These boots are made for walkin'

This is an old topic, but it bears repeating.

Nebraska's gas tax went up January 1 by .4 cents per gallon (from 26 cents to 26.4 cents). Big deal. But judging from the brouhaha over it, you'd think people were told they had to give up their first-borns.

My opinion of this is that they should have taken advantage of the fact that people were used to paying high prices for gasoline and raised the gas tax to at least $2.00 per gallon. People were squawking about it last summer, but you know what? They coped. They drove less. They bought smaller cars. They demanded fuel economy from the car-makers. They took the bus. They bicycled. They bought scooters. They, gulp, WALKED.

I suppose they could make some provision for low-income people who need to drive to work, and possibly even for local delivery vehicles, and maybe even for mass passenger transport (e.g., airlines, trains) but that should be the end of the exemptions. To those who say, "What about me? I live in Omaha and work in Lincoln!" I say, that's your choice. If you don't like it, move to Lincoln or get a job in Omaha! (or wherever)

It would have all sorts of positive ramifications. People would be healthier. The air would be less polluted. People would eat more locally-grown foods and buy more locally-produced goods. The roads would be less congested, making less wear and tear on the infrastructure. People would stop buying Humvees. More employers would allow their employees to telecommute.

Of course, we in Nebraska would have to give up (or pay more for) our pineapples, avacados, mangos, bananas, seafood, and other things that can't be produced here, but I think all sorts of good things would come from it. For instance, bartering -- "I'll give you a case of home-canned beef stew if you'll handle this legal matter for me." Plus, those of us who choose to buy locally when we can would be pleasantly surprised at the abundance that would become available, cheaper than it is now.

No concessions should be given to mega-corporations like WalMart. They've made their billions on the backs of their workers. This would be the time for local retailers to step up and shine.

Okay, I'll stop now. Too utopian for most people. But we (Tom and I) are also guilty of driving too much. It's just too easy! Last summer when gas prices were high, we used our mo-ped for errands (and for my 1½-mile commute to work). We have two old Toyota vehicles (a 1991 Corolla and a 1985 pickup). Both have less than 70,000 miles on them. Between the two of us, we drive less than 5,000 miles a year, and we could halve that without much hardship. It's mind-boggling to me that the national average is 12,000 miles per year PER VEHICLE!