Coming soon- a new road or bus stop probably near you!
Today, January 28th, the House OK'ed $819B stimulus bill. President Obama, in a written statement, said that it will "save or create three million new jobs over the next few years." Included in this stimulus is money for highway construction and (yay!) a "last minute $3 billion for mass transit."
source:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090129/ap_on_go_co/obama_economy
It's always gratifying when your elected leaders actually follow through on what they say they will do. For this I am willing to have a hike in my taxes! Just not a painful one, please.
For further thought, once he digs us out of this economic snafu perhaps the president will be able to give more attention to urban cities, and not just the schools, but the entire cities as Mick Cornett, mayor of Oklahoma City observed,
"What I hear mayors say typically is that urban issues aren't truly understood at the White House."
(as quoted in "Mayor League" by Jess Zimbabwe, Next American City, Issue 20, 25)
Dear President Obama, For Christmas I would like mass transit in every major city, a small park in every neighborhood, zero dependence on foreign oil,. . .
I know President Obama's a busy man, but I do have my personal causes. Still, I like to imagine him every day since he's been in office, kicking out of bed like a kid on Christmas morning, excited to see what the day will bring, in old-fashioned striped pajamas of course. Or "fierce pajamas," if you are of the New Yorker persuasion. (Fierce Pajamas is the name of an anthology of humor from the New Yorker magazine. Not funny? OK, pretend I didn't say anything.)
Our president has already demonstrated a commitment to clean, green energy and environmental causes, but more is always better! And innovation cannot come soon enough. Sleep tight Mr. President, you have a big day tomorrow and the next day and the day after that. . .
An informative article on the background of three of the women who will be actively involved in heading up the Obama administration's green tech, job stimulus, and environmental actions can be found at-
http://seekingalpha.com/article/110449-obama-creates-an-energy-policy-troika
But more mass transit? Hip hip hooray!
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1 comment:
Hi Julie!! Thanks for reading. and yes, here are some thoughts...
On Charlotte's growth: Suburbia has not stopped. Larger parcels of land first classed residential slowly become encroached upon by car dealerships, Harris Teeter strips, and then disappear completely in return for high rising apartment complexes or build out of a box neighborhoods.
Traffic, yes, is an issue. But a lot of that is due especially to the lack of good public transit. We have a Harris Teeter about a block down the street from our house, but no sidewalks to get there. Planning assumes you have to and will drive to wherever you're going.
The high school hang out spots are the coffee shops in the nearest strip mall/shopping centers.. whether the trendy Starbucks or the trendy independent coffee shop on the corner.
What's really been surprising is the extended growth and success into suburbs with simultaneous closeouts and dead end shops in the mid suburb/downtown area. The main "spoke" that begins in downtown and runs out through the city has about 5 miles worth of closed lots and blank asphalt parking lots on either side on the way downtown.... ever since it became a highway....
Basically, you can't walk anywhere. Buses aren't useful to get to your local shopping center, and continued highway building/road building just takes the wealth and moves it to the new areas of road. ((case in point, a new highway, 485, built around the city about 5-10 years ago has grown the city even more.. taking more farmland/local businesses away and spurring development around the exits))
I've really enjoyed Chapel Hill/Carrboro's commitment to free public transit... it has a great bus system, many bike paths and trails (and sidewalks), and grocery stores/local food located near bus routes and neighborhoods.
keep writing! good to hear your thoughts on Obama's newest.
much love :)
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