Whether or not you enjoy Barbara Boxer's senatorial antics, there's no denying she's a master of making grandiose gestures without actually committing to any specific action. Fer instance, she sent out some emails to constituents the other day about how she's eager to reduce our dependence on oil and improve mass transit and stuff. She offers a "summary of steps necessary," without actually explaining how she's going to make any of these things happen: "1. Better vehicle gas mileage ... 2. More hybrid vehicles ... 3. Alternative fuels ... 4. Better tires ... 5. Convenient public transportation."
Look at that. Apparantly paying a visit to the Michelin Man for some "better tires" is higher priority than rescuing Muni or Bart. Or maybe public transit made the very bottom of the list because she knows damn well that making Muni and Bart run on time is antithetical to everyone who works in those organizations.
Our favorite part of her message is this: "Last year, I visited San Francisco’s Department of Transportation because it leads the way in reducing the city’s dependence on oil by using more alternatively fueled and hybrid vehicles." Oh really? That's nice. Did you take the bus to get there? Ha ha ha, oh we kid. Seriously, though, we're looking forward to seeing you down on Geary with a hard hat and shovel, building those Rapid Bus Transit stops.
After the jump: the fulltext of Senator Boxer's commitmentless commitment to reduce oil usage.
Dear Friend:The new year is a traditional time for making resolutions. And, at the beginning of the year, I am calling for America to make a resolution to cut our nation’s dependence on oil. Not only is it possible to cut our reliance on oil, but we will also see significant benefits.
First, let me offer a summary of the steps necessary to reduce oil dependence. Each of the following can offer an incremental savings in our nation’s oil dependence.
1. Better vehicle gas mileage, including:
- raising fuel economy standards for all vehicles
- closing the fuel economy “SUV Loophole”
- broadening the Energy Star program to include vehicles2. More hybrid vehicles
- Extending the tax credit for hybrid vehicle purchases
- placing more hybrids in government vehicle fleets
- enhancing incentives for hybrids to be used in taxicab fleets3. Alternative fuels
- making the Hydrogen Highway a reality
- maximizing the availability and affordability of ethanol and biodiesel
- funding the development of agricultural waste ethanol fuel4. Better tires
- Establishing standards for fuel-efficient replacement tires5. Convenient public transportation
- adequately funding public transportation
- building more intermodal stations and park-and-ride facilities
- expanding rapid bus transit serviceWhile taking these steps to reduce oil dependence will not be cheap, the benefits will be significant. The first and most important benefit would be improved national security. Quite simply, we are currently too dependent on foreign oil that originates in nations that we cannot and should not depend on. Second, as we lower our dependence on oil, we will see fewer gasoline price spikes. We will also see both cleaner air and a stronger economy. Lastly, we will see reduced highway congestion and shorter commute times.
Last year, I visited San Francisco’s Department of Transportation because it leads the way in reducing the city’s dependence on oil by using more alternatively fueled and hybrid vehicles. In response to my visit, Mayor Gavin Newsom said, "In these times when breaking our dependence on fossil fuels and gaining energy self-sufficiency is critical, San Francisco is demonstrating the viability of clean, alternative technologies. Our fleet of alternative fuel vehicles, the nation's largest, performs as well or better than conventional engines, and we are committed to increasing our use of alternative fuels and clean technology whenever possible."
In the year ahead, you can count on me to work to reduce our dependence on oil. The cost of inaction is too high.
Sincerely,
Barbara Boxer
United States Senator
add to digg
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
email this
add to facebook
add to del.icio.us
Transit should be first and I think I've found a way to get everyone to support it!
I'm don't have any logical or well reasoned arguments about natural resources, the environment, a stronger economy or independence from foreign oil, because American's have shown repeatedly they don't care about any of it and would rather have a Hummer.
I think we should just appeal to the short sighted and self-centered nature of the American car owner who thinks "traffic" means "every other jerk on the road besides me."
I saw a BMW ad a little while back that pretty much marketted their cars that way, though I wasn't sure how owning a BMW made you immune to traffic or that your commute would magically make you commute be along the scenic and winding roads along the Pacific Coast near Big Sur...
Back to my point, since car drivers see only other drives as the problem, pitch transit as a priority so that everyone else will stop driving and leave the freeway free for them.
Even people who don't take transit and drive tend to be pretty supportive of it (look at San Jose where they've voted to build a useless BART extension), and I think you could probably get them to support it as a top priority if it you phrase it as making it easier for them to drive.
It's a win-win!
Also, Barbara, there is no such City entity as the "Department of Transportation" that you visited.
Occasionally I write letters to the editor about how silly it is to subsidize Hybrids when bikes get nothing. The Chron published one once, when I added a dig at Bush, but now we have the same blather from Barbie.
So come on, political idjits, put the pedal to the metal. How about a tax credit for muni fares?