I think that sums it up pretty well. User-pay is a great way to get people to make responsible choices. Anything that's subsidized tends to get wasted (tenants whose rent includes utilities are often great examples of that. Open bars and all-you-can eat buffets also tend to be pretty well abused!). Gradually increasing the gas tax is the most direct way to link car use with its actual cost.

I don't care so much if every dime private vehicle use costs me on my tax bill gets re-distributed to the shoulders of the motorists and shipping companies (where it would come back to me in the form of higher prices for goods). What I would like to see, though, is gas being expensive enough that more people think twice about making short trips by car. I think that could result in a lot of positive changes, like more acceptance of cyclists, healthier people, less congestion, less noise, fewer collisions, and, well, etc., etc., etc.