The last round of the presidential debates is tonight, and realistically, I’m not sure I can handle it. I know I’ll catch up tomorrow morning through transcripts, but I don’t know if my mid-week slump can shoulder the frustration of sitting through more unbearable pandering.
Last time I ended up railing at the television, and eventually, yelling that Senator John McCain hates transit. (Because, you know, he does.)
I want transit to become a discussion during these debates; Senator Barack Obama has outlined a detailed plan for transit in all its forms, while McCain only addresses oil. When it comes to mass transit, McCain has no plan because he’s a hater.
Let’s look at the records, starting with the Vice Presidents, who will hold less sway in office:
Senator Joe Biden is inarguably a transit fan. The man rides Amtrak from Wilmington to DC. (There are, I guess, two ways to look at that: his administration spends too much on his commute or transit should be more affordable. I’ll let you guess where I stand on that issue.) In an interview with The Examiner in Missouri, he promised that the administration plans to invest in mass transit:
We propose spending $60 billion over the next 10 years on infrastructure. We’re going to be investing in everything from light rail to highways to bridges and everything else. Mass transit is an integral part of our energy program.
Yet strangely when H.R. 2095, the Federal Railroad Improvement Act, which provided approval for federal funding to Metro, was on the floor, Biden did not vote. (Obama voted YEA and McCain voted NAY.)
Biden’s opponent appears just as transit friendly but I have serious doubts. Wasilla, Alaska doesn’t have appear to have a realized transit system, despite state governor Sarah Palin spending $1.9 million for a transportation hub and several earmarks to rehab bus stations and start several projects (and let us not forget that outside of building racism, McCain’s big pull in his campaign is that he is opposed to earmarks). Wasilla is served by the Mat-Su Community Transit (MASCOT), a non-profit community run bus service. In short, MASCOT has one purpose for Wasilla: operating as a commuter bus so Wasilla residents can leave town with stops at the library and schools. MASCOT does not shuttle residents to and fro like a city bus would and it operates from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. So it’s not an eve option for students participating in after school activities.
Maybe I’m unfair given Wasilla’s small population, but the projects aren’t completed and aren’t currently recognized by Wasilla. So where are they? The funds for the rail and the bus network were received in 2000. Understandably these projects take time, but Wasilla has its expensive sport complex.
Look at CTA’s overhaul of its stations and rails: CTA is meeting its deadlines and steadily confirming more progress. A new rail and bus line sounds like something that warrants a mention on the town’s website.
And by comparison to a smaller area: my ridiculously small hometown has its own shuttle service to its neighboring city. Its bus bridges begin earlier than six and end as late as seven. From the bridge’s end a person can reach Amtrak and connect to Baltimore or DC and reach a complex network of commuter and city buses.
The official plan is to support better highways, enforce stricter policies within airline safety, make Amtrak more efficient (“In many parts of the country, Amtrak is the only form of reliable transportation”), alternative energy, and boost public transit. But best of all is accessibility. From Obama’s website (pdf):
Three-quarters of welfare recipients live in areas that are poorly served by public transportation and low-income workers spend up to 36 percent of their incomes on transportation. Barack Obama has spent years working to improve transportation access for low-income Americans. As an Illinois state senator, he was the chief sponsor of the bill that created the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Transportation, a body that was charged with building public-private partnerships to help connect low-income Americans with jobs. As president, Obama will work to eliminate transportation disparities so that all Americans can lead meaningful and productive lives.
I’d like to see Obama overhaul the FTA in this blog’s favor and examine the Urban Mass Transit Acts closely.
In addition to 2008 and 2007’s NAYs, McCain killed a 2000 bill as the chairman of the Senate Science, Commerce, and Transportation committee. (With Arizona’s dismal record I wonder how he filled that position.) He said that it was not a viable option in the Midwest, despite the growing systems in major Midwest cities and the successes of large transit grids in Midwest states. He also called it government waste.
Senator McCain, Amtrak and public transportation are clearly beneath you. Are the people using these services also beneath you? Please explain. …Preferably within the first fifteen minutes, my stamina for pandering has dwindled.
Comparison of the candidates by the Brookings Institude (pdf), via Bus Chick
H.R. 2095 Senate Vote Count
Obama's Transportation Fact Sheet (pdf)
Obama's letter regarding Metra's Hyde Park station
Progress Illinois's "Obama vs. McCain on High Speed Rail"
Planning Liveable Community's "The presidential candidates on public transit"
DCist's "Transit on Thursday: Where They Stand Edition"
MASCOT official website
The Washington Post's "Palin's Small Alaka Town Secured Big Federal Funds"
Transit Blogger's "Is V.P. Candidate Sarah Palin a Transit Advocate?"
RenewAmerica's "Conservative leader to bolt GOP if McCain is nominated"
The Boston Globe's "McCain's Agenda on Amtrak"
Track Twenty-Nine's "Candidates and Transportation"
Comments
I find this reporter to be consistently insightful and objective in her reportings of all areas of mass transit. In addition, I think she can stop worrying about her head exploding--McCain will not win this election.
I thought this article would be of interest to you.
Sheila
This reporter gave no concrete proof that McCain hates transit. Additionally her insight into mass transit in a rural setting (Wasilla,Alaska) is clouded by her inability to understand that transportation needs are unique to each urban or rural area. There is a huge difference in Mass Transit found in large metropolitan areas and Public Transportation found elsewhere. John McCain does not believe in a one-size-fits-all solution. He also believes that each individual city/town should decide for itself what kind of public transportation the city/town needs and can afford to fund. Also, Arizona is considered a "donor state" when it comes to funding transportation on a national basis. For every dollar that an Arizona citizen puts into the National Transit Account through their gas tax, Arizona receives only .73 cents back. New York State receives $2.39 back for every dollar it's citizen put in that same National Transit account. That is the formula Congress set up, as unfair as it seems.
Hi Jon,
I think McCain's repeated refusals to fund or support transit, his lack of plan should he win the election, and his outright hatred for Amtrak (calling it wasteful and trying for years to dissolve it) are clear evidence that the senator does in fact hate transit. While McCain loves to tout states' rights, he has no problem in denying states (or in this case DC) when it desperately needs assistance. His record shows he would rather they drown in despair.
I recognize that Wasilla has different needs than DC or Baltimore and defended it by listing other towns with the same population, needs, and structure with better transit than Wasilla. More importantly, I take a stronger issue not with the size and lack, but with Palin's funding. She's poured money into plans but there is no evidence (and maybe I've missed it, but I have searched extensively) of the work in progress and there seems to be very little that is accomplished. I noted all of these factors in the above post, and did note that large projects take time, but typically, their progress is discussed.
Your comments regarding MASCOT system in Wasilla are incorrect. I am the previous Director of the system so I have the facts. 1) MASCOT stands for MAt-Su COmmunity Transit - which is not a Wasilla system, but a Mat-Su Borough (our word for a county) system. 2) Govenor/Ex Mayor Palin did NOT get those earmarks - I did. They were named "Wasilla transportation projects" but that was only because our delegation needed a name. I worked with my congressional delegation and with my Board of Director to get the earmarks, write the grant, and complete the projects. Palin had nothing to do with those earmarks. 3) With that funding, we purchased buses, IT equipment, and built a facilty. 4) The system is a fixed route system around the Mat-Su Valley which includes numerous stops in Wasilla as well as Palmer. There is also a paratransit component for elderly and disabled persons AND a commuter route to Anchorage. The systems runs until 9ish (not 3). Obviously we have more than one purpose. The projects ARE completed. Yes we are a small system without local funding (Alaska is a new state when compared to Texas). Our riders are people who need to use the system (elderly, low income, and disable)but you may want to try and get you facts straight before you report.
Hi Karen,
First, I'd like to apologized if it sounded like I was attacking MASCOT or anyone Alaska outside of Sarah Palin. I do realize that MASCOT is not a Wasilla system ("Wasilla, Alaska doesn’t have appear to have a realized transit system...Wasilla is served by the Mat-Su Community Transit (MASCOT), a non-profit community run bus service."
I went on to say that Wasilla, despite spending money for what appeared to be its own service, was only served by your borough's program--which was not to say that MASCOT was not doing enough, but that it was Palin who was not doing enough, given the spending.
As for the discrepancies and possible errors, I relied on Wasilla's and MASCOT's official website in addition to news sources and at the time of this article's publishing could not find ANY information about the projects, which was disappointing. I am very glad to hear from you and especially glad to find out that the transit system does more than it appeared to.
I am from a small town the size of Wasilla and getting around without the transit systems I have now is incredibly frustrating.
Please feel free to e-mail me if you would like to discuss this further.
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