Here are two articles for today.
1. Automakers are pissed about air quality regulations being passed by states. They even go so far as to say, “Fuel efficient cars could be dangerous, because they will be cheaper to drive and lead people to drive more and potentially have more accidents.” See “Challenge to Emissions Rule Is Set to Start” in the New York Times.
2. An article in the Seattle Times called “Paving The Way For Smarter Roads” discusses, “The ‘hot’ new idea [of] ‘monetizing’ toll roads and bridges–leasing them to a private operator in return for a big upfront payment or guaranteed year-by-year payback.” While it seems like leasing toll roads to a private company is a good idea, we’ll have to look into the drawbacks. Such as increased safety problems with unaccountable–and far away–corporations, and governments taking a lump sum of cash that’s less than what they could take in over the length of the lease.