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The city of Nashville, TN is expecting major growth over the next 20 years, including the expansion of its population by about a million people. To help deal with current congestion and to get ahead of the coming glut of cars on Nashville area roads, the city is proposing a 7.1 mile bus line with a dedicated highway lane in order to reduce commute times and the frustration of everyone. What could be bad about that?
Apparently, the Koch brothers can find something bad about it. They are major supporters of Americans for Prosperity (hmmm, for which Americans’ prosperity might that be?) and that organization is working to ban the proposed bus line. They have named any number of brainlessly dumb reasons for that, but they have put their money muscle into action. That’s probably a good idea for them, because more buses means fewer cars and that might ding the profits of Koch Industries – especially if the disease of public transportation spreads to other cities and fossil fuel consumption is curtailed.
That is a bit like opposition to solar power. Sometimes the solar panels on the roofs of houses produce more electricity than is consumed. That results in the electric meter running backward, a reasonable financial credit for the homeowners. The Kochs are fighting that, too. They don’t like incentives for clean renewable energy. It’s bad for their fossil fuel business.
In these cases and in the case presented in You’ll Koch On This – Chapter 1, the Kochs are acting in their short term self-interest and in each case the interests of the rest of the American people are at risk. Screwing public workers and screwing the air we breathe is just fine with them.
Getting past that myopic vision requires thinking that goes beyond the life expectancy of the Koch brothers and any of the billionaires who fight progress to keep their claws dug into their very profitable status quo.
There is nothing fundamentally wrong with self-interest. Our job, though, is to understand the unbridled greed that is harming us in a thousand ways, to wake up and take action to stop the economic bullying being done by the few at the expense of your lungs, your wallet and the planet you live on.
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Ed. note: There is much in America that needs fixing and we are on a path to continually fail to make things better. It is my goal to make a difference – perhaps to be a catalyst for things to get better. That is the reason for these posts. To accomplish the goal requires reaching many thousands of people and a robust dialogue. Please help by passing this along and encouraging others to do the same. Thanks. JA
Copyright 2024 by Jack Altschuler
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One Response to You’ll Koch On This – Chapter 2
Joni Lindgren June 1, 2014
The Colorado Gas and Oil Company wants to frack outside the city of Longmont, CO because the city sits on huge profits for them. The city of Longmont put that decision to the voters and they said NO to fracking. Now CG & O is suing Longmont to get what they want regardless of health issues (breathing methane) and the poisoning of the ground water that supports livestock and crops. I know this because my son lives in Longmont.
If there is a way to make profits, the Kochs are there and I will bet my house that the Kochs are involved in this lawsuit. If you are not aware of Earthjustice.org organization, I have come to know them a little more. I sent them an email explaining this lawsuit to them. After 10 days, they replied that they had heard of Longmont’s situation and that my message would be passed to the fracking team. Earth Justice has their own lawyers who fight environmental issues and the public’s health. Right now, they are in court in NY fighting for the people against the oil companies.
Why are we continually giving subsidies to BIG OIL AND even allowing them to not pay their taxes??