Posted on 05/27/2009 11:04:46 AM PDT by Lorianne
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood defended the pro-mass transit policies of the Obama administration today, and fired back at conservative writer George Will, who devoted an entire column to attacking LaHood earlier this week.
"We have to create opportunities for people who want to ride a bike or walk or take a streetcar," he said. "The only person that I've heard of who objects to this is George Will."
Will wrote a column in Newsweek magazine criticizing the secretary, whom he dubbed "Secretary of Behavior Modification," for supporting measures to wean commuters off automobiles.
LaHood, a former Republican congressman from Illinois, made his remarks during a speech at the National Press Club about Obama's economic stimulus plan, which directed billions to transit and high-speed rail, and the upcoming transportation bill.
One of only two Republicans in the Obama cabinet, LaHood was named to the post in part to serve as the president's ambassador to Congressional Republicans. He acknowledged that efforts to win GOP support for the stimulus had failed, but said he believed more Republicans would support the Obama administration on healthcare and climate change legislation that is also expected this year.
In a question-and-answer session following his remarks, Lahood expressed exasperation with the suggestion from some of his fellow Republicans that redirecting federal transportation money from highways to other modes of transportation amounted to government meddling in individual decisions.
"About everything we do around here is government intrusion into people's lives," he said.
"It is a way to coerce people out of their cars. Yeah."
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
You have to admit, he has a point there.
Mr. LaHood, meet #2.
Talk to the Sec of Energy.... make sure they are all white buses
Make mine “Cash Cab”
LaHood is a LaJerk.
part of the master plan:
Obama Budget Rescinds Oil, Gas Industry Tax Breaks
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2246209/posts
Why Do Progressives Love Trains?
http://hnn.us/blogs/entries/78374.html
It's called freedom of movement, in which this administration fully intends to take away.
Put us in little boxes in the inner cities and remove our personal mode of transportation like the good little sheeple we should be.
Make all mass transit illegal unless it is 100% self supporting with no government money to build it!
A bus route has stop in front of my apartment building and the same bus route has a stop in front of my office.
The bus takes 25 minutes from home to work.
My car takes 10 minutes from home to work.
I save 30 minutes a day commuting by private vehicle.
Many of my co-workers have similar situations.
Take the money from public transit and widen the damn roads.!!!
What about people who can’t drive (too old, too young, handicapped) or can’t afford a car and all it’s attendant costs?
Our ecomony depends on people being able to get around, get to work, get to shopping etc.
If we’re going to fund roads/highways through government funds, we can also fund other forms of transportation through government funds.
The other option is to make all trasportation forms privately funded.
What about people who can’t drive (too old, too young, handicapped) or can’t afford a car and all it’s attendant costs?
1) Neighbors
2) Friends
3) Church organizations
4) Charities
5) Family members
With all due respect and courtesy...why does every problem NEED a public funding???
If they want us out of the cars than they need to make bike paths (as good as Germany and Austria), run paths (as good as France), subway systems (as good as London) and then perhaps we will consider public transportation. It will take YEARS before we are up to European standards of public transportation.
True. When do we start?
It’s not a matter of “getting us out of cars” as some here suggest. Sure, some nuts are hell bent against cars.
But the real issue is choice. We need more transportation choices.
Either those are government funded or not. Pick one, but it can’t be one choice is government funded and the others aren’t.
so I take it every American now has the right to catch a streetcar? Let’s start adding-up the cost to provide that to people in, say, rural western Nebraska, or the U.P of Michigan...
Why do roads/highways need public funding?
I think if you acquiesce to government funding of one or more means of transportation, you’ve already given up the argument about government funding of others.
Name a city with mass transit that doesn’t also have huge traffic jams.
“About everything we do around here is government intrusion into people’s lives,” he said.”
Say, Roy, how about you stop?
Why do roads/highways need public funding?
As long as we pay a gas tax that’s SUPPOSE to go to the construction and upkeep of our highway system, they will be publicly financed.
However I would be quite happy if they just privatized the whole system.
But that is just me.
Now it's: "We have to create opportunities for people who want to ride a bike or walk or take a streetcar"
He's just a little clumsy with the spin.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.