Sprawling toward Gomorrah
Most of the American West was built after the advent of the automobile. And most of the building was unplanned. Aided and abetted by the nexus of real estate, oil, and vehicle interests, sprawl ensued,...
View ArticleCars
Watching a lot of baseball these days. Thus I am cursed to view the unending commercials featuring cars and trucks, often one following another. Buy Mazda. No, buy Chevy. No, buy Audi—and so on. I have...
View ArticleMore on cars, er, trucks
Lots of cars, of course, but even more trucks. Trucks—pickups, minivans, and SUVs—account for an increasing percentage of vehicle sales in America. First, cars: And, now, trucks: As you can imagine, we...
View ArticleGovernment spending
All Republicans, as an article of faith, champion smaller government and lower government spending. They do so, despite ample evidence that neglected public infrastructures, including education and...
View ArticleSome thoughts on Flint and DOT
The New York Times editors fingered Republicans for the crimes against the people of Flint, Michigan. The state government, whose officials caused this crisis, has been loath to commit substantial...
View ArticleRock heads
Despite dramatic reductions in the nation’s unemployment rate, which is now at five percent, economic growth sputters. Meanwhile, the financial sector racks up ever-increasing profits and sits on...
View ArticleFrom A to B
Puget Sound, like many U.S. metropolises, suffers from traffic congestion. There are just too many people driving too many cars on too few roads. When we set out for work each morning, we inevitably...
View ArticleLearning from the Swedes
Americans, as a rule, believe against all evidence to the contrary that they live in the greatest country on the planet. I doubt, however, that Americans can articulate why, other than to parrot tired...
View ArticleSwift and certain
Why do people misbehave and so often? Research suggests that lack of swift and certain apprehension and punishment encourages criminal behavior. If we know that authorities are absent or, if present,...
View ArticleIt’s always about the bottom line
Despite record government handouts, ostensibly to keep jobs from leaving the state, Chicago-based Boeing company cares more about profit than labor wellbeing. Its recent decision to jettison staggered...
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