To keep this kind of thing from happening again, we should avoid future bubbles in real estate prices, which are basically bubbles in land prices. Bubbles like that have to burst sooner or later.

To avoid speculative bubbles in land prices, we should tax land heavily and cut the property tax on improvements. That way, people won’t buy land if they don’t mean to use it, while building needed housing and other construction would not be punished.

Nicholas D. Rosen

Arlington

‘Smart’ cars aren’t really all that bright

Re: “Moving past the traffic congestion debate,” Jan. 26

Car companies are calling fuel-efficient cars “smart.” What makes a fuel-efficient car smart? A a truly “smart” car should be one that can drive itself efficiently.

An automated system, or smart highway, would cut fuel consumption by reducing the gas-and-brake style of driving on our nation’s highways.

My advice: Instead of looking into electric and hybrid technologies, the Detroit Three should automate the driving process to save fuel. Then they will truly deserve the “smart” moniker.

Alan B. Grayson

Washington

Metro board ignores biggest problem: Overpaid employees

Re: “Metro board asked to wield knife on service this week,” Jan. 5

I was not surprised that Metro board members did not consider some of the most obvious ways to eliminate the budget shortfall. Since they are responsible for the underlying problem of overspending, heaven forbid they take a look at what they have done to create the problem.

Metro employees are vastly overpaid, their high salaries compounded by absurd pension benefits and work rules. Pension benefits are based on wages, including ridiculous amounts of overtime ($70 million last year alone), which gives the average Metro retiree a pension far greater than the average salary of working Americans. If they weren’t allowed to do this, the incentive to work overtime would be gone.

Requiring employees to contribute to their own pensions, as is the case with 95 percent of all other pension plans in the country, would further reduce overspending. Just those two changes alone would allow Metro to increase service, not cut it, and reduce fares, not increase them.

I’m not holding my breath for the Metro board to do what employers all over the country do when faced with costs that are out of line. Reduce them, and the problem is solved.

John Adams

Washington