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.”
Trust in God and keep your powder dry.
I think we would be good neighbors as I feel the same way. We picked the house because it was on the dead end and we were close to the river. Our backyard backed up to a lumberyard that is now closed and the city bought.
What I thought was really interesting was the first comments the man made at the lecture. It was not on housing per se but on how America needs to shed the cult of the individual and how we must come together as a community. This was using the example of the car vs mass transit.
We have to give up ours so that they don’t have to give theirs.
Also, did you know that there are actually people living outside of the Eastern Urban sprawl? Who knew?!
Obviously the moron has never lived in Middle America and considers Chicago typical of Middle America. We do not have public transportation and the distance is so far, we cannot afford public transportation to be built.
We can take the Heartland Flyer train to Fort Worth, BUT once there if you want to tour around, better have a rental car.
What next from this incompetent WH?
there are no subways out in the country in west virginia where I live..except for the ones that make the sandwiches.
they have a few buses, but theyre full of the least bathing, most ill-tempered dregs of society that you might imagine.
Im not a liberal, thus I have no guilt to carry,...I’ll stick with my 95 ford explorer..It has good airconditioning and I can go in the snow in it.
Yes they do have Government funded rural mass transit. They call it AMTRAC. (And look how well that’s working.) s/
My city took out car lanes and drew in "bike paths" - the result? Crowded streets and NO BIKE TRAFFIC.
I'm sure the liberals in Washington will still be taking their limos to the airports to fly their private jets while the people are forced to ride in Obama deathmobiles.
Don Young gew up in Ft Yukon. “bout as far from City as you can get....
Transformational’ administration = train wreck
“They want to force you into the cities, to “hive up”, because that lifestyle is more “sustainable”.”
Donna Brazille let this slip one day..
These lunatics want people living in “Higher Densities”, because it’s “Easier to provide them services” (Control them).
We aren’t dealing with your father’s Democrats here, folks. These are the craziest of the crazies. And unless we get our act together, SOON, we are in real trouble.
I always got the impression coercion was more but extreme persuasive means whereas mandate was direct order of law.
Not much practical difference, though, is there?
How long does he think it would take to go shopping for a family of five using mass transit or bike? How in the world do you carry home ten bags of groceries, two gallons of milk, a 25 lb. bag of kitty litter, a 12 lb. bottle of laundry detergent, and two 12 packs of sodas? The man has obviously never gone grocery shopping for a family.
Keep in mind that is a somewhat private venture, and not strictly public transportation.
I have bought ten-speeds at garage sales for less than the price of a single 5 mile cab ride, too...
“Three words: ten buck gas”
Correct: evidence, cigs at $10 a pack NYC. Government made smoking too expensive.
Will the American people accept a reduction in their standard of living for this green crap?
We may all personally thank Bob Michel for LaHood directly -- he was Michel's COS until the old man retired, LaHood took his seat in 1995. He was always a smarmy jerk when presiding over the House pro tem, at least I now know my instincts were 100% correct on the guy.
And we all know what kind of Republican Michel was -- anyone recall the story of how Newt Gingrich went from being a back-bencher to garnering enough support to be elected Minority Whip??
They want to force you into the cities, to “hive up”, because that lifestyle is more “sustainable”.
LThey want us to hive up so they can have the land for their leisure. Welcome to 18th century England.
Oh, yeah.
If anyone has studied the feudal system at all,
you can see that this is exactly what these “elites” are wanting here in America.
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
in no way a federal issue, but really not a bad idea if cities or states want to expand mass transit (to meet demand without financial loss), or build bike paths. Leaving rural areas asice, I'd ride a bike more if there were bike lanes, and I'd LOVE to be able to drive my high gas mileage ATV on the streets like the police and parking enforcement folk do, rather than my gas guzzling truck. But in the liberal mind, an idea which might be credible on a local level, but would rely on individual choice, morphs to
...coerce people out of their cars
Not much difference I agree. But one is a mafia tool and the other is done under the color of law. God help us.
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