Mother Nature dropped an April afternoon right smack into the middle of February and so every single person in town left their homes and went outside. Weekend traffic around the west side malls is often heavy but today was like the last shopping day before Christmas. Lola points out that today is the last shopping Saturday before Valentines Day, but since Valentines Day is a fictional holiday I still believe it was just the sunshine.
Almost all the cars are wearing a layer of salt left over from the battle against the road ice monsters earlier this week. Now and then you pass a vehicle all clean, bright and shiny from the car wash. Even in Madison, Wisconsin many people love their cars and the ability to drive where and when it best suites their needs. The American economy grew strong with the building of the railroads, and subsequently exploded with the advent of affordable cars and extensive public roads. The current prosperity in American society is directly the result of dependable personal transportation and competitive private business.
Of course Madison is also home to an enclave of troubled souls who have convinced themselves that traffic is a bad thing and therefore it is reasonable to pursue policies that attempt to pressure citizens out of their cars. This week even the Governor went so far as to propose taking state transportation funds and using them for projects favored by his special interest contributors. These progressive government types just don’t understand that “the car is not merely a convenience but one of history’ greatest forces for good, an invention that liberated the poor from slums and workers from company towns, challenged communism, powered the civil rights movement and freed women to work outside the home”.[1] Of course this reality does not help those politicians whose desire for government money and power is the basis for their lifetime careers in public service.
Almost all the cars are wearing a layer of salt left over from the battle against the road ice monsters earlier this week. Now and then you pass a vehicle all clean, bright and shiny from the car wash. Even in Madison, Wisconsin many people love their cars and the ability to drive where and when it best suites their needs. The American economy grew strong with the building of the railroads, and subsequently exploded with the advent of affordable cars and extensive public roads. The current prosperity in American society is directly the result of dependable personal transportation and competitive private business.
Of course Madison is also home to an enclave of troubled souls who have convinced themselves that traffic is a bad thing and therefore it is reasonable to pursue policies that attempt to pressure citizens out of their cars. This week even the Governor went so far as to propose taking state transportation funds and using them for projects favored by his special interest contributors. These progressive government types just don’t understand that “the car is not merely a convenience but one of history’ greatest forces for good, an invention that liberated the poor from slums and workers from company towns, challenged communism, powered the civil rights movement and freed women to work outside the home”.[1] Of course this reality does not help those politicians whose desire for government money and power is the basis for their lifetime careers in public service.
[1] John Tierney, New York Times Washington Bureau. NYT Magazine September 26, 2004
