Those who profit from subsidized autosprawl are moving heaven and earth to keep the subsidies flowing. But, oh-oh, bad news, climate change is baking the streets and flooding back yards. People are starting to get it. More worrisome, the insurance industry is catching on. They don't want to pay the storm-damage claims.
What to do. Well, there is always that handy racist/religious/misogynist coalition. So some oil money was invested and a tea party got started. Emphasis was taken off of burning crosses and killing doctors. Instead scientists are now the new enemy. Great target. Don't have to win, just establish doubt. Scientists are full of doubt and easy to engage in endless debate. Easy work.
But what about public transit? Sad to say, there is not a single passage in the Bible calling it an abomination. Worse, there are plenty of reasons to have more of it that have nothing to do with climate change. Ouch. So deny/delay is not going to be enough. Again, what to do?
Recently foxxil-fuel news had an article blasting public transit as a plot by the left to control your life. Many transit advocates laughed. Others yawned. But this piece is an instruction manual for tea party people to teach the rank-and-file that their job is to hate public transit as well as science. It is hard for them to make the intuitive leap.
Expect more attacks like this.
