Cont: The Biden Presidency (3)

[Stacyhs]

But he got the third thing wrong: You don't let bicyclists 'take one for the team' and ride around unsafe to make drivers "more conscious of bikes, and it becomes dramatically safer for everybody".[/I] You make the city dramatically safer for bicyclists by separating them from other traffic as far as it goes, you make it obvious to drivers where bicyclists have right of way, and in the end enough people will start riding bikes.

Can you point out exactly where Buttigieg says that because it's certainly not what I inferred at all. What I see him saying is that, statistically, when about 2% of people are biking rather than driving, drivers become more aware of them and safety goes up. He's not saying do nothing until we reach that threshold so they should just "take one for the team" until then. In fact, he says that we should find "investments and policies [that] will help get us to that tipping point," so that bicycle use will increase and safety for everyone increases. I see that as the opposite of what you see.

The third thing was that you see a kind of step change in the use of bikes, and particularly to get around, once you hit a threshold of about 2% of people. And the thinking is that once you hit that rate of use, enough people do it that drivers become more conscious of bikes, and it becomes dramatically safer for everybody. So, I often think about where the tipping point might be in any given U.S. city, or for the U.S. as a country, and look for investments and policies [that] will help get us to that tipping point.
‘If you were starting from scratch, cars wouldn’t make sense’: Pete Buttigieg on redesigning cities (FastCompany, Nov 10, 2022)

 

[Stacyhs]

Here is a question I don't think anyone has ever brought up...

Did Hunter Biden ever actually use "plain" cocaine? Every reference I have seen to his past drug addictions has mentioned his use of crack. (Crack is a form of cocaine but has been modified to make it smokable.) But I haven't found anything to suggest he used cocaine in its powdered form.

I don't know. But we had one member the other day claim Hunter was obviously high while watching fireworks at the WH on July 4. That nonsense is being pushed by others, too, but Snopes found that is unsupported:

Does 4th of July Video Show Hunter Biden Sniffing Cocaine at White House?

Numerous posts tried to connect the actual discovery of cocaine in the White House to Hunter Biden's actions at a Fourth of July event.

In sum, there was no evidence to the claim or implication that the in-question video showed Hunter Biden doing cocaine on the White House balcony on July 4, nor was there any proof that the cocaine found in the White House a few days prior was connected to him. As the Secret Service's investigation into the latter remained ongoing, the edited, five-second viral clip of the Bidens watching fireworks was a misrepresentation of what were more likely innocuous family interactions in public. For those reasons, we rated the claim as Miscaptioned.

 

[Stacyhs]

No, no no! you see, people will just respond to changing conditions, no need for state intervention. /s

If anything, increasing bicycle use in the US without separated, protected lanes would just result in an increase of hostility from car drivers towards cyclists. There's nobody more psychotic and bloodthirsty in this country than a car driver that's been slightly inconvenienced on the roadways.

That's Buttigieg for ya, two anodyne, obvious observations masked as wisdom and a spurious conclusion that lets government off the hook from having to take direct action.

Maybe you should read what Buttigieg said and tell me exactly where he says or even implies any of the nonsense you just posted. Go on, give it a whirl.

 

[Stacyhs]

Pete had the "Obama aesthetic" cargo cult down 100%, and people thought that would mean he's the new hotness in Democratic politics.

Yet to see anything actually impressive in his resume. Mayor of a not particularly large city and head of a Transportation dept that is overseeing massive, scandalous screw ups by our privatized, under regulated transportation system. He's an empty suit

Long on accusations, short on evidence. So let's see what the former Deputy Sec. of Transportation, Mort Downey (1993-2001), has to say about Buttigieg:

A DOT veteran’s take
“For a first-year DOT secretary, I’m very impressed with what he’s gotten done,” former DOT official Mort Downey told FreightWaves. As the longest serving U.S. deputy secretary of transportation (1993-2001) who has worked with or met every DOT secretary except one (Claude Brinegar), Downey is in a good position to offer a perspective.

“When you have someone who is recognized as in tune with what the president wants to achieve and who’s going to give the department its opportunity to shine, people will respect that and listen to what he has to say. The whole department seems to have a good sense of what they want to get done, with consistent messaging coming from the heads of the various agencies. I don’t think that happens without a certain level of leadership at the top.”
Regarding Buttigieg’s role in shepherding the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act — referred to now as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) — “only about half of it is his, but it’s the half that people really recognize as infrastructure programs,” Downey said.

In addition to reauthorizing surface transportation programs for five years, the $1.2 trillion BIL includes roughly $244 billion in new investments affecting freight transportation: $110 billion for roads and bridges, $66 billion for railroads, $25 billion for airports, $17 billion for ports, $15 billion for electric vehicles, and $11 billion for road safety.
“If he doesn’t make his part work it will look like the entire package has collapsed. So he’s out there in front on what his department can do, how they’re going to get it done and how it relates to the broader objective of the Biden administration.”

Freight lobby weighs in

Elaine Nessle, executive director of the lobbying group Coalition for America’s Gateways and Trade Corridors, agreed that Buttigieg was key to moving across the finish line the largest infrastructure funding package in decades.
“Secretary Buttigieg was instrumental in raising awareness for the need for investment and made sure every corner of the country was aware of that need versus continuing to defer maintenance,” Nessle told FreightWaves. “This will certainly be considered a Biden administration crowning achievement regardless of what happens the rest of his term.”

To the extent Buttigieg can take credit for making the case to lawmakers and their constituents for passing the massive BIL, he has the largest freight transportation lobbying groups in his corner as well.

You were saying you've "Yet to see anything actually impressive in his resume." Maybe that's because you haven't bother to look.

 

[bruto]

Can you point out exactly where Buttigieg says that because it's certainly not what I inferred at all. What I see him saying is that, statistically, when about 2% of people are biking rather than driving, drivers become more aware of them and safety goes up. He's not saying do nothing until we reach that threshold so they should just "take one for the team" until then. In fact, he says that we should find "investments and policies [that] will help get us to that tipping point," so that bicycle use will increase and safety for everyone increases. I see that as the opposite of what you see.

That's how I read it, but it does seem a lot of people want all or nothing.

 

[Stacyhs]

That's how I read it, but it does seem a lot of people want all or nothing.

You read it that way because it's what he's saying. Dann was mistaken in his inference. Rather than read what Buttigieg actually said, I suspect some read Dann's post and assumed it was correct than posted based on that.

People who see things only in black and white tend to want all or nothing. That is why they disparage compromise and see anyone who does compromise as weak or ineffective.

 

[Aridas]

For the fun of it...

The White House trolled MTG pretty well.

MTG basically was trying to spin horror stories about the Biden Administration trying to help people, just like other famous past leaders like FDR have done, and those who passed stuff like Medicare and Medicaid, so well...

Caught us. President Biden is working to make life easier for hardworking families.

In less pleasant news, well... Republicans are already working to cause another major budget problem with a pretty extreme Sabotage America budget proposal.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

Here is a question I don't think anyone has ever brought up...

Did Hunter Biden ever actually use "plain" cocaine? Every reference I have seen to his past drug addictions has mentioned his use of crack. (Crack is a form of cocaine but has been modified to make it smokable.) But I haven't found anything to suggest he used cocaine in its powdered form.

Does it matter?

Rich white guys snorting cocaine got off with a lot of wrist slaps.

Black guys smoking much smaller quantities of crack cocaine found themselves in the crack cocaine to prison pipeline with no off-ramps.

 

[Sherkeu]

Does it matter?

Rich white guys snorting cocaine got off with a lot of wrist slaps.

Black guys smoking much smaller quantities of crack cocaine found themselves in the crack cocaine to prison pipeline with no off-ramps.

Except Marion Barry. He became mayor of DC again!!
The sex worker he was with may have had a worse outcome.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

Except Marion Barry. He became mayor of DC again!!
The sex worker he was with may have had a worse outcome.

I think Barry qualifies as a black white guy. Or is that a white black guy?

 

[Suddenly]

Long on accusations, short on evidence. So let's see what the former Deputy Sec. of Transportation, Mort Downey (1993-2001), has to say about Buttigieg:

It's sort of besides the point. Pete's doing his job and probably well enough. However, infrastructure was always going to be an emphasis so looking at raw amounts coming in isn't all that informative as to his being effective.

Buttigieg is a policy wonk with some charisma. That's in isolation great as a presidential candidate. He's also dead in the water in a contested Democratic Primary. He didn't get the nickname "Mayo Pete" randomly. His approval numbers among Black voters in 2020 were extremely low.

Ask Bernie Sanders how likely it is to win the nomination in a proportional primary system when getting absolutely slaughtered in the south. Plus Buttigieg's numbers among Latino voters aren't exactly awe inspiring which makes him a shaky general primary candidate.

https://www.businessinsider.com/pete-buttigieg-polls-terribly-among-black-democrats-2019-12

 

[Segnosaur]

Here is a question I don't think anyone has ever brought up...

Did Hunter Biden ever actually use "plain" cocaine? Every reference I have seen to his past drug addictions has mentioned his use of crack.

Does it matter?

Rich white guys snorting cocaine got off with a lot of wrist slaps.

My point was, if Hunter Biden never actually used cocaine in its powdered form (and exclusively used crack cocaine), it is even more evidence that what was found wasn't his.

(Not that we really need any more evidence, given the fact that Joe and Hunter Biden were not in the white house when it was discovered.

 

[Suddenly]

My point was, if Hunter Biden never actually used cocaine in its powdered form (and exclusively used crack cocaine), it is even more evidence that what was found wasn't his.

(Not that we really need any more evidence, given the fact that Joe and Hunter Biden were not in the white house when it was discovered.

Ever trying to defend Hunter Biden is a Democratic trap issue. In a political sense the response to anything about Hunter Biden is to repeat that he has no official standing or influence in the Biden administration and that if there is proof of law breaking he should be prosecuted like anyone else and leave it at that.

Defending him just creates fertile grounds for false equivalence w/r/t corrupt nepotism.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

My point was, if Hunter Biden never actually used cocaine in its powdered form (and exclusively used crack cocaine), it is even more evidence that what was found wasn't his.

(Not that we really need any more evidence, given the fact that Joe and Hunter Biden were not in the white house when it was discovered.

Note the highlighted.

 

[acbytesla]

Ever trying to defend Hunter Biden is a Democratic trap issue. In a political sense the response to anything about Hunter Biden is to repeat that he has no official standing or influence in the Biden administration and that if there is proof of law breaking he should be prosecuted like anyone else and leave it at that.

Defending him just creates fertile grounds for false equivalence w/r/t corrupt nepotism.

I agree with Suddenly. That said, Hunter Biden shouldn't have to respond to a lot of nonsense. If there is evidence of a crime, it should be investigated and prosecuted like anyone else. And from my understanding it has.

Hunter Biden isn't a member of Joe Biden's administration. He's a private citizen working and living 3000 miles from DC.

 

[Stacyhs]

It's sort of besides the point. Pete's doing his job and probably well enough. However, infrastructure was always going to be an emphasis so looking at raw amounts coming in isn't all that informative as to his being effective.

Buttigieg is a policy wonk with some charisma. That's in isolation great as a presidential candidate. He's also dead in the water in a contested Democratic Primary. He didn't get the nickname "Mayo Pete" randomly. His approval numbers among Black voters in 2020 were extremely low.

Ask Bernie Sanders how likely it is to win the nomination in a proportional primary system when getting absolutely slaughtered in the south. Plus Buttigieg's numbers among Latino voters aren't exactly awe inspiring which makes him a shaky general primary candidate.

https://www.businessinsider.com/pete-buttigieg-polls-terribly-among-black-democrats-2019-12

No, it's not 'beside the point' at all. It's precisely the point: claims were made by TurkeysGhost that he had "Yet to see anything actually impressive in his resume. Mayor of a not particularly large city and head of a Transportation dept that is overseeing massive, scandalous screw ups by our privatized, under regulated transportation system. He's an empty suit."

I provided quoted and cited evidence that contradicts those claims while he has provided nothing to support his.

What is beside the point is your bringing in his approval numbers among Blacks and Latinos in the 2020 campaign when he wasn't even Sec. of Transportation. The discussion was never about whether he could win if he ran for POTUS again.

ETA: I notice that Dann and TG haven't acknowledged they misunderstood Buttigieg's statements about bikes.

 

[Suddenly]

No, it's not 'beside the point' at all. It's precisely the point: claims were made by TurkeysGhost that he had "Yet to see anything actually impressive in his resume. Mayor of a not particularly large city and head of a Transportation dept that is overseeing massive, scandalous screw ups by our privatized, under regulated transportation system. He's an empty suit."

I provided quoted and cited evidence that contradicts those claims while he has provided nothing to support his.

Eh. He's the head of a department promised a bunch of loot and it got a bunch of loot.

Your sources about the quality of his leadership are a guy retired for 20 years who met Pete that one time and is making inferences from a distance and someone the head of a trade group with every motivation to suck up to the guy who ultimately controls the loot.

Not staggering. Really, if this is the best evidence it's a red flag.

What is beside the point is your bringing in his approval numbers among Blacks and Latinos in the 2020 campaign when he wasn't even Sec. of Transportation. The discussion was never about whether he could win if he ran for POTUS again.

Of course it's debatable. But you can't deny having experience in Congress would make him a better candidate than not.

"Never" seems to be off. You've even engaged on the topic.

 

[Stacyhs]

Eh. He's the head of a department promised a bunch of loot and it got a bunch of loot.

Your sources about the quality of his leadership are a guy retired for 20 years who met Pete that one time and is making inferences from a distance

LOL. Oh, come on. Is that really the best defense of an unsupported claim you can make? Downey didn't 'retire' 20 years ago; his position as Deputy Sec. of Transportation ended. He went on to become a transportation consultant. "Downey serves on the board of directors of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and served as Board Chair from January 2015–January 2016." And how do you know he only met Buttigieg "one time"?

and someone the head of a trade group with every motivation to suck up to the guy who ultimately controls the loot.

And your evidence that she's 'sucking up' is? Maybe you missed this part:

Elaine Nessle, executive director of the lobbying group Coalition for America’s Gateways and Trade Corridors, agreed that Buttigieg was key to moving across the finish line the largest infrastructure funding package in decades. “Secretary Buttigieg was instrumental in raising awareness for the need for investment and made sure every corner of the country was aware of that need versus continuing to defer maintenance,” Nessle told FreightWaves.

To the extent Buttigieg can take credit for making the case to lawmakers and their constituents for passing the massive BIL, he has the largest freight transportation lobbying groups in his corner as well.

He wasn't just "promised a bunch of loot and it got a bunch of loot": he was instrumental in getting that bunch of loot bill passed.

Not staggering. Really, if this is the best evidence it's a red flag.

Your rebuttal is not staggering and if this is the best you've got, that should be your red flag.

Quote:
What is beside the point is your bringing in his approval numbers among Blacks and Latinos in the 2020 campaign when he wasn't even Sec. of Transportation. The discussion was never about whether he could win if he ran for POTUS again.

Quote:
Of course it's debatable. But you can't deny having experience in Congress would make him a better candidate than not.

"Never" seems to be off. You've even engaged on the topic.

Only if you spin what I said in that direction. Please quote me where I said anything about "winning". Saying having experience as a member of Congress making him a BETTER candidate is not a statement of whether or not he could win.

 

[dudalb]

You read it that way because it's what he's saying. Dann was mistaken in his inference. Rather than read what Buttigieg actually said, I suspect some read Dann's post and assumed it was correct than posted based on that.

People who see things only in black and white tend to want all or nothing. That is why they disparage compromise and see anyone who does compromise as weak or ineffective.

Which is why you can see the spittle come from the mouths of some people when the words "Moderate" or "Centrist" are used.
Militant ideologues of any stripe are going to consider those not as militant as being The Enemy. Nothing new here.
I also think, at least in the US..that the moderates hold the balance of power, and that drives the ideologues nuts.

 

[MarkCorrigan]

I have to say though, what the US considers "moderate" and "centerist" is considered at least centre right pretty much everywhere else. Joe Biden would likely be on the more central wing of the Tory party here, for example. The Overton Window for you guys is skewed so far to the right it's frightening.