I guess thats the difference between socalism and democracy. Socalism crams as many people in as few high rise buildings as possible, and democracy allows for the individual to live in his or her own dwelling, as far from his neighbors as his/her budget allows. You can draw your own conclusions as to which scenario is more easily controled. Note the defining word is "budget", not income.
Since most European and Eastern cities have been around centuries before our own, they were never designed for motor vehicles, and thusly niether is thier culture. Public transportation has always been walking, and traveling more that a few blocks to work and shop has never been a desire.
I hope we don't go backwards into such a mindset.
There's no reason the land of inventors and innovators like Ford, Edison, Bell, and the Wright brothers can't solve the problem of efficient individual and efficient mass transportation. The problem is we need to reward such individuals, not bury them under a pile of well intended but misquided overegulation and its mountain of red tape.

But I digress...
BAck in the "old days" we had vehicle inspections too. Indiana had them, so did Iowa. They were every bit as messed up and corrupt as they are now. And as then, the well intentioned ideals were to make vehicles safer and as emissions free as possible. Isn't that common sense though?

 

Just remember your anger the next time you go to the polls!

 

Yeah! A hole or B hole.