Thursday, January 27, 2011

Dallas Cabbies Plan Super Bowl Boycott (Are the Evil Twins Pickens and Sunstein Causing the Problem?)

Dallas cab drivers, outraged by a city initiative that sends natural-gas-powered cabs to the front of the queue at Love Field airport, are organizing a boycott that would make it harder for visitors to get around North Texas for the game, reports WSJ.

Drivers say they sit for hours at the back of the line, according to WSJ. They say the promotion of cabs powered by compressed natural gas isn't just about clean air, but an effort to boost Texas's natural-gas industry. Otherwise, they ask, why didn't it include hybrid vehicles?

WSJ reports, cabbie Gebeyhu Tesma, waiting in line last week at Love Field's taxi depot in the late afternoon, said the boycott was necessary because he can't afford a natural-gas taxi; converting a gasoline-powered car can cost up to $14,000.

This sounds like a Cass Sunstein-type developed nudge of oligarch Boone Pickens' desire to manipulate government to get more of his natural gas sold.

They can't force cabbies to covert to naturak gas but they can create a Sunstein-type nudge to conversion by making it more difficult to fuel up with regular gas.

 Pickens's Clean Energy Fuels Corp. operates three natural-gas fueling stations.

Airport spokesman David MagaƱa told WSJ that the program reflects "the airport's longstanding commitment to environmental stewardship."

1 comment:

  1. Oh sure. Because the kerosene exhaust from continual flights out of Love is just great for the environment.

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