Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Cars

Before You Vote This Super Tuesday, Read This Cartoon

Cartoon by Dan Wasserman – h/t Streetfilms

Editor's Note: A version of this post originally appeared on Streetsblog LA. 

For your Election Day funnies, let's revisit a classic Boston cartoon about where the real socialism lies in these United States: on the open road. The cartoon is by Dan Wasserman of the Boston Globe. The “T” is Boston’s public transportation systems operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

Lately, election pundits have been critical of some candidates for advocating socialism. But the U.S.A. has always solved a lot of issues using collective solutions: mail, defense, law enforcement, and —  yes – transportation. All those roads and highways are publicly-funded and publicly-maintained — even if the way we distribute those collective resources disproportionately favors drivers.

Many drivers tend to opine that Amtrak, high speed rail, metro buses and trains, and even bicyclists are freeloaders who benefit from the taxes and fees paid by drivers —and that if we want robust transit, those systems should charge enough fares to pay for themselves. But this is a pernicious double-standard. No highway makes a profit. Transportation systems are publicly-funded (ie: “socialist”) because they benefit broad swaths of society. Car infrastructure is funded by many broad-based taxes that are paid by everyone, not just those who drive.

Of course, some candidates' transportation plans are a little more car-focused than others. Read the Streetsblog take on their plans — and if you live in a Super Tuesday state, go vote like your future depends on it!

Register now before we sell out! Act against climate change and create universal mobility at the 2020 National Shared Mobility Summit, March 17-19 in Chicago. Meet leaders from the public and private sectors and learn the latest policies and practices. Form partnerships and make new modes work for communities of all sizes.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Opinion: What Was Amtrak Thinking With These Layoffs?

"These cuts have the potential to undermine billions of dollars’ worth of long-term recapitalization efforts, just to save millions in its operating budget," the president of the National Rail Passengers Association argues — and the public deserves answers.

May 12, 2025

Monday’s Headlines Keep on Moving, Don’t Stop

What if you could hop on a bus the same way you stepped onto a sidewalk? Fast Company has the answer.

May 12, 2025

Cyclist Launches Class Action Suit For Bogus NYPD Red Light Tickets

The NYPD keeps ignoring a law that allows cyclists to pass through a red light on the "Walk" sign. Now, someone is making a federal case about it.

May 12, 2025

Car Harms Monday: ‘Car Brain’ is the Demon Spawn of Car Dependency

Our policies, our budgets and our cultural narratives assume everyone can and does drive. That's car brain.

May 12, 2025

US DOT Says It’s ‘Getting America Building’ — But Leaves Transit and Safety In Limbo

The feds are finally giving out money again — but not everyone is getting their promised funds.

May 12, 2025
See all posts