 |
Re: Lack of Effective Leadership is The Problem-
Author: BOB2
Date: 09-12-2012 - 06:59
Mica is truly a dufus. He's sure no Bud Schuster, so it's not just a Dem-Rep problem.
The last House Chairman, Jim Oberstar, was very pro rail, but had problems with folks like Barbara (I'm not ready to do anything, yet) Boxer. She's trully been one of the lousiest Transportation Chairs we've ever had in the Senate. That is why after 5 years of extensions of the previous T Bill, we delievered this still-born two year bill, that failed to make any of the needed reforms or meet the severe funding challenges we are facing.
The administration also was also way too hands off in the first two years, listening to Boxer's bad advice, on what should have been a critical component of any realistic "jobs" plan. ARRA could have been a good start, but Boxer's failure to carry a bill in the 09-10 Congress was a major mistake. Just ask Jim Oberstar?
Don't get me wrong, Kay Bailey Hutchison, who seems mainly interested in making sure that the trucking industry remains free of any additional fees, and get larger trucks to wreck our roads, but was and adult who opposed the FAA shut down fiasco last Summer, has no control or much influence over her caucus in the Senate. And, this side of the aisle is nearly useless, as well. the thought of Thune, or Blunt replacing her, when she leaves. is not very exciting, either.
The problem with our current national transportaton policy is that we seem to have few functional adults in Congress left on either side. There were some good ideas that had broad bi-partisan support that went nowhere, because the leadership, particularly in the House, was more interested in promoting the "politics of failure" and using it to "blame the other side".
It's the level of pandering to political polarization, increasing corruption from political money, and sheer stupidy of some of these egocentric nitwits, even more than some of the real political differences, that is what's really most troubling these days about our current transportation policies.
Now, as someone who has had to deal with some of these dysfunctional people, on both sides, you may understand why I post these under a psuedonym?
The last House Chairman, Jim Oberstar, was very pro rail, but had problems with folks like Barbara (I'm not ready to do anything, yet) Boxer. She's trully been one of the lousiest Transportation Chairs we've ever had in the Senate. That is why after 5 years of extensions of the previous T Bill, we delievered this still-born two year bill, that failed to make any of the needed reforms or meet the severe funding challenges we are facing.
The administration also was also way too hands off in the first two years, listening to Boxer's bad advice, on what should have been a critical component of any realistic "jobs" plan. ARRA could have been a good start, but Boxer's failure to carry a bill in the 09-10 Congress was a major mistake. Just ask Jim Oberstar?
Don't get me wrong, Kay Bailey Hutchison, who seems mainly interested in making sure that the trucking industry remains free of any additional fees, and get larger trucks to wreck our roads, but was and adult who opposed the FAA shut down fiasco last Summer, has no control or much influence over her caucus in the Senate. And, this side of the aisle is nearly useless, as well. the thought of Thune, or Blunt replacing her, when she leaves. is not very exciting, either.
The problem with our current national transportaton policy is that we seem to have few functional adults in Congress left on either side. There were some good ideas that had broad bi-partisan support that went nowhere, because the leadership, particularly in the House, was more interested in promoting the "politics of failure" and using it to "blame the other side".
It's the level of pandering to political polarization, increasing corruption from political money, and sheer stupidy of some of these egocentric nitwits, even more than some of the real political differences, that is what's really most troubling these days about our current transportation policies.
Now, as someone who has had to deal with some of these dysfunctional people, on both sides, you may understand why I post these under a psuedonym?
