Notable Quotes
In surfing the web and and looking at old emails over the last few days, I found some interesting comments that I thought I should share with you.
Sam Schwartz on what can happen with public authorities running bridges:
"I appear before you today to admit that I, in fact my whole profession, traffic and transportation engineers, have failed miserably time and time again in reducing traffic congestion here in New York, across the country and in many other parts of the world. I offer the premise that we failed because we only viewed the problem through government eyes. I offer a few related examples where the government failed but the private sector had measurable successes...
To make a long story short, New York City got cold feet, put in a few bus lanes, parking restrictions and a few good traffic engineering projects, but never got at the root of the problem. Essentially similar stories were played out at major cities across the U.S.
But the auto industry, worrying about car-free cities, did respond (admittedly kicking and screaming). Auto emissions plummeted. Most of the gains in cleaner air were accomplished by the capitalists, not the traffic engineers and planners...
And I don’t buy the argument that driving free is a right and the bridges are merely extensions of city streets. Brooklyn and Queens motorists have suffered unbelievable congestion, and associated costs, as every single East River bridge has had structural emergency shutdowns of lanes and roadways and even an extended closing, from lack of maintenance of the entire Williamsburg Bridge in 1988.
There were times, over the past two decades, that as many as half of the 30 lanes on the four East River bridges were closed due to emergencies and construction. The culprit: corrosion from lack of maintenance from lack of dedicated funds."
Dan Stamper, President, Ambassador Bridge Company on a new border crossing
"Everybody’s been sitting around saying, "We’ll do this, we’ll do that if we can get taxpayers’ money." We can do this ourselves. We have an obligation to do this to protect the region and industry… The binational study is so wrapped up in politics. We’ve decided to go forward on our own."
Warren Kinsella on Plans
"The problem facing this government - the problem facing every government - isn't scandal. Believe me: there isn't a voter alive who doesn't think EVERY political party is morally deficient. They see no qualitative difference between ANY of us politicos, ideology notwithstanding. We're ALL pond scum; the next guy is as bad as the last guy. Marketing scandal is not, therefore, a winning campaign strategy.
No, the killer ballot question is always this one: "Do they have a plan?"
And I don't mean a plan you personally agree with. Voters, unlike right wing bloggers, are always smart enough to appreciate, a la Jaggers and Richards, that you can't always get what you want. You have to compromise, take water in your whine, etc. etc.
The thing that will defeat Paul Martin in 2005 - and, as all of you charitable regular readers recall, I did predict the government would fall in 2005 - is Paul Martin. He and his shrinking circle have no plan. Zero, zippo, zilch. That is not merely evident, it's painfully evident."
Candidate For Mayor Eddie Francis on Plans
"I want to be your mayor. The status quo will no longer do. We cannot continue to stumble from crisis to crisis into the future without a plan…As the new Mayor of Windsor, together with counsel and administration we will implement a new plan which will restore public confidence in our city government… We will become a council driven, people centered government where we will plan, strategize and set the agenda...To me smart growth means planning for a liveable community... Smart growth is also about planning for growth that supports our current economic base and recognizes the potential to attract new industry…. Together council and I will develop an action plan to reverse years of decay and neglect."
Sam Schwartz on what can happen with public authorities running bridges:
"I appear before you today to admit that I, in fact my whole profession, traffic and transportation engineers, have failed miserably time and time again in reducing traffic congestion here in New York, across the country and in many other parts of the world. I offer the premise that we failed because we only viewed the problem through government eyes. I offer a few related examples where the government failed but the private sector had measurable successes...
To make a long story short, New York City got cold feet, put in a few bus lanes, parking restrictions and a few good traffic engineering projects, but never got at the root of the problem. Essentially similar stories were played out at major cities across the U.S.
But the auto industry, worrying about car-free cities, did respond (admittedly kicking and screaming). Auto emissions plummeted. Most of the gains in cleaner air were accomplished by the capitalists, not the traffic engineers and planners...
And I don’t buy the argument that driving free is a right and the bridges are merely extensions of city streets. Brooklyn and Queens motorists have suffered unbelievable congestion, and associated costs, as every single East River bridge has had structural emergency shutdowns of lanes and roadways and even an extended closing, from lack of maintenance of the entire Williamsburg Bridge in 1988.
There were times, over the past two decades, that as many as half of the 30 lanes on the four East River bridges were closed due to emergencies and construction. The culprit: corrosion from lack of maintenance from lack of dedicated funds."
Dan Stamper, President, Ambassador Bridge Company on a new border crossing
"Everybody’s been sitting around saying, "We’ll do this, we’ll do that if we can get taxpayers’ money." We can do this ourselves. We have an obligation to do this to protect the region and industry… The binational study is so wrapped up in politics. We’ve decided to go forward on our own."
Warren Kinsella on Plans
"The problem facing this government - the problem facing every government - isn't scandal. Believe me: there isn't a voter alive who doesn't think EVERY political party is morally deficient. They see no qualitative difference between ANY of us politicos, ideology notwithstanding. We're ALL pond scum; the next guy is as bad as the last guy. Marketing scandal is not, therefore, a winning campaign strategy.
No, the killer ballot question is always this one: "Do they have a plan?"
And I don't mean a plan you personally agree with. Voters, unlike right wing bloggers, are always smart enough to appreciate, a la Jaggers and Richards, that you can't always get what you want. You have to compromise, take water in your whine, etc. etc.
The thing that will defeat Paul Martin in 2005 - and, as all of you charitable regular readers recall, I did predict the government would fall in 2005 - is Paul Martin. He and his shrinking circle have no plan. Zero, zippo, zilch. That is not merely evident, it's painfully evident."
Candidate For Mayor Eddie Francis on Plans
"I want to be your mayor. The status quo will no longer do. We cannot continue to stumble from crisis to crisis into the future without a plan…As the new Mayor of Windsor, together with counsel and administration we will implement a new plan which will restore public confidence in our city government… We will become a council driven, people centered government where we will plan, strategize and set the agenda...To me smart growth means planning for a liveable community... Smart growth is also about planning for growth that supports our current economic base and recognizes the potential to attract new industry…. Together council and I will develop an action plan to reverse years of decay and neglect."
Eddie Francis campaign event celebrates his volunteers
"I am proud to have a team of talented and dedicated women and men working with me who believe in me who want a Real Plan, a Clear Vision and who want a clear choice for the future of Windsor.”
Thomas L. Friedman on What A Flat World Needs
"Meeting the challenges of flatism requires as comprehensive, energetic and focused a response as did meeting the challenge of Communism. It requires a president who can summon the nation to work harder, get smarter, attract more young women and men to science and engineering and build the broadband infrastructure, portable pensions and health care that will help every American become more employable in an age in which no one can guarantee you lifetime employment."
Dwight Duncan Then and Now
Then:
Now:
At this time these are just options that are put forward, which would need to be vetted through both planning and environmental assessment processes...We must ensure that full consideration is given to all alternatives."
posted by JoeBlog at 6:30 a.m.
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