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> Raising taxes on these people is not going to change their behavior in any meaningful way. A few extra cents, or even an extra half dollar is gas taxes is goi

> Raising taxes on these people is not going to change their behavior in any meaningful way. A few extra cents, or even an extra half dollar is gas taxes is going to be a lower cost to them than uprooting their life and moving within biking distance. GP said EU levels, so it's not a few cents or "even" a half dollar. It's straight up doubling or tripling gas prices. This would no doubt impose a lot of hardship on people, and there might well be significant political upheaval in the process, but if you think it wouldn't change behavior and the suburban sprawl problem then you don't realize how inelastic people's income really is.

CalRobert 13y ago
Breathing exhaust imposes hardship on me and everyone else, but no one seems to care about that.
- smutticus 13y ago
  I regret I have but one upvote to give you, sir.
- dasil003 13y ago
  I care about it, I'm a cycle commuter breathing more exhaust than average.
- gggmaster 13y ago
  So we should encourage commute with bicycles.
dwhly 13y ago
> how inelastic people's income really is. I think you mean "how inelastic the demand for gas is in the face of higher prices". Of course people's income is fixed in this equation. Though I suppose you might try to earn more if gas prices go up. What you're trying to say is that demand for gasoline is inelastic in the face of higher prices. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Price_elasticity_of_demand http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Price_elasticity_of_demand And here's a bit on gasoline... http://economics.about.com/od/priceelasticityofdemand/a/gasoline_elast.htm http://economics.about.com/od/priceelasticityofdemand/a/gaso...
- dasil003 13y ago
  I am emphatically not trying to say that.