Believe It...Or Else...
Well friends, it appears as though Indiana makes yet ANOTHER list. And, as is usually the case, it's not an *A* list (unless you're of the perversely pessimistic persuasion).
--Indiana is SEVENTH on the list of "people who spend the most income on fuel costs".
A wonderfully dubious distinction, yes?
And like any good oil company will tell you, you have to go where the "cash cow" lives. That also explains why we enjoy higher prices than many other states.
But you do have to figure in the fact that Indiana DOES place a SALES TAX on every gallon of petrol at our pumps.
And we're one of a handful of states that still do that (lucky us).
Now before you get your undies in a bunch, never fear; New York and California still lead the way.
The weird thing is that National Research Defense Council (who did this study AND is a non-profit organization that I have ever heard of before) cites that families that are hit hardest pay more from their incomes (duh).
Well, how EXACTLY does that explain people (in my neighborhood, for example) that DO NOT work AT ALL, but are "on the dole", as it were, STILL have puh-lenty of money to spend on gassing up that shiny new SUV they somehow managed to get (on a more frequent basis than working people)?
And what about buying illegal DRUGS? Doesn't that figure into how much one will spend on gas? You can't be high all the damn time AND have the resources to purchase fuel (or even food for that matter), right? I mean, what about their kids?
I dunno, but someone's getting a LOT of "something" for nothing here, don'cha think?
Kinda makes me wonder about the TRUTH involved in that list made years ago stating that Fort Wayne was one of the DUMBEST cities. Seems there still IS a smattering of credibility here.
And if that isn't absurd enough for you...
--Oil companies have spent MORE money, but not on drilling, or even new technologies. No, sir...they've been blowing the wads on BUYING BACK SHARES! Nothing says "We care" more than dissing the consumer for the profitability factor of the shareholders, eh? You just have to love that.
Not laughing your ass off YET?
How about this...
--Vehicular deaths have dropped NINE PERCENT!
Yepper, we can "blame" that on this oil crunch we're mired in. Just like the 1970s embargo, whenever people are strapped for gas, they don't drive as much, so fewer people take to the roads, ergo, we have fewer fatalities.
I LOVE the logic here, don't you?
Then again, people will leave their vehicles HOME when a city (any city) has DECENT PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. That's simply a no-brainer, folks! Good news is that here in Indiana, we are beating the statistics. We are actually seeing a TWENTY-SIX PERCENT drop in vehicular fatalities (homicide is quite the other story - no high fuel prices involved there).
And while congress might soon be urged to pass a "national speed limit" (yeah, I CAN drive 55), I wouldn't be holding my breath THAT long.
And while we're at it...
--Mayor Tom (It's Good To Be King) Henry wants to borrow $30 MIL for road repair and other infrastructure needs. Gee, and this comes RIGHT on the heels of a property tax REDUCTION of (perhaps) 30% to many homeowners in Fort Wayne. Sorry, your majesty, but we ALREADY have our money spent (wisely, I might add).
And I'll bet you people recently annexed are just LOVING this, right? Although it was said that property taxes would NOT be used, the money is "expected" to come from "county economic development INCOME taxes".
And since we NEED streets for people in my neighborhood to WALK down the middle of (instead of the city-supplied SIDEWALKS), it should behoove the city to keep them in good repair.
And while infrastructure maintenance is ALWAYS good, maybe it's time to take a page from the Sheriff Joe Arpaio handbook on the utilization of at-hand resources, and get those lazy-ass jailbirds OUT of the lockup and onto the streets, but NOT in a "return you to society because we think you're rehabilitated" way. Let them get out there in the sunshine to FIX OUR STREETS AND ROADS! They can enjoy some refreshing H2O, have a BOLOGNA sandwich while wearing their cute jumpsuits (which should be changed from ORANGE to PINK), sing some spirituals, and (maybe even) LEARN A DAMN TRADE in the process. Nothing makes people penitent MORE than good, hard labor. You can't commit crime when you're too damn tired at the end of the day, can you?
--And lastly, people are touting some of the "benefits" of not driving everywhere during this fuel crisis (and it IS a crisis, face it).
We're advised to take public transit, walk, or even bike about the city to do what we need to do, just so we can save gasoline.
Well, I've got something to say about all that, living on the SE side of our fair city.
1) You CANNOT walk on many streets around here, especially after the sun goes down. . And it's not because Mathias and his band of nocturnal zombies want to kill you (although there ARE parallels to Matheson's novel I AM LEGEND). It's because you might get SHOT. But it's not a "gun" problem; it's a "wrong people WITH a gun" problem, and until such time as the city can effectively address this AS such, nothing will change.
2) Yeah, I'd LOVE to ride my nike, but there is one problem.
To WHERE?
I have to drive TO the River Greenway (that is supposed to be SO nice) so I won't be accosted on the WAY there on my bike, first off. And if I want to ride my bike to a store, exactly WHAT STORES do I have to choose from? (answer: not many at all) And when I get TO that store, where the hell can I lock my bike up where it WON'T be stolen, forcing me back into "pedestrian mode"? I don't see ANY bike racks near ANY stores around here (some scrapper stole THEM, too).
3) Take Public Transit?
What are you...nuts?
In MY part of town?
Get serious.
If I ever want to "hob-nob" with society's flotsam, all I have to do is walk less than a block, or even go outside my house. It's THAT bad, people. I don't need to climb onto some urine-scented, diesel fume-belching monstrosity, and pay $1.25 to "get my jollies" and visit the homeless, the indigent, and the despondent.
So...we take the car wherever we have to go, with the hope that some thug won't want to practice his car theft trade when we park in a lot
Helluva way to live, right?
But not all that bad...for a HUMPDAY.