Classy

Matt Welch at Hit & Run rips LA Times writer Tim Rutten for his feverish class warfare fantasies about the evils of congestion pricing for local roads.

Rutten's piece represents the worst of the Left. He's not really helping the poor--he's just bothered the rich will do better.

Here's a heart-tugging bit from his piece, after new toll roads have been built and a single mother leaves work to get to her sick child.

Despite the time of day, L.A.'s freeways are inexplicably clogged -- virtual gridlock for no apparent reason. The new toll lanes, however, are moving freely. For the senior partner, it's a no-brainer. He pays the $1.40-a-mile toll without a first, let alone a second, thought and arrives at his club early enough for a Bloody Mary before lunch. Our single mom, however, looks at the bumper-to-bumper traffic around her, glances over at the freely moving toll lane and has to do the mental math to decide whether getting to her child in less than 90 minutes is worth being late with this month's rent.

First, the rich guy in the toll lane means he's not blocking her. Second, the toll lanes offer a chance she wouldn't have otherwise to--in an emergency like this--get somewhere fast for the cost of a movie ticket or two. Third, most senior partners I know don't get to knock off for a round of golf, a sauna and the occasional hooker until about mid-afternoon.