4 ms·

> has the potential to bring in a nice additional lump of money every year for the government If there is a fee for these plates, it makes people more unequal

by seszett 10y ago

> has the potential to bring in a nice additional lump of money every year for the government If there is a fee for these plates, it makes people more unequal than they already are in their relation to the state for no other reason than allowing the rich to show they are rich. Many places take the approach that the state should never provide different classes of services depending on who can afford them or not.

MrPatan 10y ago
Venezuela is calling. They don't have anything snarky to say, they are just very hungry and would like some food, please, thanks.
- seszett 10y ago
  You're obviously trying to make a point but I don't really get it, could you try to explain it without the snark?
- coldtea 10y ago
  Because, as we all know, equality == Venezuela. And in the same, intelligent manner, one can say: Hello, piss poor people in the US called, they'd like some food too.
cafard 10y ago
Well, rich and (perhaps) vain: they are called vanity tags. I don't think that I could infer the relative wealth of the people I see by the tags on their cars. In your view are turnpikes and toll bridges OK?
- seszett 10y ago
  > In your view are turnpikes and toll bridges OK? For private owned roads (or conceded to a private company for maintenance) they are OK of course, but not for state-maintained roads. Bridges are a bit different as they usually are much more expensive to build, but once the initial investment is recovered they should become toll-free IMO (once again, unless privately maintained). However, I think your question has little to do with what I was talking about: a better comparison would be having a second set of publicly-built parallel roads with higher tolls for those who can afford them, or offering higher toll fees allowing a higher speed limit. I personally wouldn't be OK with this.
  - cafard 10y ago
    The situation exists throughout the US. One can, as far as I know, get anywhere in Pennsylvania that the turnpike will take you without using the turnpike. It will just take a fair bit longer to do so.
douche 10y ago
If vanity plates cost more per year than a large pizza, which has been roughly the case in every state I've lived in, I'd worry more about some sort of wealth signalling effect. And if I didn't see so many wrecks rolling down the road held together with bondo and baling wire sporting vanity plates... There's also often a whole suite of charity plates, where you can proudly display your support of XYZ for an additional fee, some of which is donated to charity. Growing up, I remember many people in Maine who thought the old lobster plates[1] were ugly enough to opt for the loonie plates[2]. [1] http://www.15q.net/us2/me00b.jpg http://www.15q.net/us2/me00b.jpg [2] http://www.maine.gov/dacf/parks/get_involved/images/loonPlate.jpg http://www.maine.gov/dacf/parks/get_involved/images/loonPlat...
deleted 10y ago
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pjc50 10y ago
That's a rather strange way of looking at it, since the custom plates aren't actually "better" in a functional sense. Just more desirable.

by seszett 10y ago

MrPatan 10y ago

Venezuela is calling. They don't have anything snarky to say, they are just very hungry and would like some food, please, thanks.

seszett 10y ago
You're obviously trying to make a point but I don't really get it, could you try to explain it without the snark?
coldtea 10y ago
Because, as we all know, equality == Venezuela. And in the same, intelligent manner, one can say: Hello, piss poor people in the US called, they'd like some food too.

cafard 10y ago

Well, rich and (perhaps) vain: they are called vanity tags. I don't think that I could infer the relative wealth of the people I see by the tags on their cars. In your view are turnpikes and toll bridges OK?

seszett 10y ago
> In your view are turnpikes and toll bridges OK? For private owned roads (or conceded to a private company for maintenance) they are OK of course, but not for state-maintained roads. Bridges are a bit different as they usually are much more expensive to build, but once the initial investment is recovered they should become toll-free IMO (once again, unless privately maintained). However, I think your question has little to do with what I was talking about: a better comparison would be having a second set of publicly-built parallel roads with higher tolls for those who can afford them, or offering higher toll fees allowing a higher speed limit. I personally wouldn't be OK with this.
- cafard 10y ago
  The situation exists throughout the US. One can, as far as I know, get anywhere in Pennsylvania that the turnpike will take you without using the turnpike. It will just take a fair bit longer to do so.

douche 10y ago

If vanity plates cost more per year than a large pizza, which has been roughly the case in every state I've lived in, I'd worry more about some sort of wealth signalling effect. And if I didn't see so many wrecks rolling down the road held together with bondo and baling wire sporting vanity plates... There's also often a whole suite of charity plates, where you can proudly display your support of XYZ for an additional fee, some of which is donated to charity. Growing up, I remember many people in Maine who thought the old lobster plates[1] were ugly enough to opt for the loonie plates[2]. [1] http://www.15q.net/us2/me00b.jpg http://www.15q.net/us2/me00b.jpg [2] http://www.maine.gov/dacf/parks/get_involved/images/loonPlate.jpg http://www.maine.gov/dacf/parks/get_involved/images/loonPlat...

deleted 10y ago

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pjc50 10y ago

That's a rather strange way of looking at it, since the custom plates aren't actually "better" in a functional sense. Just more desirable.