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.”
“And the only person that I've heard of that objects to this is George Will. Check out Newsweek magazine,” said Lahood.
“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.”
Not a problem for me. I live in a very small town way out in the country. A run to the store for any item takes mere minutes. We have no trains, no bus service and riding a bike to work up and down steep hills with heavy snow in the winter and 100 plus degree heat in the summer is out of the question for all but athletes in top shape.
Urban beehives is just the right description. I went to a lecture on New Urbanism a couple of weeks ago. The guy talked like he was preaching to the choir. (And with the exception of me, hew was.)
I always worry about those people since my house is prime property for the city to want condos and townhomes. When I mentioned my distaste for New Urbanism to someone I knew, they just walked away without comment.
The zoning laws around here are obviously slanted to make rural homesteading more difficult. I don’t recall details but there are federal guidelines concerning rural land use. My property is about 335 feet wide along the road. We have 2 mailboxes, one is 2730, the other is 2750. Someone must think that more people should be crammed into my 5 acres, about 10 more units worth!
I drive.
Alone
In my little (Chevy HHR SS) SUV.
I carry a few hundred pounds of tools and equipment,
From Maine to Buffalo to Pittsburgh to Virginia Beach.
Who’d like to volunteer to figure out how the HELL I can continue to perform my job - and FEED MY FAMILY - using mass transit and rickshaws?
And how did this hypocrite arrive at the NPC for his speech? I'm betting he didn't take the Metro, more likely he travelled in a convoy of three Suburbans. But he wants us out of our cars.
And they never made any money either. I believe the Pacific Electric had all of two profitable years in all of its existence. The Red Cars were built to promote land development, to get people around Southern California in an era when fewer people owned cars than they do today. As time went by, they began to lose their usefulness.
Just like today, public transportation was a money loser. The old story about GM burying the trolley cars has been distorted over the years to make “big auto” the same kind of villain as “big tobacco.” Yes, the did lose a court case but they didn't close down the streetcar lines, they converted them to buses. The Pacific Electric line to my hometown was shut down in the 1930’s. The fact is that cars are more efficient in getting people around, but socialist dogma now brands them evil.
People like me should be isolated from society, LOL!
Be very careful what you wish for Mr. Lahood. You just might get it.
The government of this country wasn't established in order to change people's behavior or nature, other than imprisoning criminals. We need to stop this nonsense in Washington.
I will fight HARD to keep the government from making these decisions for you...and for all of us.
Best of luck to you.
Regards,
PS: I think your new tagline should be “I Drive. Alone.” It sounds so....dangerous!
This is all part of Agenda 21 and the Wildlands Project. Do some research on these two items, and prepare to have your beeber stuned.
How about making it illegal for anyone to drive unless they have a job. That should piss off about 90% of zero’s voting base
Thanks.
So will I.
I’ll leave my tagline alone. That’s another thing the social engineers would eliminate.
And THEN I would be angry.
that idea is as good as the ‘ole Boston Tea Party idea.
Start smashing bulbs - exhaust the hazmat folks.
This alone will prove the old bulbs are “greener”
I would never dream of messin’ with the tagline, Peter! I ain’t no government busybody.
I just liked the sound of “I Drive Alone.” Sounds like a John Wayne movie. With a soundtrack by Johnny Cash.
Regards,
“Us country folk are too independent and difficult to control. “
But that’s what makes us so much fun!
Dealing drugs and stealing to buy them can be a full time job :)...
SInce WHEN is it GOVERNMENT’S job to force the populace to do ANYTHING???
This is a violation of civil rights, if nothing else its WAY beyond the scope of what the Freakin Federal Government should be doing. Change my behavior alright, Gonna come out swinging is what I will change it to. Grrrrrrr .../rant
Ping to post #94
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