Things Younger Than John McCain

Not that I endorse such sordid political tactics, but this is pretty damn funny.

Prediction

If John McCain is elected President, we will be no closer to addressing global warming than we are today. For all his talk, his proposals are empty and won't move us much beyond the status quo.

A Free Lunch, Literally

Via this gas tax calculator, I discovered that I can expect to save a whopping $8.80 if the summer gas tax holiday is enacted. "Celebrate good times, come on!"

Now, Mary and I are aren't typical in this respect, averaging only about 4500 miles per year in a compact sedan. But in order to make that happen, we live in the middle of downtown Charlotte, and we pay a premium for doing so. That's our choice, and it's worth it to us — almost everything we need is within walking distance, usually just a couple of blocks. But I figure as long as presidential candidates like Clinton and McCain are willing to pander on this issue, why not pander to us, too? Where's our free money?

I mean, if you make it a centerpiece of your energy policy to reward many people whose chosen lifestyle tends to make them large consumers of gas, the least you can do to balance that out is to give a few bucks to people who are taking a hit to live greener to begin with. In fact — and here's a completely unnovel idea — why not skip the gas tax holiday altogether and subsidize green alternatives like public transport, the purchase fuel-efficient vehicles, working remotely, etc. It might not be popular with some parts of the SUV crowd, but at least it has the virtue of providing the right incentives.

And yes, there are many people who are legitimately hurting because of higher energy prices. But instead of subsidizing behavior — more driving — that will just make the long-term problem worse, why not try to come up some targeted assistance that actually rewards good behavior to an extent.

Update 5/10: Missed a decimal point, so I adjusted the savings and title appropriately.

Inspirational

Just 20 minutes ago, I got to watch the most misnamed vehicle ever — the "Straight Talk Express" — rumble down Tryon Street. It reminded me again of just how much of a disaster a McCain presidency would be. I'm going to take an extra measure of satisfaction voting in the Democratic primary tomorrow.

Early Voting in NC

Today was the last day for early voting in the May 6 primary, so Mary and I walked a whole block and a half to the library in the hopes of fulfilling our civic duty. Deterred by the long line, however, we grabbed lunch first and checked back later. The line was even longer, so we gave up and went home. We'll just vote on Tuesday, but it was kind of exciting seeing all those folks today so eager to cast their ballots.