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These were kind of proposed in DC (I think they may actually exist in San Diego or somewhere), where you pay a variable rate to use the carpool lanes based on d

by ry0ohki 16y ago

These were kind of proposed in DC (I think they may actually exist in San Diego or somewhere), where you pay a variable rate to use the carpool lanes based on demand. So during rush hour it would cost $6 and 11am on a saturday it would cost $.50. People didn't like the idea because they would be "Lexus lanes" giving special privileges to the rich. Scott Adams is right that if we really want to solve the budge problems we may need to accept that the people who can help the most may need some sort of special privileges.

Alex3917 16y ago
"we may need to accept that the people who can help the most may need some sort of special privileges." Because no-bid contracts, not going to jail when they commit crimes, real education for their kids, not living in crime zones, food that isn't poison, actual health care, living an extra three years, etc. aren't enough already.
- viraptor 16y ago
  To some extent... no, they aren't. They're the status quo. If you change nothing, the rich will still get them. That was the big point really. If you want to share some of their money, propose something else in exchange. It will only change during an actual complete crash of the value of money. And even then it's not guaranteed, because they will still have access to an extensive network of influential people, while "we" won't.
- yummyfajitas 16y ago
  no bid contracts, not going to jail when they commit crimes I'd speculate that the vast majority of these benefits are given to government workers, not to the rich. Any government worker with a union has a no-bid contract (it's illegal for competitors to underbid him), and you can find plenty of videos on youtube of cops committing crimes they get away with [1]. [1] Occasionally they are disciplined with a paid vacation.
nitrogen 16y ago
Utah recently installed variable-toll express lanes. It seems to me they make overall congestion worse by creating traffic jams at the entrances/exits to these lanes.

by ry0ohki 16y ago

Alex3917 16y ago

"we may need to accept that the people who can help the most may need some sort of special privileges." Because no-bid contracts, not going to jail when they commit crimes, real education for their kids, not living in crime zones, food that isn't poison, actual health care, living an extra three years, etc. aren't enough already.

viraptor 16y ago
To some extent... no, they aren't. They're the status quo. If you change nothing, the rich will still get them. That was the big point really. If you want to share some of their money, propose something else in exchange. It will only change during an actual complete crash of the value of money. And even then it's not guaranteed, because they will still have access to an extensive network of influential people, while "we" won't.
yummyfajitas 16y ago
no bid contracts, not going to jail when they commit crimes I'd speculate that the vast majority of these benefits are given to government workers, not to the rich. Any government worker with a union has a no-bid contract (it's illegal for competitors to underbid him), and you can find plenty of videos on youtube of cops committing crimes they get away with [1]. [1] Occasionally they are disciplined with a paid vacation.

nitrogen 16y ago

Utah recently installed variable-toll express lanes. It seems to me they make overall congestion worse by creating traffic jams at the entrances/exits to these lanes.