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This sounds like a simple fix. Charge large companies fees to use use their large delivery vechicles on any road. Those fees, and taxes, could build more bike

This sounds like a simple fix. Charge large companies fees to use use their large delivery vechicles on any road. Those fees, and taxes, could build more bike paths, and repair streets. (I would like to see governments charging large companies to use our infrastructure. Only charge the large companies. They are the ones abusing the privilege usually.)

specialist 5y ago
Freedom Markets™ theology prohibits taxing megacorps who abuse the commons.
- fennecfoxen 5y ago
  If I am going to call some platform a “freedom markets theology” platform, my #1 candidate is a policy-oriented think tank called the Reason Foundation, staffed by Libertarians, and dedicated to both freedom and markets. While their writing here is not as strident as at their sister site it is certainly worth calling “theology” in an offhand sense like this one. Their site: http://reason.org http://reason.org The thing is that, quite contrary to what you say here, they end up being quite focused on “user pays” infrastructure, particularly for highways (where the worst wear and tear comes from trucks). Besides tolls they also like congestion pricing schemes and hate exceptions to the schemes being handed to privileged groups. You want them to start charging for the bike lane too? They’d be all over that. Market pricing is how they propose to allocate scarce resources; what’s more scarce than road space in Manhattan? There’s a lot of room to be skeptical of “freedom market theology” but it deserves to be critiqued for what it is, not what it is imagined to be, and this particular attack on it is actually radically at odds with what it teaches. p.s. Oh, yeah, great, send upvotes for the non-constructive political cheap shots which misrepresent actual policy positions, and -2 for the post using effort to challenge bullshit with fact. Love you too, HN, and I know you'll never change. Send more downvotes, I love it.
  - imtringued 5y ago
    I look forward to the day when there is a political debate about walkway neutrality because the local walkway monopoly started setting up their own real estate company and only grants access to the shortest routes to people who rent from their real estate company while forcing longer routes on competing real estate.
  - specialist 5y ago
    Sorry you got downvoted. Probably splash damage from my snark. Honestly, not that it really matters, but I didn't follow the (counter)point you were trying to make. My "Freedom Markets™" is shorthand for winner-takes-all, might makes right, what the kids today call "late stage capitalism", etc. The exact opposite of open markets in an idealized society which tries to balance capitalism with democracy. Using tools like rule of law, fair and impartial courts, independent journalism, and other fictions. I probably stole the sarcastic use of ™ from the likes of Ted Rall or Tom Tomorrow. Sadly, I just noticed some other commentators (trolls like me) starting to do the same. Which just kills the joke. So now I need to find a new schtick. Or maybe just stop.
fennecfoxen 5y ago
> Charge large companies fees to use use their large delivery vehicles on any road. Meh. We can't even charge delivery trucks to use the commercial-loading-area parking meters. They just double-park in the street, and the cops have given up on all but the most convenient forms of enforcement.
u801e 5y ago
A more simple fix would be to repeal VAT 1234[1] and allow cycles to ride on the roads. If the bike lanes are blocked, then they're useless and cyclists should legally be allowed to ride in the center of the general purpose lane without getting cited for it. [1] https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/VAT/1234 https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/VAT/1234

specialist 5y ago

Freedom Markets™ theology prohibits taxing megacorps who abuse the commons.

fennecfoxen 5y ago
If I am going to call some platform a “freedom markets theology” platform, my #1 candidate is a policy-oriented think tank called the Reason Foundation, staffed by Libertarians, and dedicated to both freedom and markets. While their writing here is not as strident as at their sister site it is certainly worth calling “theology” in an offhand sense like this one. Their site: http://reason.org http://reason.org The thing is that, quite contrary to what you say here, they end up being quite focused on “user pays” infrastructure, particularly for highways (where the worst wear and tear comes from trucks). Besides tolls they also like congestion pricing schemes and hate exceptions to the schemes being handed to privileged groups. You want them to start charging for the bike lane too? They’d be all over that. Market pricing is how they propose to allocate scarce resources; what’s more scarce than road space in Manhattan? There’s a lot of room to be skeptical of “freedom market theology” but it deserves to be critiqued for what it is, not what it is imagined to be, and this particular attack on it is actually radically at odds with what it teaches. p.s. Oh, yeah, great, send upvotes for the non-constructive political cheap shots which misrepresent actual policy positions, and -2 for the post using effort to challenge bullshit with fact. Love you too, HN, and I know you'll never change. Send more downvotes, I love it.
- imtringued 5y ago
  I look forward to the day when there is a political debate about walkway neutrality because the local walkway monopoly started setting up their own real estate company and only grants access to the shortest routes to people who rent from their real estate company while forcing longer routes on competing real estate.
- specialist 5y ago
  Sorry you got downvoted. Probably splash damage from my snark. Honestly, not that it really matters, but I didn't follow the (counter)point you were trying to make. My "Freedom Markets™" is shorthand for winner-takes-all, might makes right, what the kids today call "late stage capitalism", etc. The exact opposite of open markets in an idealized society which tries to balance capitalism with democracy. Using tools like rule of law, fair and impartial courts, independent journalism, and other fictions. I probably stole the sarcastic use of ™ from the likes of Ted Rall or Tom Tomorrow. Sadly, I just noticed some other commentators (trolls like me) starting to do the same. Which just kills the joke. So now I need to find a new schtick. Or maybe just stop.

fennecfoxen 5y ago

> Charge large companies fees to use use their large delivery vehicles on any road. Meh. We can't even charge delivery trucks to use the commercial-loading-area parking meters. They just double-park in the street, and the cops have given up on all but the most convenient forms of enforcement.

u801e 5y ago

A more simple fix would be to repeal VAT 1234[1] and allow cycles to ride on the roads. If the bike lanes are blocked, then they're useless and cyclists should legally be allowed to ride in the center of the general purpose lane without getting cited for it. [1] https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/VAT/1234 https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/VAT/1234