Shovel it: More mass transit

Congressmen discussing the econ. stim. bill are indeed calling for funding for shovel-ready projects, just as Carol Coletta forecasted in my interview with her earlier this month. View the WSJ online article.
The govt cannot be serious about 1) doing shove-ready projects (those can wait); 2) put more $ toward highways than public transit projects/alternative energy stocking along highways (for that would certainly be the perpetuation of America’s reliance on fossil fuels).
It’s already becoming the norm for people to not only move closer into the cities but also to consider public transit. Everyone who drives complains about traffic and the cost of gas. Public transit is a must!
I also do not agree that airports need anything. Let the airline industry take care of itself. After all, didn’t American taxpayers give them a big financial lift after 9-11, much like the bank industry after the real estate bubble/credit lending debacle crashed?

View full post

Filed under: construction, legislation, Obama, transportation, urbanization

This is a democracy?

Below are some key numbers for the House’s first draft of the economic stimulus bill, acc. to Stateline.org:

* $43 billion for increased unemployment benefits
* $20 billion to increase the food stamp benefit
* $30 billion for highway construction
* $19 billion for clean water, flood control and environmental cleanup programs
* $4 billion for state and local anti-crime initiatives, including $3 billion for the Byrne Justice Assistance, which pays for programs to battle drug trafficking.

No fighting drug trafficking. For god’s sake how long must this unwinnable war continue? Legalize the stuff, make $ off of it so taxes don’t take up so much of politicians’ hot air, and turn the jobs from fighting the war to their safe sales. Look at the alcohol industry, people. Not that complicated. For a nation supposedly so progressive, we are tragically left in the 19th century.
No, not $30 billion in highway construction, unless by that you mean these: installation of telecommunications, plugins for electric cars, alternative energy sources such as wind turbines and solar panels lining highways. We do not need to proliferate an instrument that helped us get into Iraq, global warming, a nationwide obesity epidemic, and economic woes. No more roads!

View full post

Filed under: legislation, Obama, technology, transportation