response 1 of 18:

Apr 13 00:51 UTC 2004

I am not trying to save money so much as to avoid wasting resources.  We spend
more money to buy organic food and whole grains.  And use good quality
building materials that will last a few lifetimes.

response 3 of 18:

Apr 14 03:08 UTC 2004

And to the corner and back once an hour, at least.

response 5 of 18:

Apr 14 14:02 UTC 2004

Guess we are not Americans.  We just suspended the car insurance again, after
our biannual pilgrimage to Warren.    This is still actually cheaper than
taking the train ($15 round trip per person) because it is only a few dollars
for insurance, $37/year for registration, something for license renewal every
four years (useful as ID the rest of the time), and once in a while a new belt
or muffler patch.  Plus the train does not go in the morning and it is 15
miles from the nearest station to Warren and we don't want to bike in Detroit
at night coming back either.  We would have tried it if the hours were better.

response 7 of 18:

Apr 14 23:39 UTC 2004

We wanted to take the train instead, even though it cost more, but the timing
makes it impossible to go and return the same day and I cannot get more than
4 hours sleep there.  I am annoyed that it is cheaper to drive than to take
public transportation, and that it is nearly impossible to take public
transportation most places in this country.  

response 9 of 18:

Apr 15 16:29 UTC 2004

The insurance is unneeded so why have it?  I also do not pay for cable TV (I
din't have a TV).  Imagine what it would cost if drivers had to pay the full
cost of roads directly, rather than everyone being taxed for them.  Private
motor vehicle transportation and air transportation are a lot more highly
subsidized than trains in this country.  In most countries the price of
gasoline includes enough taxes to pay for the roads, so it is $5/gallon or
by now probably more, which makes trains relatively cheaper.  In London there
is a high charge for cars to enter the city now.  With higher costs for cars,
more people use public transportation, which makes it a lot more cost
efficient.  Ann Arbor buses are a joke - 3-5 people in a large bus.  In other
countries they are so crowded you have trouble getting in and out.  

response 11 of 18:

Apr 15 18:14 UTC 2004

Gasoline is still ridiculously cheap in the US.  Which is one cause of the
current fad for driving trucks (AKA vans, SUVs).

response 13 of 18:

Apr 15 19:55 UTC 2004

Sindi, you've put klg into an infinite loop, sort of like that old Star Trek
episode where Kirk destroyed the computer by pointing out its own illogic.
Perhaps klg forgets that period back in the seventies where high gas prices
caused a sweeping change in car buying habits?  

response 15 of 18:

Apr 16 00:07 UTC 2004

(Ms. keesan,
Respect your elders, please.  The reasons we have become conservative 
are (1) that we remember what the Democratic party used to be and (2) 
we have seen the failure of activist government policy in "solving" 
problems.
Additionally, perhaps you fail to realize that according to the CPI, 
the national price level has increased approximately 5 times since 
1968.  Thus, the real price of you room has actually stayed level.  
Also, you need to consider the demand for living space specifically in 
Ann Arbor.  Furthermore, if the price of fuel were to increase 
substantially, for which you fervently wish, and people were forced to 
live closer to the center of the city, your rent might easily double 
in a few years.  Take care of what you hope for!)  

response 17 of 18:

Apr 16 16:18 UTC 2004

(In a prior response you opposed sprawl.  But now you are implying that 
you do not?  You sound like John Kerry.)