Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Obama’s Transportation Secretary Says He Wants to ‘Coerce People Out of Their Cars’ -- Is Turnabout Fair Play?

Ray LaHood and Barry the Blade, two prominent members of the Gangster Government who wish to coerce you out of your car.

My thanks to typeay, who forwarded me this story about the appropriately named Ray La Hood of Barry the Blade's Gangster Government, who is quoted by CNS News here that he wishes to coerce us out of our cars. I have a question about this policy on the other side.

Mike
III

Obama’s Transportation Secretary Says He Wants to ‘Coerce People Out of Their Cars’

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

By Terence P. Jeffrey, Editor-in-Chief


(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.”


Hmmm. So, is turnabout fair play? Here's how somebody in Pakistan tried to coerce the new President of the country out of HIS car back in September of last year:

"In this picture released by the Press Information Department, bullet marks are seen in a window of the car of Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani which was attacked in Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, Sept 3, 2008. Pakistan's prime minister survived an apparent assassination attempt Wednesday when at least two shots hit his limousine as he drove toward the capital."

Here's another view.

And another.

So that's how the "coerce politicians out of their cars game" is played in Pakistan. Obviously they didn't use one of these:

Barrett M82

This is how they coerced Iraqi politicians out of their cars back in 2006. Is this what LaHood has in mind?

Just wondering.

15 comments:

Brock Townsend said...

His face makes Capone look handsome.

ScottJ said...

This nightmare just keeps getting worse.

I was a car nut before I was a guncrank and still suffer from the disease. It's just on hold while I try to stay ahead of the gun grabbers since that's more important.

Although only slightly more so. The freedom of personal movement brought about by the automobile is, IMO, part of what has made this country so prosperous.

ParaPacem said...

I'm guessing that the remote instrument of de-animation was probably 7.62 x 39 ; but had it been simply 308 or '06, the story might have ended differently.

I remember a scene from the Bill Murray spoof, "Scrooged" in which Bobcat Goldthwaite was drunkenly stalking the protagonist with a double barreled shotgun, and singing -
"he's makin' a list.... and checkin' it... twice..."

Got list?

tjbbpgobIII said...

What time of the morning do people who ride a bicycle have to get out of bed if it takes them 1 1/2 hours to get to work in a car. I used to drive that far to work but I don't think I could get there by bicycle in a fucking week (or weak if you will).

drjim said...

Let's see here....
They're trying to limit Free Speech with a "Fairness Doctrine".
They're attacking the Second Amendment every chance they get.
And now they want to limit our freedom of mobility.
That's three strikes!
Count me as a threeper from now on.
this has gone too freaking far!
III

Crustyrusty said...

LaHood, a former Republican...There. Fixed it.

I used to live in this guy's neck of the woods. I'd say he was a RINO, but considering that Illinois Republicans are only slightly to the right of Mao, that's not saying a whole lot.

Kyle said...

tjbbpgobIII - of course people that live that far from work can't bicycle. I think we all know that, and so does this clown.

The idea is to make long commutes unaffordable, and for everyone to live closer to where they work. They will have to take public transportation, or walk, or ride a bike to work, or pay out the nose.

Population centralization.

Defender said...

I LIKE the idea of planned communities where one can walk, bike or rollerblade to work. I'm a futurist. I'm also afraid such a concept will ALWAYS be IN the future for all but a very few. Disney World's EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow) was supposed to be one, right there in the park. They gave up on it; now it's rides, fast food and exhibits. Employers change or go out of business -- or get REGULATED out. People want to live where they want to live, not where they work.
Mass transit: You WILL be scanned and searched.
Bicycles: You WILL cause a predator's pursuit reflex to kick in. Hard to conceal a gun of sufficent oomph in Spandex shorts.
Al Gore was stuck on this particular "Stupid" too. Still is, and filthy, grubby, obscenely rich off of it.
Obama's new mileage mandates will mean smaller, less-safe cars and higher accident fatality rates.
Save the planet ... from people, by getting rid of some people? From itself? What a racket.
"Green" is Red.

Ron Russell said...

I would love to see Obama ride his bullet-proof bicycle down PA avenue, during rush hour. These people are attempting to control and regulate all parts of our lives in the name of Public Safety, Public Health, and the latest invention -- "Protective Environmentalism". This last invention of the far left is by far the most dangerous to our way of life.

Sean said...

I recall a method my Pa taught me, as to how to coerce a critter out o' its' skin. Involves a sharp knife, and a willingness to get up to your elbows in blood. I often wonder about its applications.

Mk. 106 said...

I do hope he know that here in kentucky we can legally shoot people for trying to "coerce us out of our cars". And the only way I'm riding a Damned train to work is if people like this are tied to the tracks....

typeay said...

There are several important dynamics in play here. The current administration needs to appease both the global warming, and radical deep-ecology lobby. The UN's "rewilding project" & "Agenda 21" (look them up) want to return large masses of urban farm land back to a pre-humanoid settlement status here in the U.S.. The Global warming swindle will generate untold BILLIONS for those cutting-edge manufacturers who produce government-approved, green energy technology products.
Ultimately, (as poster Kyle has previously inferred)it's about the factor of tactical control. City populations are easily controlled with the mere closing of a potable water main valve, or in the case of a harsh winter - a city gas line. The farmer in the boonies with his shallow well and hand-pump, goats and chickens, wood burning stove, and a large vegatable garden, just became central planning's worst nightmare.
Not only can he NOT be controlled, he may well become the local supply tent for all sorts of radical, right-winged, Constitution reading, church going, troublesome, citizens. We can't have THAT now, can we?

Anonymous said...

Disney World's EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow) was supposed to be one, right there in the park. They gave up on it;

They later built EPCOT, and called it Celebration. It is a planned community -- you ordered your house out of a book of the several designs allowed for your lot size/price/location. Got kicked out of town if you divorced. The shopping district was Main Street USA of obsolete small businesses, and no modern chain grocery store was allowed. The "town hall" contained the city manager, a Disney appointee. I think of Celebration as a fine, living example of why Walt's fascism is a baaaadd idea. I prefer the burbclaves of Snow Crash as a far more tolerant, flexible, freedom-oriented approach.

straightarrow said...

After seeing him, I must ask. How long has he been dead?

Anonymous said...

From Red Eye Where do these people come from?? When they come to move me off my five acres. i'll greet them the old fashion way. Double barrel 12 gauge. Also if i see them from afar Betsy will greet them goodnight.