Splicetoday

Politics & Media
Jul 28, 2008, 05:42AM

Thanks But No Thanks

Some Senators are proposing intrusive 30 year old policies for decreasing our daily consumption of gas. Here's a better idea: leave the short-term ideas for local governments who are better in tune with their citizens' needs. The federal government would be a lot more useful if they focused on long-term solutions, like creating incentives for alternative energy and funding new research.

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In order to decrease oil prices, Sen. John Warner has proposed a national speed limit of 55 or 60 miles per hour, similar to the one imposed in 1974.

There are other, less intrusive methods we should be trying before national legislation.

Of course, measures like traffic lights and buses won't fix the problem. They're just quick fixes. However, they would be less intrusive and more convenient.

People are already making changes to use less gas: carpooling, making fewer trips, taking the bus, etc. Utah has established an experimental four-day workweek for its state employees. Sounds pretty good to me.

Let individuals and the local governments work out the quick fixes. The national government needs to be working on the long-term solutions.

Discussion
  • This article makes a lot of sense. The traffic flow is far different in New York City or Boston than wide-open states in the West. I don't care for Mayor Bloomberg's proposed increase in tolls for cars or trucks entering Manhattan—which could potentially harm small businesses—but at least he's thinking on a local level, and not relying on the federal government.

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