Apparently things are moving fast on the stimulus thing, so I wrote
to all of our US delegation.
Below, you'll find my letter.
-Mike
P.s. Usually whenever I forward something like this, I get little
pedantic side lectures about the necessity of being nice to the
legislators. Let's settle it right here: I don't agree. If you
believe a different method is better, I encourage you to act
accordingly. In fact, I encourage everyone to pen a little note *now*
to their legislators about this topic.
**************************************
Dear _____[Honorable Senator/Representative Kohl/Baldwin/Feingold],
Please, support a green infrastructure economic recovery plan. In the
past you and your party have promoted the old gray economy right
along with the Republicans. This sprawl-inducing, big roads, big
energy strategy has proven to be an economic and strategic failure.
The economic devastation visited upon the car-oriented,
energy-gluttonous suburbs is quite obvious. But that very same
gluttony got us into these morale-sapping, constitution-shredding,
treasury-depleting, murderous oil wars as well. It is time to change.
We said this repeatedly, and made it abundantly clear in the
presidential election of 2008. But so far, all we have seen from our
elected representatives are proposals for building more and bigger
highways, wasteful electrical transmission lines and other
energy-gluttonous, wasteful proposals.
We want you to lead us beyond those wasteful, gray, dead-end strategies.
Pedestrians, Bicycles, Transit First!
We want robust funding for public transit-local, regional, and
long-distance. The walls between operating and capital budgets must
be torn down. The fixation on capital puts transit at a distinct
disadvantage. That must end. We need massive investments in
maintaining and operating those transit systems, as well as capital
to upgrade them.
Yes to Massive Investments in Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities!
Current federal funding formulas allow our state highway department
to rob federal ped/bike facilities for highway expansion. You must
end this practice here and now. Communities across the state of
Wisconsin have been left to wait decades for their ped/bike projects
because of these unfair loopholes. Furthermore, this stimulus bill
should be dedicated to a new, more humane way of getting people
around in a community-friendly way. There is no better way than
supporting bicycling and walking.
Fix It First! No More Highway Expansions!
We want all future federal road investments to be for repairs and
maintenance only. We want those funds to be strictly conditioned on
local regulations that prohibit sprawl development. We want those
road funds to be tied to creating places that are pro-transit,
pro-bicycling and pro-walking.
No More Mega-Energy!
A massive weatherization and efficiency program could slash home
energy consumption radically. Combined with locally sited,
small-scale renewable investments, mega-coal plants and
mega-transmission lines would be obsolete and obviated. Our addiction
to distant energy sources has caused enough trouble, from mercury
poisoning of our lakes to fouling the air we breathe to melting polar
ice caps. Let's get smart this time and *prevent* catastrophe.
The energy wasteful projects we are seeing coming out of congress
will result in more wars, more shredding of our constitutional
liberties and a continued diminution of America's standing in this
world.
We demand something different this time!
Sincerely,
Michael D. Barrett and Pamela S. Barrett
2137 Sommers Ave.
Madison, WI 53704
(608)245-1059
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