Aug 29 2010
Archive for the 'World Politics' Category
Mar 20 2010
Feds Deem Pedestrians, Cyclists and Motorists Equals
By Jason Kambitsis March 19, 2010 | 12:48 pm | Categories: Infrastructure
At long last, the feds have said the needs of pedestrians and cyclists must be placed alongside, not behind, those of motorists.
In what amounts to a sea change for the Department of Transportation, the automobile will no longer be the prime consideration in federal transportation planning. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says the needs of pedestrians and cyclists will be considered along with those of motorists, and he makes it clear that walking and riding are “an important component for livable communities.”
“People across America who value bicycling should have a voice when it comes to transportation planning,” LaHood wrote on his blog. “This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized.”
He goes on:
We are integrating the needs of bicyclists in federally-funded road projects. We are discouraging transportation investments that negatively affect cyclists and pedestrians. And we are encouraging investments that go beyond the minimum requirements and provide facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities.
LaHood’s announcement came on the heels of his appearance at the National Bike Summit, where he was greeted like a rock star and told the crowd, “Our mission is the same as your mission,” and “I think we’re beginning to put our money where our mouth is on these issues.”
Read More http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/03/lahood-policy-statement/#ixzz0ijmTh8ar
Jan 03 2010
Rachel Maddow rips apart Cheney, GOP attack machine
God – I love you Rachel Maddow!!!
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Mar 21 2009
U.N. panel says world should ditch dollar
U.N. panel says world should ditch dollar
Wed Mar 18, 2009 11:16am EDT By Jeremy Gaunt, European Investment Correspondent
LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) – A U.N. panel will next week recommend that the world ditch the dollar as its reserve currency in favor of a shared basket of currencies, a member of the panel said on Wednesday, adding to pressure on the dollar.
Currency specialist Avinash Persaud, a member of the panel of experts, told a Reuters Funds Summit in Luxembourg that the proposal was to create something like the old Ecu, or European currency unit, that was a hard-traded, weighted basket.
Jan 15 2009
Obama Cannot Escape Cannabis in 2nd Round of “Open for Questions”
It is very interesting to watch how the Transition Team is dealing with Change.gov’s second round of Open for Questions, because the cannabis issue is just not going away.
For those who don’t know, Open For Questions is an interactive, community exercise on President Elect Obama’s website where questions to our soon-to-be president are posed by the public and voted up or down by same. It was likely a small embarrassment in December of 2008, when, in the first round, this sticky question garnered the most votes:
“Will you consider legalizing cannabis/marijuana/hemp so that the government can regulate it, tax it, put age limits on it, and create millions of new jobs and create a multi-billion dollar industry right here in the U.S.?”
However, in spite of being the top vote-getter, when it came time for the answers, it was positioned low in the list, and although other answers were deliberative and thoughtful, this one was answered with a terse single sentence: “President-elect Obama is not in favor of the legalization of marijuana.”
It was a very obvious we are not amused moment.
Dec 21 2008
A World Enslaved
There are now more slaves on the planet than at any time in human history. True abolition will elude us until we admit the massive scope of the problem, attack it in all its forms, and empower slaves to help free themselves.