i’ll wager, from an armchair mind you, that this is because decrepeit Scrooges see it as a plus that the people from the regions most affected as “lesser people”, while also holding on to money and ensuring states militarize to defend that money from increasingly pissed of people.
so TLDR ig racist old dudes appreciating what fascism does for 'em.
this is just an armchair assessment fron me though. why is fossil fuel still being used?
Because Standard Oil, Firestone and General Motors lobbied against public transportation, in the USA, so they could sell more cars.
Yeah, I was mostly addressing the immediate reason. The historical ones are way more complex as you mentioned. Now, you have to overcome suburban sprawl and hostile urban development where everything is spread out, requiring a car to use as a direct result of our past shitty choices/lobbying efforts.
A little bit of the defense budget and the will to do it will get it done!
Eta: and create a jobs program. If we add renewables and green spaces, it may rival the New Deal jobs program!