Stimulus checks to BP

[ytowner]

You think I care. The less money the Democratic Congress has to waste I will be happy. I'd much rather have the money in the hands of the people and not the Government. If it goes to Saudi Arabia or Exxon, great, I don't care.

Mine went to the Best Buy Corp.

[jay]

Instead of spending the equivalent of our stimulus check for fuel, we should reduce our driving, use mass transit as much as possible, and invest at least half of the tax rebate in a renewable energy device for our homes.

[irishbobcat]

 
Your Economic Stimulus Check just went to Saudi Arabia and Exxon

June 26, 2008

The Ohio Public Interest Research Group Education Fund released a report yesterday that showed in just 19 weeks the Economic Stimulus Check that President Bush and Congress gave to you went to pay for the increase in gasoline prices since February 2008. The Ohio PIRG Summary follows:

America’s dependence on oil has become increasingly painful. Two thirds of oil in the United States goes to transportation, with the largest share consumed by cars and trucks. As the rising price of gasoline makes driving more expensive, Americans have sought alternatives by driving a little less and riding public transportation more.

Unfortunately, government policy does too little to help Americans drive less. Energy experts generally agree that the era of cheap gas is over. Scientists likewise agree that road-based global warming pollution must be reduced. But lawmakers have not taken enough steps to help Americans consume less at the pump. On the contrary, overall government policies continue to encourage more driving at the expense of alternatives, leaving Americans poorer, stuck in worsening traffic, and emitting dangerous levels of global-warming pollution.

Nothing illustrates how the lack of transportation options hurts consumers and our economy more than the fact that, since approval of the tax rebates in February, Americans on average have already spent the amount of their stimulus checks at the pump. The standard stimulus rebate check for American families with a joint filing couple and a child is $1,500. As of this week, the average family household will have already spent over $1,500 at the gas pump since February 13th when President Bush signed the tax rebate checks into law.

The situation is akin to families signing over their rebate checks to big oil companies like Exxon Mobil or sending them to oil-producing countries like Saudi Arabia.

We can reduce our crippling dependence on oil through long-term solutions that will make it easier for Americans to drive less. Modern buses, light rail, commuter rail and other forms of transit more efficiently move passengers with less fuel. Transit also reduces traffic congestion and encourages more compact development patterns that, in turn, further reduce the amount Americans must drive.

Existing public transportation already reduces America’s oil dependence. Analysis by Ohio PIRG shows that net oil savings from public transportation totaled 3.4 billion gallons in 2006, the last year for which full data on transit agency and ridership is currently available. These oil savings are enough to fuel 5.8 million cars for an entire year and to save about $13.6 billion in gasoline at today’s prices. In metro Columbus, public transit saved 1.6 million gallons, the equivalent of $6.5 million at today’s gas prices.

Comparing spending on transportation in neighborhoods with different access to rail and bus routes underscores the gas-saving benefits of public transit, according to newly released analysis by the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) as part of a Brookings Institution project. Based on analysis of 2000 Census data in 52 metro areas, neighborhoods with the best access to transit routes spent an average of $728 monthly on all transportation costs, including gas, insurance, upkeep, and transit fares. Households in communities with the least access to transit, by contrast, spent an average of $925 per month.

America’s crippling dependence on oil is a long-term problem that requires long-term solutions. Only a minority of Americans currently has satisfactory access to public transit.  The lack of convenient alternatives to driving means that Americans are more vulnerable to high gas prices and that future attempts to jumpstart consumer spending will be diluted.

The tax rebate program will cost the Treasury $168 billion. By contrast, the four-year total of federal spending on new public transportation projects through 2009 is only $6.6 billion. Helping Americans to drive less will require more aggressive investment in public transportation.

Public transit solutions can do far more. At present, under funded transit agencies are struggling to keep up with the record volume of riders. Despite the success of new rail lines and bus routes around the country, a long line of new transit projects remains stuck on the drawing board due to lack of funding. Federal, state, and local governments must invest in solutions to oil dependence through more and better public transportation.

All of these investments will require far-looking commitments by lawmakers. But we cannot afford to continue to squander spending in ways that do not address the long-term problem.

As the Independent Green Party candidate for State Representative for the 60th District, I will work with bringing renewable energy resources to our homes and vehicles, work on improving mass transit, and making the 60th district less dependent on fossil fuels.

Dennis Spisak-Independent Candidate for State Representative-60th district

Campaign web site: Http://votespisak.tripod.com