Subsidizing Commutes

It's not often you hear someone make the argument that the government should encourage long commutes by making them tax-exempt, but Margy Waller does just that. Ultimately, I think, it's in the best interest to discourage longer commute times (so says the one who drives 110 miles a day) in order to get employes to think more creatively (by which I mean telecommutation, which isn't particularly creative, but anyway...) [source]

posted at 2:11:46 PM on 10/12/2005 by RAW - Category: General

Comments

SAM wrote:

Maybe people think creatively while commuting. There is no reason for government -- or anyone else, for that matter -- to try to control commute times. [Those concerned with wasting gas should address that question in general, without getting sidetracked into commutes.]
10/19/2005 9:19:03 AM

R. Alex wrote:

I think quite creatively while commuting. I have no problem with the two hours I spend in the car daily, though I do miss the two hours as they could be better spent... so it's not the cost as much as the opportunity cost that gets to me. Most of what I've seen suggests that people would prefer short commute times, but will easily sacrifice it for the sake of a bigger home (http://raw360.com/item/2751).

I'm not sure that detangling commute times from energy consumption and polution is possible, as long as commute is associated with individual car usage (which, outside the northeast and a few urban pockets, they're unavoidably associated).
10/19/2005 9:26:14 AM

 
 

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