4 ms·

Based on this argument then - if driving is so integral - shouldn't the US government provide each citizen a car once they hit whatever age Americans are allowe

• supertrope 3y ago
  You joke but if you add up the per capita cost of roads and parking mandates, you probably exceed the value of a used car within a few years. Most states spend about twice as much on roads as they take in via fuel tax and registration. The difference is made up via the general budget (income and sales tax). https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/states-road-funding-2019/ https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/states-road-funding.... The Federal gasoline tax has not been raised in 31 years and has lost half its real value. Local zoning laws mandating minimum parking around each building has large implicit costs. Housing shortages. Needing to commute. Car dependency and needing to drive for every single outing. Americans generally disapprove of “handouts” or cash transfers. But if the subsidy is designed as a good or service provided below cost there’s less opposition. If you call it a refundable tax credit it also becomes more palatable.