Oberstar answers parting questions on transportation, future
November 16, 2010 at 8:56 am in Duluth News Tribune
Lame Duck U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar gave what was probably his last press conference as chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Tuesday, touching on a potpourri of topics from gas taxes and French trains to his own future. Continue Reading
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
13 
46
So, you plead for the civility for the right, all the while accusing our Congressman-elect of being a puppet, then calling people stupid. Huh.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
35 
8
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
6 
29
I seem to recall a certain soon to be EX-congressman wagging a finger at me and calling me a “flat earther” for my refusal to buy into the lies and misinformation distributed by the DFL.
Personally, I’m going to miss JimboZO about as much as I miss root canal.
I just love seeing the marxist left become apoplectic. They just can’t figure out how they could lose. Which goes to reason when one considers just how out of touch they are with reality. Chip won, or JimboZO lost, because one of them was listening to the people, while the other called them names. HOW SWEEEEET IT IS!
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
34 
11
Hey PAT. Do you know the meaning of Hypocrite?
Like or Dislike:
13 
4
Right. Europe is “eating our lunch”. Europe is collapsing Jim. Didn’t you read a paper on vacation?
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
34 
5
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
7 
32
Well, for what it’s worth, I think it’s a damned shame that with the way the economy is, you choose not to vacation here in America, Oberstar, not to mention Minnesota.
Theres families here that could have used some of those thousands of dollars to feed their families.
Screw you!
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
34 
11
That is not a picture of Mr. Oberstar. That is Mr. Hand from Fast Times At Ridgemont High.
Like or Dislike:
18 
7
Looks more like “Mr. Hanky” from South Park.
Like or Dislike:
9 
2
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
3 
27
don’t cry donny
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
22 
3
Ok libs…put your money where you mouth is. How about YOU pony up the dough for the “extensive transportation system” seen “all over the world”. You want it, you pay for it! So lets just raise the liberal’s taxes. What? Thats not fair?
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
31 
9
So, $4.00 a gallon gas is a GOOD thing? We should trust these politicians with more gas tax money? What are you, NUTS? Look what they did with all the SSI money?
Sounds like Jim still does not get it.
As the saying goes, don’t go away angry (mad), just go away.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
32 
4
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
4 
30
Pat – I suggest you move to one of those “advanced capitalist countries” and see if it is actually better. Taken a look at how the Euro has done lately?? Or do you just look at travel brochures? Then come tell me we are a “second rate, back water nation”.
I am not sure what cave you have been hiding in, but there have been advances in the auto industry…ELECTRIC CARS! Let me tell you something about electric cars that you don’t seem to understand…THEY DO NOT REQUIRE GASOLINE.
How do you think the electricity is made to fuel the trains? Do youself a favor, google it. Do some research before you start spewing the garbage you call “facts”.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
27 
6
>”How do you think the electricity is made to fuel the trains?”
LMAO! Yeah, I think he’s gonna have to figure on that one for a while.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
22 
3
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
4 
21
So, we will need “clean coal” technology for the electricity for both trains and cars. Trouble with your argument is that we will need to build miles and miles of track. We ALREADY HAVE miles and miles of roads? Do we? Or is that something I am wrong about too? So, instead of paying for another infrastructure, why not just use the one we have? Thinking is hard!!
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
20 
2
Comparing the transportation services available in a country the size of what…Delaware? Rhode Island?…to a country the size of the United States is disingenuous at best, ignorance at worst. I suspect the latter.
Like or Dislike:
17 
3
We are NOT going to run out of fuel. Mass transit? Unless you FORCE people to ride, it will not pay for itself.
This is America, not Europe. (thank goodness) Are you proposing that the corrupt politicians pass more laws to MAKE us do ‘whats right’ for the country?
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
23 
3
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
4 
22
Hey Pat, when we run out of gas, we can all start driving our little nuclear powerd cars around.
heh heh
I’m gonna park mine in YOUR driveway.
LMAO
Like or Dislike:
20 
6
You’re the one who made the claim that we’re going to run out of fuel. How about YOU explain how you think that’s going to happen?
Like or Dislike:
11 
2
I think we need to take up a collection and get Pat some treatment. Clearly s/he has lost touch with reality.
Like or Dislike:
14 
4
Listen to you all. Ganging up on somebody who dares to speak his mind and disagree with you. Just because a handful of you choose to believe that we won’t run out of fuel, doesn’t mean it’s true. Why do you think we’ve been at war for the past 10 years?
Remember 10th grade Geography class? Fossil fuels are non-renewable fuels, meaning, once you burn it, it’s gone. Perhaps it’s all of you who need treatment, continuing to believe that people can keep living this way forever. It just sucks, because my generation is going to have to pay for your generation’s wastefulness.
Like or Dislike:
5 
14
>”Why do you think we’ve been at war for the past 10 years?”
Allow me to “bully” you even more with some (gasp!) FACTS.
This is a list of areas that have Iraqi oil contracts as defined by REGION, How many Millions of Barrels a day each is allowed to pump, and percentage of total Iraqi oil pumped per region.
Region
Production Share mb/d
% of total
Iraq
1.462
25%
Asia
1.9
20%
UK
1.81
19%
US
1.462
16%
Russia
1.064
11%
Europe (excl UK)
0.865
9%
So, you see, we take only 16% while the rest of the world takes 84%. (Oh, and by the way, the amount of money we are charged to be allowed to pump the oil is significantly higher than most of the other countries/regions.
Now that that is done, is there any other way I can help you look like a fool, this fine morning?
Like or Dislike:
7 
4
Oh Puuuulease……how many times do we have to listen to those who are Not sharing the Majority Opinion (on a site expressly designed for Opinion) complain about being ‘ganged up on’ or ‘attacked’ by others who Do share in the Majority of that subject opinions.
It’s just an opinion typed in WORDS for Pete’s sake…..Anonymously Delivered……via Cyber-space……not terroristic threats made up close and ‘Personal’ in the form of a hand grenade. Those of you who complain when your opinions are ‘challenged’, ‘disagreed with’, ‘scoffed at’….WHATEVER…..MIGHT enjoy a nice quiet crossword puzzle sitting in a corner by yourself where you are not interacting with others so you don’t get your feelings hurt.
Have you and Paul never heard the words ‘Toughen up Buttercup’?! Or, ‘IF you can’t stand the heat….MAYBE you shouldn’t be in the kitchen?
Well, I read Your Opinion which you are Entitled to share here…..and now I have shared mine…..Have a good one!
(and thumbs up to Obamas comment below this)!
Like or Dislike:
7 
1
No Merv. Your generation will have to pay for Obama’s runaway bailouts/spending. But you don’t seem to be concerned about that.
Like or Dislike:
5 
4
Here are a couple facts for you then, ObamaNation..
- U.S. troops have invaded over a dozen countries in the “War on Terror”… not just Iraq.
- The U.S. uses over 20% of the worlds energy, yet we have less than 5% of the worlds population.
The rest of the world doesn’t use nearly this much energy per person, it would be impossible! Only America does… and it will come to an end, either voluntarily or by sheer lack of availability. This isn’t a debate, it’s just how it is.
Like or Dislike:
5 
11
Torpedo, the problem is bigger than what puppet politician is in office. Recall that the first bailouts were by Bush Jr. So clearly, it doesn’t matter who the president is… and you’re a fool if you think it does.
Like or Dislike:
6 
7
And how long after the peasants are forced by our government onto the trains that the libs want, will we see government agents at the loading platform demanding to “see our papers” before being allowed to board the train? Just another way the libs want to control the unruly, unwashed masses. This is the future we want? I think not!
Like or Dislike:
13 
8
You just can’t muster and ounce of nerve to actually criticize your hero, Obama, can you, Merv? Reagan…Bush. Reagan…Bush…Reagan…Bush. Your college profs. really did a job on you.
Like or Dislike:
4 
6
So what you’re really saying is…America bad. The rest of the world…good. Got it, Merv. I wish I had a buck for every time I’ve heard a liberal say that or have seen a liberal write that.
Even though I’ve never had a taker, I’ll make the offer again. A one way ticket to any country in the entire world you want to live in, Merv. Let me know.
Like or Dislike:
5 
5
So there you have the real Oberstar. 7 buck a gallon gas.
Like or Dislike:
21 
8
Oberstar is like Favre. Hung on a little too long. Buh-bye now.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
20 
4
“Because Americans are driving less and driving higher mileage vehicles — some 60 billion fewer miles in fiscal 2009 than 2008 — Oberstar said the future of federal road projects funded by the gas tax is in doubt. Oberstar said he supported a 25-cent-per-gallon gas tax increase, suggested by bipartisan commissions, to keep highway projects rolling even as total gallons used declines.”
Earth to JimBozo. So, people are driving less, the government officials should spend less, instead of wanting more money.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
19 
2
Jimbimbo also proposed the installation of GPS into all cars so the government could track our movements and bill us according to how many miles we drove on freeways and other roads. He wanted to turn our own cars into pay-per-mile cabs. He wants Big Brother to watch our every move. What a loser!!! Oh hey…he did loose. The voters must have felt as I do. Alright!
Like or Dislike:
15 
4
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
9 
21
The govt sets higher and higher fleet mpg requirements for automakers and the hybrids are all the rage. Then govt sees gas tax revenue drop because of this. Now govt wants more gas taxes to make up the difference.
Why bother buying/driving a fuel efficient vehicle.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
20 
3
Since Oberstar is going to have a lot of free time on his hands now, I would urge him to watch a show, it was either on the History Channel, or National Geographic, one of those channels. It was about the German autobahn. They show how they autobahn is built and maintained. When they build freeways over there, they use 12-14 inches of concrete, while here, there use about 6 inches. That is why their roads cost more to build. But than again, 12-14 inches of concrete will last a long time. They also send out repairs crews right away to fix the autobahn when there is a pothole, or cracking develops.
Like or Dislike:
11 
1
I remember on one of my trips to Germany shortly after the Berlin Wall fell, a friend who lives there took me on a drive on the autobahn. She’d bought a house with her husband in the former East Germany, so the autobahn was a daily routine for her. When we got to the part of the roadway where the border between east and west used to be, the condition of the road formerly in East Germany became absolutely horrible. She said the locals referred to it as Hitler’s Highway because it hadn’t been repaired since World War II. I would hope things have changed since then.
Like or Dislike:
7 
1
Yea, the Berlin Wall came down 20 years ago. A lot changes. The freeways in Eastern Europe are fantastic.
Like or Dislike:
4 
0
It’s clear that “those crazy liberals” have an agenda to regulate pollution and create alternatives to the automobile (OH, THE HORROR!).
My question is to any of you frequent posters on here (torpedo, obamanation, bsquared, danh, etc)… What is your long-term vision for this country? What will America be like in, say, 30 years if you had your way? I would love to hear what a radically right-wing utopia looks like! Wait, actually, there is one that already exists. It’s called SOMALIA!
Like or Dislike:
5 
13
I’ve noticed you’ve been pretty quiet since the election, Merv. Is the official period of mourning over? Is that why you’re now lashing out in obvious desperation?
I’ll tell you what it wouldn’t be like in 30 years around here. There wouldn’t be any college educated, still living at home, part time, pizza makers. You’d own the joint. Wake up at look at the position that your beloved liberals/democrats/DFL have put you in. See what 60+ years of their reign has done to people in this area?
Like or Dislike:
7 
6
First off, I don’t live with my parents. Secondly, there aren’t many jobs for college grads anymore is because of the Reaganomics policies that sent all our jobs overseas in the 80s. Remember “trickle down” economics? Well, because of that, all of the jobs have trickled themselves right out of this country! And that was caused by the right-wing, pro-capitalist agenda that YOU support, not me.
Next.
Like or Dislike:
5 
13
OK mervy boy, What did the liberal arts grad ask the engineering grad? “Do you want fries with that order?” You inability to find work can be directly attributable to your selection of fields, your work ethic(if one even exists) and the region where you are willing to work. Nobody is going to pay some lib-ed grad top dollar for a job a HS dropout is willing to do for half as much. It’s time you spent less time feeling sorry for yourself and more time scratching out whatever meager existence you can. Employers respect the candidate who was willing to take whatever job was available while awaiting a job in his chosen field.
Like or Dislike:
9 
5
You’re actually blaming your lack of a good job on a president from 30 years ago? Really? Tell me, how many have found good jobs in those 30 years? Millions? 10′s of millions? If YOU can’t find one, I know where the problem lies.
Like or Dislike:
7 
7
Merv, there aren’t good jobs around here…right! Now be true to reality and look at who has controlled the “economic development” of this region for over 50 years…Liberals aka Democrats! Simple formula for a college grad like you to contemplate: Democrat control = no jobs. Now think about why. Could it be their Rape Plunder and Pillage the middle class philosophy also known as Tax and Spend, or as Obama calls it “redistribution of wealth”. Face it Merv, Democrats have been running this region with the same old playbook and our region has been turned a loosing team. Don’t you think maybe a few new coaches and a new playbook should at be tried?
Like or Dislike:
6 
2
Ahhh, Merv, that darn capitalist agenda, eh? Are you looking for a socialist job then? Have you contacted the Castro bros.? Perhaps Kim Jong Mentally Ill is taking apps.
Like or Dislike:
7 
6
Clearly nobody on this forum even knows what they’re talking about, or has any real idea how the public process works. I’m done on here. I thought this was a place for legitimate public debate, but I was wrong. This is just a place for people with nothing to say to feel good about themselves.
Well, goodbye sheeple! I honestly hope you wake up someday.
Like or Dislike:
4 
7
Yeah, I’d bail too if I were you, little Merv. Your collective/socialist/self pity agenda isn’t flying here. You’re all of 22 years old. Tell ya what. Come back in about 20-30 years when the brainwashing by liberal professors has finally worn off. Come back when you’ve had real life experience. Come back when there are a few greys in your hair.
Like or Dislike:
3 
4
Us employable and employed guys don’t know what we’re talking about? But some snot-nosed parrot who doesn’t work and only regurgitates the same tired old leftist party lines does? Any one of us has already forgotten more than you will ever learn. But that’s OK. Obama still needs losers like you who whine rather than work and are always looking to the gov’t for some undeserved handout. Without the social parasites in this country, we wouldn’t even have a DFL. It’s as if the DFL’s sole purpose is to create and then patronize a group of whiners, permanently dependent on the gov’t for their every want. Heck, they even get their talking points from the Statist party central headquarters. If someone isn’t willing to work, regardless of the job, then he shouldn’t eat.
Like or Dislike:
7 
3
Wow. Way to go. 15 versus 1. You guys win!
I like how when someone disagrees with you or says anything liberal you automatically assume he/she lives with their parents, doesn’t have a job, and expects handouts from the government.
I’ve said some liberal things on these comment boards. Do those hold true for me to? Because I live on my own. In my own apartment even. Gosh, I even pay rent. And I’ve got a job. Yup. I work 40 hours a week. And I’ve never gotten nor expect a handout from the government. Want to know why? Because I worked hard to get where I am today. And I’m still working hard to get to where I one day want to be.
But some people don’t get that opportunity. Some people are born into deplorable conditiions…even here…even in Duluth. It’s not their fault. They didn’t ask to be born into a single parent home. They didn’t ask to be the child of someone on drugs or who’s been to prison, etc. But that fact remains, that even before they are able to make the decision about whether or not hard work is a good thing, they are at a disadvantage. And conservatives really don’t care. They say that it’s their fault for being lazy, uneducated, worthless, etc. Well, I think that these children deserve a chance. And that means more social services. Sure, some may abuse the system. But do you throw the baby out with the bathwater? Do you sacrifice innocents because there are a few bad apples? I don’t think anyone deserves that.
Like or Dislike:
3 
5
Hmm…no one has responded to my comment in 24 hours. They sure were quick to jump on my comments in the other board about the NLX train…
Like or Dislike:
0 
6
Sorry, Mike. Did you say something?
Like or Dislike:
4 
4
i thought this board was better than that. So I’ll lower my standards to meet you. That last comment was intelligent debate?
Like or Dislike:
1 
4
The sky is falling! The sky is falling! No more Papa Pork to make this area supposedly go while spending the nation into oblivion.
Come on people! Look at the decline of NE MN since 1974. Population loss, poverty doubling, jobs lost and more.
The fact is the NLX will not be a difference maker. It’s another stupendous waste of money!
Getting the DFL out of power will be much more effective for job and median income growth than any train.
Like or Dislike:
5 
0