Driving is Down!

All across the Fruited Plain, folks are driving less.

Obviously it has to be attributed to the price of fuel.

It has affected Idaho in a big way. They say the miles driven in Idaho in June 2008 was 7.7% less than one year earlier.

What does that mean?

- A significant reduction in consumption of our precious fossil fuel (much of which we buy from terrorists, who use the money to wage war against us).

- A corresponding significant reduction in pollution spewed into the atmosphere.

- Less road congestion, and less wear and tear on our roadway infrastructure.

- More responsible transportation choices, and trip planning. Less blasting out of driveway on a whim. Fewer trips to the store to get a bottle of ketchup. (Or is it catsup?)

- An increase in alternative modes of transportation, ride sharing, etc.

It's also obvious that there is much more effort being made to develop meaningful alternatives to fossil fuel. And believe me, that would NOT be happening if gas were $2, instead of $4.

Is diminished fuel consumption a bad thing?

It is if you ask the government!

The movers and shakers are lamenting that the fuel tax revenues aren't coming in the way they used to. Oh, the humanity! Unless us taxpayers pony up, expect potholes and collapsing bridges!

Watch your backs, people! Idaho's governor (who likes to think of himself as a Libertarian) is leading the charge to drastically increase the registration fee for a vehicle. (So you can share the pain, whether you drive 50 miles or 50,000 miles per year. Of course, the result will be far fewer vehicles registered, so they'll have to figure out some other way to squeeze blood out of the turnip.)