Posts Tagged ‘Obama’
E Pluribus Unum
In response to President Obama’s speech today I spent some time thinking about our immigration policy. This isn’t within my normal area of expertise, but it is something that I think everyone should spend some time thinking about. The truth of the matter is, politicians have been screwing this up for generations, and I don’t [...]
Obama administration announces major policy shift
In a dramatic change from existing policy, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today proposed that new funding guidelines for major transit projects be based on livability issues such as economic development opportunities and environmental benefits, in addition to cost and time saved, which are currently the primary criteria.
A Radical Idea for Healthcare
What’s the real story behind the Health Insurance industry? Why is the current approach incompatible with American values? And what would it look like if we took a new approach to health care reform, and tried something completely different…
Cap and Trade
Cap and Trade is through the House, now Obama’s team is working on pressing it through the Senate. The legislation is in its early stages, but as it is proposed today it would mandate a reduction to 17% of 2005 levels of greenhouse gas emmissions by 2020. In general, the Republicans are opposed to this [...]
Newswire: April 16, 2009
Wikipedia Word of the Day
Hypermiling – a method of increasing your car’s gas mileage by making skillful changes in the way you drive, allowing you to save gas and thereby have an easier time withstanding the rising oil and gas prices. -hypermiling.com
Around the World
This isn’t good news: Pakistan makes a truce with the Taliban. Not surprisingly, the Taliban is using its presence there to blackmail Pakistanis living in the US, threatening to kill their families if they don’t send the Taliban money. I’m afraid President Obama is about to have a particularly nasty escalation of the war in [...]
Newswire: February 16, 2009
No more car czar, says the Obama administration. GM and Chrysler will be supervised by Geithner. Doesn’t he have enough on his plate? – – – – – States and cities scramble for stimulus dollars. Except South Carolina? – – – – – Metro ‘in final negotiations‘ for most of the LRT expansion. Maryland Transit [...]
From the Newswire: January 22, 2009
There was a huge wreck on I-45 yesterday, traffic was almost completely stopped in both directions. We need better alternate routes, folks. How about a commuter train? Leave the car in downtown for a day and have a friend or your spouse pick you up at a park + ride when the freeway is completely [...]
Inauguration Day
Congratulations to Barack Obama on becoming the 44th President of the United States. Whether you love him or hate him, it’s important that we respect the office, and even more important that we pray for our leaders. Remember, he is the President whether you voted for him or not, and we’re all better off if [...]
Light (Crude) Reading
Houston Tomorrow published this summary of the long discussed stimulus bill that Obama plans to pass as soon as he takes office. They the following: Relatively speaking, the stimulus bill marks a tenfold increase in transit spending, perhaps the biggest sign yet that mass transit is becoming politically popular. That’s good news. – – – [...]