A Progressive Response to the Price of Gas

Ezra Klein has posted an overview of and response to the Center for American Progress' "A Progressive Response to High Oil and Gasoline Prices." There are some innovative ideas here (such as the low-income scrap-and-rebate program), and the CAP plan addresses both short- and long-term solutions, but I find myself a bit underwhelmed in the sense that their ideas never question our love affair with the automobile. Maybe I'm a dreamer, but what about investment in reliable mass transportation? If I could count on Amtrak, for instance, I wouldn't be in a predicament over my job which takes me away from my family for a good part of the week -- I could ride the train back and forth every day, and get some things accomplished during my commute. I know we're not going to break Americans of their short-sightedness over transportation overnight, but those of us on the progressive side have nothing to lose by thinking a little more radically.

Technorati tags: transportation, gas prices, progressive

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