Some things are not OK.
Transportation is a need. When I was young my ex and I used to walk miles with our infant in a stroller to the grocery store. We used the stroller as a carrier for grocery bags, always being extra careful to not allow the weight of the groceries to upend the stroller. I rode my bike across town to work each day. We did not have a viable car and public transportation in Vegas was in its infancy at that point.
The majority of the people who had cars in my youth did not have and could not afford car insurance. Those moments when I had a working car I was in the same boat. Once I had a stable job and a car I paid and continue to do so. But when I was put in the position of having no other option than driving an uninsured car I did what needed to be done. So would you, if you were in my shoes — two kids, limited income, beater car, high rates because of said income, and gaps in insurance history.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court way back in the 70’s noted that individuals who receive governmentally funded medicaid services would be denied those services if they did not have reliable transportation options. The Supreme Court thus established that transportation can be a government requirement in some circumstances. This was to be followed up by the ADA requirements which ensured that public transportation options available to the general community must also be made available to all citizens, and reasonable accommodations must be made for people of different capabilities.
Poverty is the number one barrier to transportation. Yet transportation limitations are one of the largest barriers for individuals seeking to escape from poverty. And because most areas in the country do not have effective public transportation systems that means that the majority of people, regardless of income, are reliant on cars — to get to work, to go to stores and schools, to take care of their families.
Captive market.
Don’t live in New York, Chicago, Boston, or other cities with effective public transport? No choice — car. Drive a car? You are now legally required to buy car insurance. How are insurance rates determined? Well, unlike with any other property in the US, car insurance rates are determined less by the value of the item to be insured and more by the risk you might not pay for your insurance on a regular basis!
Thus, the poor — the ones driving the beater cars costing 1K-5K or so, end up subsidizing the Mercedes and Beamers of this world. How many wealthy drivers pay 200 or 300 dollars per month in order to legally drive? It doesn’t take a mathematician to figure out that the person in the beater car is under at that rate — yet that is the rate that many poor people pay.
This is an injustice and Progressives need to understand how important this is to real people in the world. You want to understand why people hate insurance companies and Wall Street? Well, here you have it.
Insure your own fucking value. Stop making the poor pay more in case you get in an accident. If you owned a fancy ring you would have to take all the risk. Take the dang risk. It’s just a stupid car! And because your wealthy ass isn’t willing to take the risk poor people can’t get to work.
Grrr.
See ape pic.
