Comments on: Speedlinking 18 January 2008 http://treadly.net/2008/01/18/speedlinking-18-january-2008/ Work is just something I do between bike rides Tue, 03 Jan 2012 06:01:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Treadly and Me http://treadly.net/2008/01/18/speedlinking-18-january-2008/comment-page-1/#comment-1174 Treadly and Me Mon, 21 Jan 2008 12:04:31 +0000 http://treadly.net/2008/01/18/speedlinking-18-january-2008/#comment-1174 <p>That Venezuela subsidy is bananas, but so deeply entrenched that the government is totally trapped by it. A stark example of what incentives can do.</p> That Venezuela subsidy is bananas, but so deeply entrenched that the government is totally trapped by it. A stark example of what incentives can do.

]]> By: hielke http://treadly.net/2008/01/18/speedlinking-18-january-2008/comment-page-1/#comment-1173 hielke Fri, 18 Jan 2008 22:10:59 +0000 http://treadly.net/2008/01/18/speedlinking-18-january-2008/#comment-1173 <p>On designing cities for people and not cars. <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/venezuela-tanking-on-2-cent-fuel-binge/2008/01/18/1200620209058.html" title="Venezuela tanking on 2 cent fuel binge: The Age" rel="nofollow">The Age</a> (19/01/08) had a nice example of what happens when the incentives are not right. In this case in Venezuela:</p> <blockquote> <p>"If it gives us nothing else, at least the Government lets us have our own petrol this cheap," Ms Padron said.</p> <p>"It may be crazy and have no logic, but I'm not complaining. Nobody is."</p> <p>That is the problem. The subsidy warps the economy, drains government coffers, rips off the poor, pollutes the air and paralyses cities with traffic jams. Yet it is hugely popular and the Government dares not end the insanity.</p> </blockquote> On designing cities for people and not cars. The Age (19/01/08) had a nice example of what happens when the incentives are not right. In this case in Venezuela:

“If it gives us nothing else, at least the Government lets us have our own petrol this cheap,” Ms Padron said.

“It may be crazy and have no logic, but I’m not complaining. Nobody is.”

That is the problem. The subsidy warps the economy, drains government coffers, rips off the poor, pollutes the air and paralyses cities with traffic jams. Yet it is hugely popular and the Government dares not end the insanity.

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