Raise the Hammer

I can't believe no one's commented on this yet. This one picture sums up so much about what's different between there and here it's unbelievable.

Jason, if Portland has the largest percentage of cyclists in the U.S. at 6%, is it right to think that that cyclists in Hamilton should get any more than 6% of the road width? If the issue is fairness, why should cyclists get more than their fair share of the road?

This link also explains why Denmark has so many cyclists relative to drivers...the government taxes gas so heavily that it produces gas prices of $7 gallon. If the government allowed the free market to work, people in Denmark would give up their bikes and go back to using cars.

tinyurl.com/yksjqqo

Jason, many people around these parts ride bikes. They are called poor people.

capitalist, many people around these parts ride bikes. they are called rich people.

If you think our gasoline prices are the result of a 'free market' you're more clueless than we thought. The US has the lowest gas prices in the world despite having no domestic supply and being the largest oil consumer in the world. In a true free market, they would have to pay through their nose to get access to oil/gas supplies. But as we all know, a free market hasn't existed in the US, and to a large extent Canada, for decades.

Jason >> In a true free market, they would have to pay through their nose to get access to oil/gas supplies.

According to the Ministry of Finance in the Netherlands, taxes make up 68.84% of the cost of gasoline/petrol ( tinyurl.com/yjmurhk ).

According to the U.S. Dept of Energy, gas prices in the Netherlands were US$7.38/gal as of 9/29/09 (tinyurl.com/386tv). If we take the taxes out of the price of gas, we get US$2.29/gal.

The current price of gas in the U.S is US$2.71. The average tax/gal of gas in the U.S. averages 47.3 cents/gal ( www.api.org/statistics/fueltaxes/ ). If we take out gas taxes from U.S. prices, we end up with US$2.24/gal.

If you compare the Pre-Tax/Free Market prices of gas in both the U.S. and The Netherlands you get almost the same figure, US$2.24-2.29/gal.

Jason, in a true free market, would the people of The Netherlands pay more or less than the current US$7.38/gal for gasoline?

Ryan >> stiff taxes exist to cover those externalities, like damage air pollution and smog, negative public health effects, GHG emissions and so on.

According to CIA World Factbook (2009 estimates), both Canada and Australia both have longer life expectancy than either Denmark or The Netherlands ( tinyurl.com/yvls29 ). Curiously enough, these nations have much lower gas taxes and prices that are around US$0.94-1.00/gal. In contrast, Denmark and The Netherlands have high gas taxes with gas prices coming in around US$2.00/gal.

If gas taxes are supposed to make people healthier, how do you explain the fact that people in Canada and Australia live longer even though gas prices are cheaper.

Your right ASmith, there couldn't possibly be more than one factor affecting life expectency. Fail, please see me after class. :P

z jones >> there couldn't possibly be more than one factor affecting life expectency.

Tell that to Ryan.

Ya, cuz it was Ryan who said it in the first place :S WHAT??????!?!?!??!? Why isn't that dead horse moving?