The Good Guys

The Hill takes a look at what smart growth and transit advocates are doing to try to take advantage of high gas prices to convince people that a shift of federal policy away from encouraging auto-dependency is the right way to go. Apparently folks have "coalesced around a bill introduced by Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.) and Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) called the Transportation and Housing Choices for Gas Price Relief Act of 2008." In preparation for shifting to 501 (c) 4 status, I won't by any means endorse the bill or urge congress to pass it. Instead, I'll merely note that various people I respect seem to be hoping that congress passes this bill.

More info here at Streetsblog.

UPDATE: Also -- if you live in DC and want to do something good for smart growth, the environment, public health, and the local economy you should come to the Zoning Commission meeting on parking minimum's today at 6:30 PM (441 4th Street NW) and join me in advocating that minimums be lowered or abolished.

Comments

Off topic, but since you work with him I figure you have good access to him. Can you ask Ambinder why he never has an polls about John McCain?

Posted by Keith | July 31, 2008 3:49 PM

Matt, I think you are allowed to endorse legislation.

From the IRS website:

Seeking legislation germane to the organization's programs is a permissible means of attaining social welfare purposes. Thus, a section 501(c)(4) social welfare organization may further its exempt purposes through lobbying as its primary activity without jeopardizing its exempt status.

Posted by peep | July 31, 2008 4:07 PM

The bill would create new tax breaks to commuters who carpool and to those who “telecommute” and work from home, provide additional federal money to subsidize transit fares, and promote the development of public housing near transit systems.

With this description, it is almost certain that the Transportation and Housing Choices for Gas Price Relief Act of 2008 will provide no transportation or housing choices nor provide any gas price relief. Can't they just go on vacation and let gas prices take care of themselves. Really, people will adjust.

Posted by Steven Donegal | July 31, 2008 4:49 PM

The Hill takes a look at what smart growth and transit advocates are doing to try to take advantage of high gas prices to convince people that a shift of federal policy away from encouraging auto-dependency is the right way to go.

As described in the article, the bill would do little or nothing to shift transportation usage from autos to transit. The first provision is tax incentives for car-pooling. That would encourage people to keep travelling by car and may even draw people away from transit by reducing the relative cost of car-pooling. The second provision is tax incentives for telecommuting. That would encourage people simply to do less physical commuting, not to switch physical commutes from cars to transit. The third provision is larger subsidies for transit fares. That might induce some switching, but transit fares are already so low in comparison to the costs of driving that the effect would probably be very small. Ditto for the fourth provision, promoting the development of public housing near transit systems. Public housing is only a small share of all housing and is probably already disproportionately served by transit.

Posted by Mixner | July 31, 2008 4:55 PM

The Center for American Progress is a non-profit, non-partisan organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue code. Donations are tax-deductible.

CAP is a 501(c)(3) not a 501(c)(4)! Then maybe Matt is right to be cautious!

Posted by peep | July 31, 2008 5:10 PM

Yay! More Stuff White People Like -- expensive, non-bus mass transit!

Posted by Fred | July 31, 2008 6:41 PM

Yay! More Stuff White People Like -- expensive, non-bus mass transit!

Posted by Fred | July 31, 2008 6:45 PM

Better get it straight, Matt. 501(c)3 and 501(c)4 are pretty different. C4's can lobby all they want. C3's can lobby, but only under certain circumstances. They must get a minimum fraction of support from small donors and spend a maximum percentage of operating expenses on the lobbying activities.

Many 501(c)3's now have 501(c)4 sister organizations to help organize activities.

Posted by Brian Watkins | July 31, 2008 6:45 PM

Until the left stops supporting open borders and unlimited immigration, they will have no crediblity You can try to put middle class white people in car pools and on trains but adding millions of immigrants to the commuting public every year means that the left just not really care about transportation or traffic.

Posted by superdestroyer | July 31, 2008 8:18 PM

Suggestion: elaborate on "parking minimums"? It's not a widespread term.

Posted by JohnH | July 31, 2008 9:12 PM

Many 501 http://www.piriketseverler.tr.gg

Posted by PiriketSeverler | August 1, 2008 5:16 AM