The Rep Menace

摘要

I've never used this forum to respond directly to a reader. But Bruce A. Brodt's letter (below) about my August editorial, "Pricey Gas Is Good for Architecture," was simply too delicious to let pass without comment. In the editorial, I proposed higher taxes at the pump to encourage responsible consumer behavior; research into alternative, renewable energy sources and fuel-efficient vehicles; and the development of high-density and mixed-use communities, public transit, and high-speed rail. Brodt calls this "Marxist drivel" and "socialist." State governments hike taxes on cigarettes to discourage smoking. Is that socialism? I call it smart public-health policy.