Stop Driving!

Now that Bush has offered tax cuts to the folks who don't need them, spent a couple hundred billion on a war with no end in sight, approved a bulging pork sandwich of a transportation bill, told credit card companies he's fine with them crushing the customers they solicit relentlessly, continued to push his expensive medicare/medicaid program, and almost gotten his social security privatized, he finally has the answer for our economic woes ... STOP DRIVING!

With fears mounting that high energy costs will crimp economic growth, President Bush called on Americans yesterday to conserve gasoline by driving less. He also issued a directive for all federal agencies to cut their own energy use and to encourage employees to use public transportation.

Sure, the transportation bill sets aside a big chunk of money to develop public transportation, but it should have been addressed a long time ago. I'm willing to give Bush a bit of a pass on this one since science and industry have known for decades that oil shortages were going to be an issue eventually and we've just chosen to ignore it.

Of course, Bush & Co never really wanted us to conserve:

Mr. Bush's comments, while similar to remarks he made shortly after the disruption from Hurricane Katrina pushed gasoline prices sharply higher, were particularly notable because the administration has long emphasized new production over conservation. It has also opted not to impose higher mileage standards on automakers.

In 2001, Vice President Dick Cheney said, "Conservation may be a sign of personal virtue, but it cannot be the basis of a sound energy policy." Also that year, Ari Fleischer, then Mr. Bush's press secretary, responded to a question about reducing American energy consumption by saying "that's a big no."

"The president believes that it's an American way of life," Mr. Fleischer said.

But that's all in the past. The American Way of Life can't ignore facts, apparently, and the facts are that we can't exist indefinitely at our current standard of spoiled rottenedness when the engine (literally) of our consumption is a finite resource.

So here's a big "duh" shoutout to all who voted for this guy based on his transparent lies and overtly greedy agenda - enjoy that Hummer, I hope you choke on your $1000/month gasoline bills.