Category Archives: Politics

Lots of questions about FEMA Chief Brown

Very interesting stuff.

First, a Time investigation into his resume, including statements released by the White House at the time of his nomination. Many of them turn out to be not quite true. He also was fired from not just the horse association, but a law firm as well.

A report on NPR’s Fresh Air yesterday included an interesting interview with a journalist that has done some work on the topic. Among the interesting quotes from Brown are: that he was never told that this hurricane could be any worse than others (untrue, according to the weather forecaster that briefed him), that FEMA had no way of knowing people were at the convention center in New Orleans until 3 days after the hurricane hit (Ted Koppel asked him, “Don’t you have TV? We’ve been reporting on this for days.”)

This guy sounds like a total liar to me. He should be fired immediately, and somebody competant put in charge of this operation.

Do they really care?

Adam Kessel has an good post about terrorism and the west. I agree with him; I don’t think that the terrorists really care about “our way of life” or “our value” or even “hate our freedom”. They care about what’s going on in the mideast only, and the west is a target because we’re doing things they don’t like.

The Yes Men

Greencine just sent us The Yes Men, a hilarous real-life documentary about a group of activists who run a website that parodies the World Trade Organization. The funny thing is, people periodically think that these guys are the real WTO and invite them to appear on TV, speak at conferences, etc. And they do it.

The film documents their various hijinks. Whether its from a program recycling human waste to end 3rd-world starvation and boost the profits of McDonald’s, or an assertion that private schools would lead to fewer people that question the WTO, or even an outlandish costume resembling the male anatomy, the really horrifying thing is that everybody thinks they’re serious. The real people at these conferences think that they are absolutely serious in their descriptions of the WTO. They were even quoted in the Canadian parliament.

It’s a fun film to watch, as well as being eye-opening. It is shocking what people these days are willing to accept in the name of free trade.

Thoughts on Amtrak

The White House budget proposal is seeking bankruptcy for Amtrak, the only intercity passenger rail service in the United States. Amtrak is vital to our country. It provides the only passenger transportation option through many parts of rural America, and the only reasonably-priced option in many others that have only non-competitive air options to choose from. It is also vital for those that can’t drive. Finally, Amtrak operates the vital commuter rail service in the Northeast Corridor (NEC), which extends from Boston to Washington, D.C. Amtrak is the only way for many people to get to work each day or to go on business trips, due to the highly congested roads in the region.

Here’s a little history on Amtrak.

Railroads were a vital part of the nation’s expansion beginning in the late 1800s. Government programs encouraged the private railroads to expand by giving them large amounts of land (that they could then sell at profit) and through other means. Railroads were vital carriers of people and freight clear through the 1950s, and remain vital carriers of freight today. In urban areas, railroads also provide the most effective way to move large numbers of people.

One thing many people don’t know is that passenger operations almost never made a profit for the railroads.

After World War II ended, there was a heavy push towards the automobile from many areas. The federal government subsidized the building of thousands of miles of new highways and other automobile infrastructure. Also at that time, governments at all levels were spending money to support air travel. Meanwhile, the railroads had been taxed to their limit during the war effort, and every part of their infrastructure was in serious disrepair. They did not receive federal assistance.

Remember that railroads were all private companies, such as Union Pacific and New York Central. They were facing serious financial problems and began attempts to discontinue the money-losing passenger service. However, back at that time, many industries — including railroads — were “regulated industries”. They couldn’t make any major changes without government approval, and the government wouldn’t let them cancel passenger service. The inevitable result was a decline in service quality as corners were cut with staffing, maintenance, etc.

Finally, in 1971, matters came to a head. The federal government agreed to let the private railroads stop offering passenger service if the railroads gave their passenger equipment and employees to a new government-backed corporation — Amtrak. Amtrak would receive government subsidies to continue providing vital passenger rail service. The day Amtrak began, they inherited all the neglected equipment from the private railroad companies, and immediately canceled many routes due to lack of funds.

Amtrak has more or less limped along until the present day. It has had a string of problems, including never once receiving adequate funding from Congress, several incompetant CEOs (these are appointed by the White House and Congress), and its own difficult start.

Today, Amtrak continues to limp along. It received $1.2 billion last year, instead of the $1.8 billion it asked for. That means that, once again, corners have to be cut to get by. In 2002, the federal government provided $32 billion in subsidies for roads, $14 billion in subsidies for air travel, and less than $1 billion for Amtrak.

This year, the Bush administration is proposing about $360 million for Amtrak. This is a number that will force Amtrak into bankruptcy. They view the $1 billion or so that Amtrak gets each year as a “subsidy”, but the $32 billion spent on roads as an investment.

Strangely, the administration believes that forcing an Amtrak bankruptcy is a good thing and that private companies will be eager to operate rail services.

Unfortunately, they have forgotten the reason Amtrak exists in the first place.

Also, they have forgotten that almost no passenger transportation methods anywhere in the world can make a profit. Billions of dollars of federal, state, and local money support air travel — building airports, paving runways, operating traffic control systems. Railroads must pay for all of their infrastructure by themselves.

In reality, Amtrak is a true bargain.

A Bunch of Reactions

On Iraq and 9/11

I still don’t know why the Democrats fell in line behind Bush on Iraq so easily. Why did they let him get away with his “dissent is un-patriotic” line? And c’mon, Sen. Kerry, how could you really have believed he would exercise his authority responsibly?

I think the Democrats voted the way they did as a political calculation. It didn’t work. Next time, try actually standing up for what you believe. Maybe the voters will then see you as an actual alternative, instead of just Republican-lite.

The Media

In 2006, I want to hear more about issues than polls. More about issues than who is ahead at the moment. And far more about issues than the partisan spin doctors.

Not one of the major networks did a good job. NPR did a good job. Heck, British sources provided better coverage of the isues than many American sources.

On Paniced Democrats

A lot of Democrats seem to have a “world is falling” mentality. Let’s put this in perspective:

  • Nixon was initially elected partly on the basis of ending a war he had secretly helped to prolong, and we all know how his re-election campaign went. And a Democrat got us into that war.
  • Not too many centuries ago, you didn’t lose an election. Rather, you lost the war, and all your men were killed, your women raped, children enslaved, and resources looted.
  • We survived Watergate, Vietnam, Panama, etc. We can survive this.

On Daschle

He deserved to lose. He encouraged weakness among Democrats and had nothing but failed strategies as far as I can remember. He was clearly out-witted by Lott at just about every turn. Too bad the Democratic senators couldn’t manage to replace him sooner.

Gay Marriage

I am extremely sad that people are reducing tolerance and civil rights through constitutional amendments.

Unity

I think there is a slim chance that this will happen. The Democrats are rightly ticked about all the partison rancor, dirty tricks, and intentional divisiveness perpetrated by the Republicans and are not likely to just fall in line again.