'Vehicle' Doesn't Shape a Better Future
In reference to May 14 Vehicle of the Week. Overall I support and agree with the importance of the topics covered by your publication. I appreciate the effort to raise public awareness about local as well as national politics and other issues that are an immediate concern to the community.
That said, in this particular issue (May 14), I was troubled by the "Vehicle of the Week" that was presented. In today's world of ever escalating fuel prices and dwindling natural resources, I would expect The Skanner to promote a vehicle that doesn't continue to contribute to the problems that we, as a society, face. The featured car is a 2008 Cadillac STS-V and is considered a gas guzzler. It gets a disgusting 13 mpg in the city and a not much better 19 mpg on the highway. This will lead to an average annual fuel cost of nearly $4,000 and an annual carbon footprint of 12.2 tons of carbon dioxide.
The promotion of this vehicle does not agree with your paper's motto of "Challenging People to Shape a Better Future Now." There are many cars that are both stylish and environmentally friendly. You could also feature bicycles and scooters in the featured vehicle section. In Portland, this would agree with most people's sense of environmental and civic responsibility. To help alleviate the problem in my own way, I recently stopped driving a non-efficient vehicle and purchased a new MINI Cooper. I have also made a commitment to drive less. Using this section to encourage environmental awareness and fuel economy would be a great way to help raise the social awareness of the challenges that we must face together.
Thomas Gayne
Portland
In Response: We at The Skanner agree. The Cadillac STS-V is not an environmentally or economically friendly automobile. As the author of this weekly feature, I try to balance many different needs and wants, and in some cases choose automobiles that 99 percent of us will never afford or seriously consider for purchase (the Cadillac STS-V costs in excess of $80,000). I ride a bicycle most days to work to help reduce my own automobile costs, as well as to better my own health and environment. In the future, I will try and provide vehicles that appeal to all of our economic and environmental health.
--Brian Stimson
