to improve public transportation?