Transportation

On one of the last episodes of "West Wing", Chief of Staff CJ Craig, tells the newly elected President, played by Jimmy Smits, that her years of service to the government are over. She is considering alternate opportunities and is asked about what issue she believes would do the most good for the country if she were to control massive amounts of money? Her reply..."Highways". Transportation is so pivotal to our nation. After all, we have to get from place to place. We are a mobile nation. We travel in planes, cars, buses, subways, railroads, ferries and bicycles, and yes, sometimes we even use our feet. Automobiles and connected businesses account for a huge part of our economy and whenever states run into revenue crises of their own making, who gets hit? The commuter. Tolls and fares continue to rise, with services reduced and traffic jams startling on highways in need of repair. I do not ever remember since Eisnehower, a candidate talk much about transportation although the President has been touting the need for infrastructure repair. I guess this issue isn't sexy enough. Instead, we will hear decent men demogogued as Anti-Christian, scare women into frenzies about covered health care needs and always go back to the morally devisive and easy attempts at religious polarization. In Today's NY Times, there is a welcome editorial about Transportation which expresses just another example of the differences between Red and Blue. The Bill supported by the Speaker and the House Republicans reduces financial commitmments to mass transit (predominantly used by bluer states and middle class workers) and props up the benefits to oil companies and oil drillers while de-emphasizing the environment. The details will be publicly debated, I hope, but this is just another important reason for us to wake up and see the REAL differences between our political parties. After all, why should we move away from oil and toward mass transit? This might actually help America, but we know our Congress doesn't care about that. And neither do the Republican clown candidates running for President. Where are you Americans for reason and truth?