From: Dehede011@aol.com
Date: Thu Feb 06 2003 - 11:24:37 MST
In a message dated 2/6/2003 12:11:52 PM Central Standard Time,
bill@wkidston.freeserve.co.uk writes: But remember, Europe is not all small
cars. Rolls Royce, Ferrari, Jaguar, Mercedes, and other large cars are all
plentiful. You just have to spend lots of money on them. It's a lifestyle
choice thing. If you have the money you spend it on what you want.
Bill,
I am not picking on the Europeans or the Americans in asking my next
question. I've watched the various auto and fuel taxes or quote safety
requirements unquote come and go. After a long period of time I have to ask
myself if prices are not kept high to push the lower economic class out of
large cars, houses, etc.
After all if I had an income of a $1,000,000 per year it would matter
little to my budget if gas cost $5.00 per litre, gallon or 55 gallon drum.
But if my income is $40,000 per year it means a great deal.
The one fact that really came as a revelation to me was how much Henry
Ford did to free the American working man when he put cheap flexible
transportation on the road.
Consider before the T-Model Ford a person was limited in their job
market to the distance they could walk, bicycle or perhaps find commuter
transportation. The personal auto not only extended the distance a worker
could go and accept employment it also made it possible for the worker to
travel distances looking for employment and then to move there.
When I was an infant my father routinely worked as far as two hundred
miles from home. He could easily go that far looking for work, find cheap
lodging and then return home on weekends. He had a job that paid very well
when work could be found. Prior to the T-Model Ford he was limited to
working close to home.
Ron h.
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