NY Times, do you have a solution?

Cassandra beat me to the punch with this one (saw her update using Bloglines.) Saw it this am when I was checking to see what the loons at the Times were doing today, but, hey, a morning nap called. So, let me throw this up before I read Cass’ post, then I recommend you set sail over to Villainous Company, as I will.

The next time you consider the purchase of a family car that matches satisfying heft with infinitesimal mileage per gallon, you might want to think about where some of that gas money will ultimately be going. Part of the price of every extra gallon helps, albeit indirectly, to finance mosques and religious schools all over the world that spread a fanatical variant of Islam that sees legitimacy in terrorist attacks. This financing, amounting to billions of dollars a year, comes from the government and private charities of Saudi Arabia, a country that is now taking in roughly $80 billion a year from oil exports.

Blah, blah, blah, blah, another editorial by an unknown author at the Grey Lady. And, more importantly, through all the pontificating, the Times offers no ideas on how to replace that 15% of the oil we get from Saudi Arabia. I would guess that their big idea is conservation. Not wholly a bad idea. But how? Any clues, Times? Conservation is a pretty big concept. How about if all libs give up their cars? How about if you use your influence as one of the Nations preeminent newspapers to push the government to force car manufacturers to make more fuel efficient vehicles, particularly SUV’s and pickups? If the Times did this in a proper way, without all the whining and condemnation that has become their trademark, perhaps the Bush admin would listen, as would the car makers. And the American People. Maybe the Times could build a coalition to push this idea. The rules were relaxed during the Clinton years, as the use of SUV’s and over-sized pickups exploded. Where was Gore during this period, when vehicles with horrendous mileage were being introduced en mass? Let’s send the idea of shit for MPG down to Davey Jones Locker.

Pontification has it’s uses. But, if you are going to complain about something, Grey Lady, how about providing legitimate solutions, or at least ideas, now and then?

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3 Responses to “NY Times, do you have a solution?”

  1. JulieB says:

    I’m with you here. I think there were ideas presented but no workable actions besides use less oil. I doubt the administration is interested in more regulation…. so how to get this done?

  2. Raise CAFE standards [http://www.ita.doc.gov/td/auto/cafe.html] and increase the gas tax. The market will do the rest. Look at what the $50-a-barrel prices did for sales of the Prius vs. the Hummer.

    The gas tax is regressive (disproportionaly affects the poor), but the CAFE standards will be progressive in that they will lower the price of smaller and more fuel efficient cars while making bigger, thirstier ones more expensive. I think they would even out.

  3. Oh, and I forgot to mention that the higher gas tax would eventually be offset by the decreased demand.

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