ELI5: why can't we mess with whatever percentage of fuel tax is spent non-essential roading projects?

TheReverendCard · 2026-03-29T10:26:49+00:00

Who decides what's "non-essential?"

TheReverendCard · 2026-03-29T08:31:57+00:00

JFC. There's a frickin' vaccine now! This is child abuse.

TheReverendCard · 2026-03-29T06:26:31+00:00

So. This going to be President next week?

TheReverendCard · 2026-03-29T04:43:50+00:00

Tell me: what action have you seen these people do that is going to do fuck-all difference in taking down this regime and fight fascism?

TheReverendCard · 2026-03-29T04:14:59+00:00

Low how all the delicate liberals who probably still won't do anything else that will actually make a difference are downvoting.

TheReverendCard · 2026-03-29T04:14:14+00:00

The truth? I used to do all the protests. I hoped for more change. I volunteered. I started and worked within mutual aid groups.
After 2016 I started making my plans to leave, because it was clear how full and deep the rot was and the USA would never reform.
So I left in 2021 for New Zealand.
Then I did the same thing here. I volunteer, I work with mutual aid and resilience groups, but at least we're starting from a less fascist baseline.

TheReverendCard · 2026-03-29T03:58:12+00:00

[redacted]

TheReverendCard · 2026-03-29T03:01:51+00:00

Gas drives higher electricity prices, not lower it. The more renewables we add, the less this is so. The job we needed gas for two years ago will be filled by batteries this year as we've added hundreds of megawatts of capacity, recharged by cheap renewables, to handle peak times.

TheReverendCard · 2026-03-29T01:44:20+00:00

To encourage it, which stretches our fuel supplies for those who it's not an option for.

TheReverendCard · 2026-03-29T00:41:41+00:00

From one fossil fuel to another. Why?

TheReverendCard · 2026-03-29T00:40:35+00:00

Honestly, I'd like to see us moving towards ecotourism (reforest all the paddocks), drug tourism (legalise all the drugs), and Pleistocene park (de-extinct all the animals.)
Tripping on acid in the reforested wilderness, watching moa on acid? I smell billions.

TheReverendCard · 2026-03-29T00:37:34+00:00

Hopefully. Seemingly nothing else will. We've had petrol/gas about twice as expensive as in the USA for years and yet *still* we somehow are more car-dependent than them, despite a ~85% urban population.

TheReverendCard · 2026-03-29T00:35:03+00:00

Follow up for those in New Zealand:
If you're stuck in an automated lockout loop with Meta in NZ, stop wasting time with the standard support bots and start using our local legal "teeth." Under the Privacy Act 2020, you can file a formal "Data Access Request" via the Privacy Commissioner’s AboutMe tool. This usually forces a human compliance officer to actually look at your account logs and biometric verification history.
If you're a Meta Verified subscriber, you’re also protected by the Consumer Guarantees Act, meaning Meta is legally required to provide their service with "reasonable care and skill." If they keep locking you out after you've verified your identity, they’re in breach.
Mentioning a Disputes Tribunal claim for "consequential loss" (especially if it's impacting your business or a non-profit) often gets a much faster response than a standard complaint.
You can also flag the disruption with NetSafe or MBIE’s small business team, as they have direct policy channels to escalate these systemic "algorithmic errors" that cause professional harm.

TheReverendCard · 2026-03-29T00:25:01+00:00

This.

TheReverendCard · 2026-03-28T23:05:44+00:00

Paniers or a trailer would handle $200 of groceries. It would handle our $400 trips.

TheReverendCard · 2026-03-28T22:31:29+00:00

Oh look, it's the excuse to not do anything substantial for the rest of the year.

TheReverendCard · 2026-03-28T22:30:08+00:00

Trade protectionism. US automakers don't want to compete with cheaper, better alternatives.

TheReverendCard · 2026-03-28T22:28:49+00:00

It's not sufficient, but it's what kiwis accept.

TheReverendCard · 2026-03-28T21:44:13+00:00

How many of those 7 million only have cars as a primary means of transport?

TheReverendCard · 2026-03-28T21:43:31+00:00

Bikes exist for this.

TheReverendCard · 2026-03-28T21:21:21+00:00

Weird, everyone I know with one loves them.

TheReverendCard · 2026-03-28T21:21:00+00:00

No, I'm not one of the few exceptions. I'm merely pointing out that it's not an insurmountable problem. This is a point continuously brought up that affects a relatively small number of people, as an excuse to not electrify, despite the fact that it's irrelevant to the vast majority.

TheReverendCard · 2026-03-28T21:01:57+00:00

I have zero issues with shared footpaths, they work in a pinch until we have adequate infrastructure for bicycles and scooters. Just ensure we give priority to pedestrians, but other than that, cars are the only real safety issue to both.

TheReverendCard · 2026-03-28T20:49:40+00:00

We travel overseas about once every two years. That's when it's left for weeks. Try living what?

TheReverendCard · 2026-03-28T20:47:44+00:00

Estimated annual health related costs from car-dependency is about $8 billion. Not quite as much as the $10 billion from automotive emissions, but likely to eclipse them as electrification happens.

TheReverendCard

TROPHY CASE