Auto Thoughts

One small part of my perfect world (actually my perfect country, but hey, we Americans think of this country as being the world) would be to make an automobile an entitlement to all citizens "in good standing". This free car would be available to people starting at age 18. The government would pay for this via a slight increase in taxes, which if the cars were contracted for 5 grand the increase would be 100 smackers per month... a very reasonable sum. Uncle Sam should make a deal with only American based companies to manufacture these cars.
These cars would be replaced every 5 years, again for free. The Gov. could and should place certain requirements on the automakers which should include but not be limited to: total cost $5,000 big buckaroonies. Cars must get 50 MPG. Cars must seat 4 adults, or 2 adults and X amount of cargo (i.e. groceries). Cars must meet strict safety and pollution standards. Cars must have a minimum top speed of 75 MPH. Cars would have a security system to prevent theft. Cars would be turned in every 5 years for a new one etc, etc.
Automakers could still make more expensive cars available and I'm sure people would still buy them. Those qualified but deciding not to buy the Eco car would not have their taxes increased. These cars could not be sold by their owners, but would have to be turned in to the dealer for recycling when the five years are up. They would also receive free factory repairs for any mechanical problems (does not include accidents or abuse). There should also be a stipulation that any manufacturer's car that has too many problems (perhaps more than 1%) could not participate in the program.
This would create a lot of jobs and make NEW cars available to a great many people who couldn't otherwise afford it.
Lastly, these cars could be designed to be part of a future mass personal transit system. More on that another time. Do it for the PEOPLE!!!!

I'm Baccccccckkkkkkkk!

Ok, ok, so I haven't blogged in a month or so. I haven't had a big sense of urgency since it seems like only my wife reads this stuff, and she has to listen to me bellyache all the time anyway hehehe.

Before I elaborate further on my personal idea of utopia, and the way things SHOULD be, I want to talk a little bit about a couple of observations. First, I REALLY do not like going to the grocery store and having to say No, I don't want to buy any tamales from the back of some guy's van. While I applaude a person's spirit of enterprise, I will not buy them because A) it's strickly a cash transaction and they pay no taxes on their income, which isn't fair and B) who the hell knows what's in these things. They certainly aren't ANY health inspections going on here. In conclusion, PLEASE do not buy food from people selling from the back of their van, pickup, or trunks.

My second thought of the day involves familes and how white people (of which I am included) don't really take care of family nor do we take advantage of what should be a built-in support system that the family has to offer. I know, or know of, several hispanic families that pool their resources for the overall betterment of the family. Easy enough to do if selfishness is absent, and it seems to me that, at least up to a point, it would be great for the whole family. I'll leave it up to the reader to think about the details
Oh, and just to be fair, I do know one white family in Texas that has this kind of situation. They call it the "Family Business" and conduct meetings, etc. Maybe a lot of families in Texas do it, I don't know. I don't mess with Texas, and they don't mess with me.

In my next blog I'll try to get back to the serious task of explaining my perfect world, and maybe even how we can save the world by eating beans. Oh, wait... maybe it's not beans... hell, I don't remember.