Friday, December 17, 2010

So Much Accomplished!

More funding for endless wars. Check.
Escalation of Afghan War. Check.
Taking military cuts off the table for deficit reduction. Check.
Inability to pass arms treaties. Check.
Closed-door meetings in the White House with CEOs. Check.
Taxpayer funding for massive giveaway to health insurance companies. Check.
Billions for banks (and not Americans threatened by foreclosure). Check.
Billions for corporations (and not small businesses and workers). Check.
Free trade agreements (that benefit corporations at the expense of workers and small business).  Check.
Continued tax cuts for the well-to-do. Check.
Tax cuts on the estate tax on millionaires. Check.
Continued tax cuts for the wealthy. Check.
Still more tax breaks for the wealthiest with their investment income. Check.
No climate change legislation. Check.
No immigration reform and more funding for border guards. Check.

Boy, they got a lot done in two years! At least the minority in Congress got scraps from the table on health care, unemployment, and tax breaks for the neediest. Don't worry, things will get better once Dems get the Congressional majority and we get McCain out of office.
Oh, wait a minute....

Saturday, December 4, 2010

America needs trains.

Chinese Passenger Train Tops 300 MPH During Test Run : The Two-Way : NPR

We need more affordable, reliable, safe, clean transportation in this country. Trains offer us all of the above, compared to both cars and planes, which are relatively dirty, expensive, unsafe, and unreliable. (To those who say trains are unreliable in this country, I say: they do it well in Europe, while cars will always be plagued by traffic jams, accidents, and breakdowns, while planes are now saddled with security.)

Attaining the American Dream requires affordability, especially in this day and age with a disrupted and unreliable economy, declining competitiveness via other countries, and higher unemployment. Trains (especially when combined with good public transit in cities) offers this to us. It is more sustainable both as individuals and as a society. We then have more time and resources to pursue our American Dreams....