I'm thrilled that Senator Obama has raised the energy issue and how much change is needed starting with sending the special interests packing. I respectfully ask your comments on the following. My background includes transportation experince (rail) in the 1970's and a general frustration with the sorry state of getting from Point "A" to Point "B" in the U.S. without either greatly adding to global warming, expending a great deal of money, enduring a large amount of inconvenience, aggrevation and or all of the above. We keep this up and we'll be back on the "Oregon Trail" with chuck wagons et al. in the not too distant future.
Turning corn into Ethanol isn't very efficient (sorry Iowa) nor is it a long term solution. Change is not going to take place overnight, it will be disruptive and will involve funding and effort the equivelent of the original Interstate Highway System. It will also involve throwing out preconveived notions about what works, what is "safe" and what is renewable. With all that said, here goes!
One advanced country uses less fossil fuel than in the 1970's, has plenty of and an almost inexhaustable supply of electric power, fast and pleasant travel betweeen cities, enlightend traffic management and should be an object lesson for us. With great amusement at hanging Cheney, Rove, Bush and the like out to dry, that nation is France with nuclear power plants and all. They've never lost a life with nuclear power, the rail system sets a world standard, the Paris Metro works and progressive taxation gets cars off the streets. A more compact nation, you say. Agreed, but a lot of the U.S. is as densely populated with roads designed for horses not cars as well. Why in world are we commuting into New York, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., San Francisco and so many other areas by car? Why are we taking up valuable landing spots with air shuttle service between Boston/Washington and New York? Numerous answers such as inadequate transport, cost, ease and old habits die hard apply here. This isn't rocket science, nor do you need an MIT degree to figure out that we're barking (perhaps driving) up the wrong tree. Oil is finite, corn should feed people and we're driving ourselves and the planet into oblivion (yes, I agree with Al Gore).
Those of us who want to drive a huge SUV, truck or "testeronemobile" should pay a greatly increased "gas guzzler" tax, receive no lease tax write-offs and the manufacturers of such vehicles should be forced to meet an ever increasing fuel economy standard. I'm probably just as guilty here as a lot of us, but I must say that both my cars get 28+miles per gallon on the highway.
Amtrak is a national disgrace for enough reasons for a research paper the size of "War & Peace". Passenger rail systems, in general, do not make money and never will. However, that shouldn't stop management of such services from putting customer service first. In fairness to Amtrak, this and other administrations have starved the system, let politics play a role over public need and cobbled together a system whereby freight railroads dictate how the trains are run on their lines and the public be damned. Frankly, the Senator should find one person with expertise to hire a qualified volunteer staff to come up with a coherent plan to get us and our freight off the roads and onto a revitalized rail system. Nationalization need not be the answer, either. We all know what flying is like today, bus travel ditto. All I can say is I wish we could ground Air Force One on January 20, 2009 and send the Bushes back to Texas via Amtrak in coach complete with plastic food not to mention plates and curtlery! Draconian? Yes, but once in his life George has to get a clue of what the rest of us are up against.
Thanks for your attention and comments from this Republican white guy that's about had it with the status quo. We have a great hope in both the Senator and Michelle. Both tell it llike it is, know what is needed and aren't afraid to say so. This is one big and growing tent and I'm honored to be a part of it. We can't say "Give 'em hell, Harry", so how about " Bap 'em, Barack" or something "catchy"? Come on, this group has a lot more talent than I do!
