Posted on 05/26/2009 5:42:24 AM PDT by SJackson
(CNSNews.com) - Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood told a group of reporters at the National Press Club on Thursday that he wants to “coerce people out of their cars.”
In Newsweek magazine last week, nationally syndicated columnist George Will published a piece critical of Lahood, entitled, “Ray Lahood, Transformed--Secretary of Behavior Modification.”
“He says he has joined a ‘transformational’ administration: ‘I think we can change people's behavior,’” Will reports that Lahood said over lunch.
Lahood, a former Republican congressman from Peoria, Ill., has become a champion of using the Department of Transportation and federal transportation spending to get people to take trains, busses, and ride bikes instead of driving cars.
At the National Press Club on Thursday he attempted to respond to George Will’s column and to explain his vision for using the power of government to change people’s transportation behavior and to change the nature of American residential communities.
“We want to really--and notwithstanding the fact that George Will doesn't like this idea--the idea of creating opportunities for people to get out of their cars--and we're working with the secretary of HUD, Shaun Donovan, on opportunities for housing, walking paths, biking paths,” said Lahood. “If somebody wants to ride their bike, if--to work or to the place of employment or to other places--mass transit, light rail--creating opportunities for what we call livable communities.”
The moderator of the press club event asked Lahood: “Some in the highway-supporters motorist groups have been concerned by your livability initiative. Is this an effort to make driving more torturous and to coerce people out of their cars?”
Lahood answered: “It is a way to coerce people out of their cars.
“Yeah,” he continued, “I mean, look, people don't like spending an hour and a half getting to work. And people don't like spending an hour going to the grocery store. And all of you who live around here know exactly what I'm talking about. You know, the dreaded thing is to have to run an errand on a weekend around here or to try and get home at 3:00 in the afternoon or even 5:00 in the afternoon.
“Now, look, every community is not going to be a livable community. But we have to create opportunities for people that do want to use a bicycle or want to walk or want to get on a streetcar or want to ride a light rail,” said Lahood.
Lahood suggested to the reporters that George Will is the only person opposed to using the government to promote mass transit and bicycling over driving a car.
“And the only person that I've heard of that objects to this is George Will. Check out Newsweek magazine,” said Lahood.
Lahood then made a joke about the fact that some conservatives believe that the way he wants to use the Department of Transportation represents an increased government intrusion in people’s lives.
“Some conservative groups are wary of the livable communities program, saying it's an example of government intrusion into people's lives,” said the moderator. “How do you respond?”
“About everything we do around here is government intrusion in people's lives,” said Lahood. “So have at it.”
Ray Lahood is Colin Powell’s kind of Republican.
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Government coersion and behavior modification is a scary, scary prospect. They are only baby steps away from mandate.
Unfortunately, many people have already been tenderized to accept it by allowing government intrusion into decisions about which they should NEVER have had a say.
I’ll give the socialists this: they have been patient and unrelenting in implementing their agenda. They started with easy targets (like smokers) and have worked their way up the ladder.
Republicans would do well to watch them closely. I fear they will not.
Regards,
I think that’s where the political fault line lies.
In rational times, it would be Republicans trying to get us off Arab oil for national security.
Dems would be pretending to go along - but only so they could figure a way to control and tax us. (your “road usage tax”)
Unfortunately it seems the entire GOP has been bought and paid for by so-called free trade dolts, who couldn’t care less about national security. As long as they can make a few dollars off our national collapse.
Which is why, IMHO the GOP is getting shellacked in every election recently.
America. First!
They don’t mind me living a little out of the city. They just want me to ride my horse to work.
Presumably, they don’t understand things like SNOW, or DESERT HEAT or other difficulties that might exist with riding a bike (or horse) to work.
Contact your STATE legislators and demand they support 10th amendment sovereignty legislation.
You realize, of course, that distilling spirits without the proper okay from nanny fed is likely to get you a visit from said fed. Not that I agree with the laws, but just passing along information. As far as I'm concerned Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms should be a convenience store, not a fed agency.
Oh, Mr. B....I wish that would do it.
Sadly, I live in one of the biggest FedGov-teat-sucking states of all...NY.
One day, I shall escape this place, but for now, I’m afraid I’m stuck here, and my legislature would never consider giving up the “free” money they get from the Feds.
Regards,
Its almost time.
You can benefit from others taking this course of action, though,
because you’ll be able to move to a free state after the balloon goes up.
I can just see my husband riding a bike 25 miles each way to work. We live in the country. No bus or train system here.
It is time. It's just that nobody wants to go first.
Absolutely! That is my dearest wish, to one day live in a state where the nannies don’t rule the world.
Wish me luck, Mr. B.
Regards,
And those streetcar companies (notably the Pacific Electric Railway) were private enterprises
1) Government farms will produce the food for the subjugated urban masses.
2) Government transportation will supply these subjugated urban masses with government produced food.
3) Government agencies will decide which urban areas will receive what and how much government produced food.
4) Local governments, through their government appointed commissars, will decide which individuals will be allowed to receive government food.
Oh, no, they don't want you taking INDIVIDUAL transportation, they want to force you on mass transit, as part of Lord Zero's "share the wealth" program to pack the busses, subways, and trains with well-off Americans for poor people to rob.
When you see a bus, think of a lake that gets stocked by the State Game and Wildlife agency. You're the fish, namely, a sucker.
Kentucky Bourbon is America's only native spirit. By law Bourbon must be made in NEW white oak barrels. The many years spent aging in new barrels is why Kentucky Bourbon is the best whiskey in the world today. After the Bourbon is removed, the barrels are exported where they are REUSED to make Scotch, Irish Whisky, Rum, and Tequila. The best quality barrels come from Kentucky where they are made and used. It is our pleasure to offer this valuable part of our Kentucky heritage to you.
#4 is talking about “community organizers” - ie, block czars that determine whether you get what you need to live based on how much “respect” you show to them.
Your bicycle may have gone into the trash 56 years ago, but your opinion is not going to matter much when the Healh Care Czars decide that your blood pressure and cholesterol meds are not “cost effective” for a 72 year old man...
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