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.”
This is nothing more than another attempt at people control. You are correct in that if they control where people live and control their food, water, utilities then they control the population. They want to be like Casto or Chavez. Same applies to gun control, because they don’t want anyone fighting thier plans to control all of us.
Yeah. I guess the rebeliousness we seem to be afflicted with sees that it is so.......BTW, where’s that other rebel tonight?
Don't get me wrong - I use public transit and support it. But it's not going to work in huge parts of the USA. We're too big and too geographically spread out.
I suspect the reason that they have not yet come to collect our arms, is that they haven't worked up the courage to have blood on their hands. The left is a cowardice bunch. But you can bet your bottom dollar that it's coming, there's no way around it.
Don't get me wrong - I use public transit and support it. But it's not going to work in huge parts of the USA. We're too big and too geographically spread out.
LOL, thats a great quote
Liberals were doing the same stuff anti car stuff back in the 70’s. They really irked the people in rual States and areas and in the subrubs. Now if Republicans could only kick the can down the road and toss these bumbs out for another 40 years. But with the Rinos, that is doubtful.
There are times that I really wish I wasn’t right so often.
I thought they said we couldn't regulate human behavior. hmmm
Just how many bags of geroceries do they think you can carry on a bicycle, bus or rail? Have they taken into account snow and ice?
Looks like its time to mount a weedeater on my bike...
bttt
Me, I'm off to work in an hour...
:O(
They want us to all live hand-to-mouth and lose weight, too, instead of shop for a month at a time.
Have they taken into account snow and ice?
Apparently not. Nor have they even considered subzero temperatures, wind chills below -50, etc. Kids here are a special breed, though, they'll ride their bicycles even when it is -20 out and there is snow on the ground. That said, the snow here is usually fine, dry, powdery stuff, and not the wet snow folks get further south. Still, some foodstuffs do not handle freexing well...
Yeah, well you try digging a moat all day and see how tired you are at night.
And do you think those bamboo stakes sharpen themselves?
How's it going, 383rr? Good to see you.
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