Quote of the Day: Americans Demand More and Better Options
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.17.08
Former Maryland Governor Parris Glendening visited by school kids
Former Maryland Governor Parris N. Glendening (and now President of the Smart Growth Leadership Institute) says that Americans are tired of feeling like victims and are ready for innovative changes in how they live and get around.
"We have to keep pace with demands for public transit, and give this country a reason to be proud of its high-speed trains, light-rail lines, and both rapid and conventional bus transit. We need to make more of our streets safe and convenient for walking and biking to work, school, shops and transit stops. We have to create incentives for developers to invest in our close-in suburbs and urban centers, to meet the huge demand for affordable homes in convenient locations. Americans are not dumb: We would much rather invest in well-located real estate than in gasoline.
We are tired of feeling like victims – whether of oil companies, poor planning, or a lack of vision. We are ready for innovative change, if only our leaders will follow us." ::Planetizen
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We need to start holding our leaders accountable. If they can't enact the changes we want, kick their butt out of office. If you feel you can do better than your representative, why not run for office?
I would much rather have more people in Congress and the Senate with an actual backbone to stand up to lobbyists and do what is best for our country.
I've been ready for change, my "leaders"/"representatives" on the other hand were just fine, and probably still are, with the status quo.
Americans have never been victims! That is only a conjecture placed upon us by the media which acts to shift blame away from us and place it upon heads of government and corporations, thus giving the illusion that we, the people, are victims, which often results in an apathetic response to the apparent victimization because the situation will then appear out of our control. When in reality, if we really want change, we can get off our asses and, if need be, throw a rock or two!
"We are ready for innovative change, if only our leaders will follow us."
Whoa! Leadership in tune with what people want, to the point of legislating along those lines? This guy's a radical. He might even be secretly Swedish...
On the contrary, courtney, I believe it is the threat of being kicked out of office that has caused the lack of vision in our leaders. No plan may be proposed that takes longer than an election cycle to come to fruition; A transit program that costs a lot for 3 years to build will get a lot of representatives booted out of office, even if the plan would have started generating a lot of benefits when it opened. We need to be more consistent in our demands on government, and to be clear about what we as a country want and need. And to not allow small groups with loud voices and deep pockets to control the ears of our leaders.