I have heard mutterings around New York City about outrage over a proposed transportation bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that would take away the majority of funding for mass transit provided by the federal government to cities and states throughout the nation. I didn't know much more about it, until I came across this blog post on Triplepundit.com earlier this morning. House Bill HR 7 is another Republican attempt, it seems, to hand this country over to the fossil fuel industry, namely Big Oil.
While the bill is touted by the Republicans as an effective means of saving time and money in getting road projects done, there are a few snippets of information within the "propagandized" summary version of the bill made available to the public that gives away what they don't want you to know. The Republicans are proposing that environmental assessments be reduced so that there isn't so much red tape when it comes to renovating, expanding, or building a new roadway. They are also proposing much freer regulations that allow a more privatized approach to highways and other forms of public transportation (you should read that as higher costs to the public consumer).
What they don't tell you within their summary - at least I failed to find it - is that they want to free up most coastal areas, including the much hotly debated Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, to oil and gas drilling. That is the key. The Republicans are puppets, and the fossil fuel industry is the puppet master. Many coastal areas where drilling isn't allowed have unique and fragile ecosystems that would be unalterably hurt by any kind of drilling, even exploratory drilling. The bill does take away funding from mass transit programs by allocating the funds obtained from a federal gas tax to other "more important" issues. You know that there is a problem with the bill when even Transportation Secretary, and Republican, Ray LaHood refuses to stand by the bill, saying that there are serious flaws with it.
Republicans, Republicans what shall we do with you? You have no good ideas to share with us. You feign patriotism and morality, but you push ecologically, economically, and socially immoral legislation our way. It's time the American public woke up to your tricks and slimy ways. I think it's time America found two new political parties to represent them.
While the bill is touted by the Republicans as an effective means of saving time and money in getting road projects done, there are a few snippets of information within the "propagandized" summary version of the bill made available to the public that gives away what they don't want you to know. The Republicans are proposing that environmental assessments be reduced so that there isn't so much red tape when it comes to renovating, expanding, or building a new roadway. They are also proposing much freer regulations that allow a more privatized approach to highways and other forms of public transportation (you should read that as higher costs to the public consumer).
What they don't tell you within their summary - at least I failed to find it - is that they want to free up most coastal areas, including the much hotly debated Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, to oil and gas drilling. That is the key. The Republicans are puppets, and the fossil fuel industry is the puppet master. Many coastal areas where drilling isn't allowed have unique and fragile ecosystems that would be unalterably hurt by any kind of drilling, even exploratory drilling. The bill does take away funding from mass transit programs by allocating the funds obtained from a federal gas tax to other "more important" issues. You know that there is a problem with the bill when even Transportation Secretary, and Republican, Ray LaHood refuses to stand by the bill, saying that there are serious flaws with it.
Republicans, Republicans what shall we do with you? You have no good ideas to share with us. You feign patriotism and morality, but you push ecologically, economically, and socially immoral legislation our way. It's time the American public woke up to your tricks and slimy ways. I think it's time America found two new political parties to represent them.
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