Californians love cars

Feb 25, 2026
Feb 25, 2026
5

Editor,

Responding to Giuliano Carlini’s Feb. 23 letter, I don’t think he understands Californians. We love our cars and the freedom it gives us.

(5) comments

Terence Y Feb 25, 2026 8:29am

Very astute and well-written, Mr. Guttenbeil, especially your last paragraph where bicyclists want their dedicated bicycle infrastructure but aren’t willing to pay for it. And yes, if BART and buses and public transportation cannot pay for itself, let them shut down. Or at least dial down capacity to meet demand.

easygerd Feb 25, 2026 10:50am

Gasoline is paid for with the "Vice or Sinner's Tax" which puts "driving" right next to all the other addictive behaviors of smocking, drinking, gambling, etc.

Of course drinking people will tell you that "we are different, we love our moonshine, we don't need water" or "I'm only smoking purely for medicinal reasons" or "next time 32 will come up and I will be free". But that never works.

No normal person would object to bike lanes - no driver wants to drive behind a small child on a bicycle going 5mph.

Only people with addiction argue that way. And no one wants that little child to "share the road" with such people.

People-centric development is all about providing options for people that freed themselves from that addiction and the next generation that's not addicted just yet.

San Mateo Democrats always tell us they want to provide more public and active transportation options and then they listen to addicted people and misappropriate the funding for public transit and bike lanes - mostly like because of having the same addiction.

CA Is Burning Feb 25, 2026 12:50pm

Easygerd - it's good to know you don't drive. When did you give it up? Do you attend weekly AA meetings (auto anonymous) each week? Or are you like John Kerry and Leonardo DiCaprio and can't walk the walk. (pun intended)

easygerd Feb 26, 2026 8:24am

"CA is Burning" - because of all the addicted drivers of course. It's called air pollution and GHG emissions.

Explain this to me.

I don't know any SMART driver who loves riding behind small children on bicycles.

I don't know any SMART person who wants to ride a bike and "sharing the road" with cars.

So where are all these car lobbyists coming from that when someone asks for better public and active transportation, they have to tell us how great their cars are and that bicycles should ride in the car lanes? Makes zero sense at all.

easygerd Mar 1, 2026 7:09pm

The Tax Foundation seems to disagree with the author:

"Gasoline Taxes and User Fees Pay for Only Half of State & Local Road Spending"

quote: "funding transportation out of general revenue makes roads 'free,' and consequently, overused or congested—often the precise problem transportation spending programs are meant to solve."

And PubMed (and AARP) think walking/biking basically pays for itself.

Quote: "Roughly +0.20 to +1.00 dollars per mile in net external BENEFIT for everyday urban cycling."

The medical and tax researchers seem to agree that driving is a Governmental Spending Pyramid Scheme (GSPS), whereas any investment in walking/biking pays dividends.

So should we believe the real researchers or people repeating the lies thousands of car lobbyists have been telling our politicians whenever they "sponsor" them?

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