To get on the bus that takes me to you...

Warren Miller had me excited for tomorrow’s commute:

"I'm driving around Lisbon, and there are green Howard Transit buses that are empty," Republican Del. Warren E. Miller said about the county's 26-bus system. "In Columbia, I rarely ever see one that is half-full."

Sweet! I didn’t know that I could ride public transportation to Columbia and save myself a few pesos. Something isn’t quite right, however, as I have not seen a big green Howard Transit bus in Lisbon. Ever. It turns out that Mr. Miller was confused:

Ray Ambrose, the Howard Transit administrator, said the county-subsidized scheduled bus service has not run to Lisbon for eight or nine years. What Miller is seeing, he said, are smaller para-transit buses used for nonscheduled individual appointments for disabled people.

Mr. Miller made his comment in an effort to argue that taxpayers in the Western end of the County should not have to pay taxes that fund services that they do not use, like Howard Transit buses. Instead, the folks who use those buses should pay for them. I approve of this concept. Similarly, gas taxes should fully fund highway construction and the cleanup of air pollution, since folks who consume gas are using the roads and compromising air quality. This will probably drive gas to, I don't know, maybe $9 or $10 a gallon? However, I suspect that Mr. Miller will be VERY selective in how he applies his “user pays” argument. I doubt he will use this line of thinking to attack, oh, the Horse Park that fellow Republican Greg Fox wants to build. Or the public library. Or public schools…