MN state Senator defends single occupancy motoring in committee
#1
-=Barry=-
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Baltimore, MD +/- ~100 miles
Posts: 4,077
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
MN state Senator defends single occupancy motoring in committee
[From Streetsblog Network]
I thought folks might get a laugh out of this:
https://www.tcstreetsforpeople.org/node/670
Yesterday during a presentation at the state capitol related to a bill to
reduce carbon emissions and the number of miles vehicles in Minnesota are
driven, Sen. Julianne Ortman, R-Chanhassen, grew incredulous and asked, "Mr.
Chair, are we still in America? ... I find that to be *very* offensive, an
insult to every person who drives a car. I guess it insults me because I
drove to the Capitol alone today. I find that very insulting."
Ortman was referring to an image from the cover of a 2002 book by the
comedian Bill Maher, which was titled, "When You Ride Alone, You Ride with
bin Laden: What the Government Should Be Telling Us to Help Fight the War on
Terrorism."
I thought folks might get a laugh out of this:
https://www.tcstreetsforpeople.org/node/670
Yesterday during a presentation at the state capitol related to a bill to
reduce carbon emissions and the number of miles vehicles in Minnesota are
driven, Sen. Julianne Ortman, R-Chanhassen, grew incredulous and asked, "Mr.
Chair, are we still in America? ... I find that to be *very* offensive, an
insult to every person who drives a car. I guess it insults me because I
drove to the Capitol alone today. I find that very insulting."
Ortman was referring to an image from the cover of a 2002 book by the
comedian Bill Maher, which was titled, "When You Ride Alone, You Ride with
bin Laden: What the Government Should Be Telling Us to Help Fight the War on
Terrorism."
#2
genec
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: West Coast
Posts: 27,079
Bikes: custom built, sannino, beachbike, giant trance x2
Mentioned: 86 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 13658 Post(s)
Liked 4,532 Times
in
3,158 Posts
Hey nothing wrong with driving alone, as long as you do it in a vehicle designed for one.
#3
LCI #1853
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Scott. Arkansas
Posts: 663
Bikes: Trek Madone 5.2, Fisher Caliber 29er, Orbea Onix
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Ah, for the good old days and the Great War...
Obviously this dude isn't a history buff of any sort.
Obviously this dude isn't a history buff of any sort.
#4
Part-time epistemologist
Excellent find bud!
__________________
A narrative on bicycle driving.
A narrative on bicycle driving.
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Odenton, MD
Posts: 660
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I understand where she's coming from.
"If you don't carpool, you're a terrorist." is a fairly viable interpretation of what was being said. It was also probably a poor way to start his presentation. Politicians don't have a sense of humor, what was he thinking?
"If you don't carpool, you're a terrorist." is a fairly viable interpretation of what was being said. It was also probably a poor way to start his presentation. Politicians don't have a sense of humor, what was he thinking?
#6
Membership Not Required
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: On the road-USA
Posts: 16,855
Bikes: Giant Excursion, Raleigh Sports, Raleigh R.S.W. Compact, Motobecane? and about 20 more! OMG
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 70 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 15 Times
in
14 Posts
Aaron
__________________
Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
#7
Bike Pilot
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Pacific Northwest
Posts: 182
Bikes: Oh, yes
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Of course, he's right - it is very insulting, and he should feel very insulted...and that's just too bad. How he feels about it doesn't alter the facts of the issue, and if he wants to stop feeling insulted, he needs to do something different. As far as I know the Bill of Rights does not guatantee the right to be free from insult.
#8
Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 22
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
crisis, what crisis
Oh boy, this pushes all my buttons.
Prof Marshall raises a salient and important point of debate, one that is almost never talked about, but he fails miserably to demonstrate any strength in his conviction, and turns into such an obsequious little toady at the feet of a fat-ass Pol. The way he caves to her mock outrage is embarrassing and probably served to defeat his argument before he even got started.
Should we be surprised at Senator Fat-Ass's hissy fit? No, not at all. It seems nothing has changed from Bushie's 'Murika: " Tell us what we want to hear, not what the research shows, or your considered professional opinion." It would seem also that Senator Fatt-Ass is sticking to the playbook of keeping people as much in the dark as possible concerning the fact that the country is prosecuting wars of Imperial design. killing thousands, displacing millions, burning billions of gallons of oil and spending trillions of dollars in the process.
But is anyone asking what kind of carbon footprint the big green killing machine leaves behind?
This mock outrage is no great surprise, and in line with a significant and telling moment when the new Great Imperial Leader in his first speech said, "We will not apologize for our way of life." So as long as we 'Murikans can continue to consume and waste the majority of the world's resources and human capital, as long as the world continues to subsidize our cheap gas and our "non-negotiable way of life", then all is right with the world.
Why is it so offensive to suggest that it is unsustainable and the height of selfishness to drag around three empty seats and a ton and a half of metal on your daily travels through "Errandsville"?
So why is it so offensive to be even beyond rational discussion in a Senate hearing, that, god forbid, people might have to share a commute? People seem ready to embrace change, so long as it doesn't affect them personally.
+++
Whenever I have to stand and wait at a bus stop, or even waiting at red lights, I tend to count cars. Excluding all commercial vehicles, trucks and transit, I count only private autos, to see whether or not there is a passenger.
Typically, here is what I see.
On weekends it averages about 1:1, 50% of cars are single occupant. Midweek, midday, its about 3:1, 75%. Rushhour ramps up to 4:1 or more, typically 80-90% of cars carry one fat ass and three empty seats.
This is what is truly offensive.
Prof Marshall raises a salient and important point of debate, one that is almost never talked about, but he fails miserably to demonstrate any strength in his conviction, and turns into such an obsequious little toady at the feet of a fat-ass Pol. The way he caves to her mock outrage is embarrassing and probably served to defeat his argument before he even got started.
Should we be surprised at Senator Fat-Ass's hissy fit? No, not at all. It seems nothing has changed from Bushie's 'Murika: " Tell us what we want to hear, not what the research shows, or your considered professional opinion." It would seem also that Senator Fatt-Ass is sticking to the playbook of keeping people as much in the dark as possible concerning the fact that the country is prosecuting wars of Imperial design. killing thousands, displacing millions, burning billions of gallons of oil and spending trillions of dollars in the process.
But is anyone asking what kind of carbon footprint the big green killing machine leaves behind?
This mock outrage is no great surprise, and in line with a significant and telling moment when the new Great Imperial Leader in his first speech said, "We will not apologize for our way of life." So as long as we 'Murikans can continue to consume and waste the majority of the world's resources and human capital, as long as the world continues to subsidize our cheap gas and our "non-negotiable way of life", then all is right with the world.
Why is it so offensive to suggest that it is unsustainable and the height of selfishness to drag around three empty seats and a ton and a half of metal on your daily travels through "Errandsville"?
So why is it so offensive to be even beyond rational discussion in a Senate hearing, that, god forbid, people might have to share a commute? People seem ready to embrace change, so long as it doesn't affect them personally.
+++
Whenever I have to stand and wait at a bus stop, or even waiting at red lights, I tend to count cars. Excluding all commercial vehicles, trucks and transit, I count only private autos, to see whether or not there is a passenger.
Typically, here is what I see.
On weekends it averages about 1:1, 50% of cars are single occupant. Midweek, midday, its about 3:1, 75%. Rushhour ramps up to 4:1 or more, typically 80-90% of cars carry one fat ass and three empty seats.
This is what is truly offensive.
#9
LCI #1853
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Scott. Arkansas
Posts: 663
Bikes: Trek Madone 5.2, Fisher Caliber 29er, Orbea Onix
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Yesterday during a presentation at the state capitol related to a bill to
reduce carbon emissions and the number of miles vehicles in Minnesota are
driven, Sen. Julianne Ortman, R-Chanhassen, grew incredulous and asked, "Mr.
Chair, are we still in America? ... I find that to be *very* offensive, an
insult to every person who drives a car. I guess it insults me because I
drove to the Capitol alone today. I find that very insulting."
reduce carbon emissions and the number of miles vehicles in Minnesota are
driven, Sen. Julianne Ortman, R-Chanhassen, grew incredulous and asked, "Mr.
Chair, are we still in America? ... I find that to be *very* offensive, an
insult to every person who drives a car. I guess it insults me because I
drove to the Capitol alone today. I find that very insulting."
They just don't make posters like they used to...
#10
Been Around Awhile
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Burlington Iowa
Posts: 29,990
Bikes: Vaterland and Ragazzi
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 12 Post(s)
Liked 1,541 Times
in
1,049 Posts
#11
Been Around Awhile
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Burlington Iowa
Posts: 29,990
Bikes: Vaterland and Ragazzi
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 12 Post(s)
Liked 1,541 Times
in
1,049 Posts
Some of our strident anti-car BF'ers may prefer prefer the latest PC versions:
#13
Refrigerator Raider Hater
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Barre, VT
Posts: 808
Bikes: 2008 Sequoia
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
The distances involved mean more people should car-pool, not less. You might not find 3 or 4 other people to go 100% of the way, but for me it's common to travel with co-workers and meet them along the way. I personally walk three tenths of a mile to the end of my road and get a ride there, or if it's my day, one guy shows up at my house, gets in my car and we pick up two others on the way to work. Compared to traveling alone, the four of us save ~50 miles a day and three parking spots at work.
#14
genec
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: West Coast
Posts: 27,079
Bikes: custom built, sannino, beachbike, giant trance x2
Mentioned: 86 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 13658 Post(s)
Liked 4,532 Times
in
3,158 Posts
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 942
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I'm sure she changes doctors every time one of them points out that she is obese. "HOW DARE YOU!!!"
I heard President Bush himself point out the connection between foreign oil and terrorism during a SOTU address. This is hardly news to anyone who pays attention. I think we should put a picture of Bin laden and the president of Iran at every gas pump.
Oh, and I would not have cowered the way he did. That is the worst part. She needs to be insulted.
I heard President Bush himself point out the connection between foreign oil and terrorism during a SOTU address. This is hardly news to anyone who pays attention. I think we should put a picture of Bin laden and the president of Iran at every gas pump.
Oh, and I would not have cowered the way he did. That is the worst part. She needs to be insulted.
#16
Cycle Year Round
I bet the chairmen of the committee and the person doing the presentation drive in alone. Probably most of the Democrats on the committee did as well.
#17
Ride the Road
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Posts: 4,059
Bikes: Surly Cross-Check; hard tail MTB
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times
in
3 Posts
Nope. It's real. Here's the image on an official government page.
#18
Punk Rock Lives
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Throughout the west in a van, on my bike, and in the forest
Posts: 3,307
Bikes: Long Haul Trucker with BRIFTERS!
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 120 Post(s)
Liked 47 Times
in
41 Posts
Till then...what was that about a nice cup of STFU?
roughstuff
#22
feros ferio
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: www.ci.encinitas.ca.us
Posts: 21,809
Bikes: 1959 Capo Modell Campagnolo; 1960 Capo Sieger (2); 1962 Carlton Franco Suisse; 1970 Peugeot UO-8; 1982 Bianchi Campione d'Italia; 1988 Schwinn Project KOM-10;
Mentioned: 44 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1395 Post(s)
Liked 1,336 Times
in
842 Posts
I voted for John Anderson in the 1980 Republican Presidential primary because he had the foresight to advocate an additional gasoline tax of $0.50/gallon. California could balance its deficit-laden budget this month if it would levy even a $0.25/gallon gasoline tax.
__________________
"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069
"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069
#23
Cycle Year Round
Remember, when Nancy became speaker of the house, she demanded that since Bush had an Air Force jet to travel on, that she needed one too. I understand that it cost we tax payers, $200,000 each time she takes a trip from DC to home on her own Air Force jet.
#24
Cycle Year Round
#25
pedalphile
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: ellington, ct
Posts: 1,034
Bikes: trek 1200, 520, Giant ATX 970, Raleigh Talon
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts