Free Republic

The California Air Resources Board is reportedly considering a new plan to help transportation for low earners: buying them cars. The agency would like to give those of low income a voucher to buy energy-efficient vehicles like the Nissan Leaf, which has a sticker price of $21,000. The board currently gives drivers $1,000 to $1,500 to get rid of their older vehicles in an attempt to curb carbon emissions; there is a second program that gives up to $4,000 depending on the vehicles involved.

SACRAMENTO — One longtime critic of federal transportation spending once concluded that it would be less expensive for the government to buy every new transit rider a Jaguar XJ8 than it would be to build certain new rail systems. Unfortunately, California officials may not have realized that the idea of buying people new cars wasn’t a serious proposal as much as a way to illustrate a point about excessive spending. The California Air Resources Board is now embarking on a program that would help poor people buy energy-efficient vehicles. In one scenario posed by the agency, a “voucher” might even...

NEW YORK (AP) -- Unions lent their muscle to the long-running protest against Wall Street and economic inequality Wednesday, with their members joining thousands of protesters in a lower Manhattan march as smaller demonstrations flourished across the country. Protesters in suits and T-shirts with union slogans left work early to march with activists who have been camped out in Zuccotti Park for days. Some marchers brought along their children, hoisting them onto their shoulders as they walked down Broadway. "We're here to stop corporate greed," said Mike Pellegrino, an NYC Transit bus mechanic from Rye Brook. "They should pay their...

Driven by angry constituents, state senators are moving to flatten the tires of welfare recipients by cutting a program spotlighted in the Herald that hands them donated cars and state-funded insurance, repairs and even AAA membership. “We can’t be giving out freebies,” said state Sen. Steven A. Baddour (D-Methuen). “At a time when we’re cutting programs across the spectrum and working families are struggling to pay the bills, this program is just too rich for this budget.” The Herald reported last week that Gov. Deval Patrick was expanding the $400,000 wheels-for-welfare program with a $30,000 infusion despite the budget crisis....

Congrats to K. State, Big 12 Champs. They spanked the pompous overrated Sooners 35-7 tonight in the Big 12 Championship game. Meanwhile USC and LSU continued to roll with big wins(52-28 and 34-13(with 3 minutes left, respectively.) No way should OU be chosen by the BCS to play in the Sugar Bowl, the pollsters and computers should drop them hard to at least #3(Michigan is probably better, but they do have 2 losses.) What a fraud the BCS is, can anyone reasonable prove that OU is better than LSU and USC, both of who have dominated late in the season?...