Making lemonade from a pair of bitter lemons

February 4, 2012February 4, 2012 ~ Patrick O'Grady ~ 9 Comments

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) sees a future for cycling, walking and transit in the House GOP’s relentless pursuit of the Ghosts of Transportation Past.

Speaking with Jonathan Maus of BikePortland.org, Blumenauer said advocates could use the GOP’s dismantling of bike-ped and transit programs as “a springboard” toward proving that bashing alternative forms of transportation “isn’t a freebie but there are costs and consequences. … That a community doesn’t work without transit, walking and biking.”

“For the first time in history we are part of a very impressive, broad coalition that is all pulling in the same direction,” he continued.

“We’ve got an administration that has been the most supportive in history and we’ve got facts on the ground. The work that has been done with the cycling community, to broaden the base, to deal with things like economic development and Safe Routes to School, it’s all there. …

“It’s a chance for us not just to beat back this bad legislation, but to educate elected officials.”

The Republican offensive against bike-ped and transit programs should trigger a national response, like the ones that have followed attacks on Planned Parenthood and public broadcasting, Blumenauer said.

“We’re going to see if the networks we’ve been building around the country translate into something,” he said. “If we do it right, I think we’ll come out of this stronger. If not, it could really complicate the next two years. Now’s the time to put the hammer down.”

Lance Armstrong still in the hot seat

February 3, 2012February 3, 2012 ~ Patrick O'Grady ~ 6 Comments

After timing Jeff Novitsky with both a sundial and a moondial he was declared a DNF in the Dave Clark Five Memorial Individual Time Trial. Only one competitor remains on course.

Anyone seen the fat lady?

February 3, 2012February 3, 2012 ~ Patrick O'Grady ~ 7 Comments

Empty pint glass — One down, God only knows how many to go. ...

Following the long-standing tradition of admitting something you’d rather not on a Friday, preferably before some suitable, monumental time-suck of a distraction — like, say, the Super Bowl or a GOP presidential primary — federal prosecutors have announced that they have dropped their investigation of Lance Armstrong and Co.

“This is great news,” said Armstrong factotum Marco Fabuloso.

“Uh oh,” said anyone who spoke candidly to the grand jury.

“@%&*#!!!” said anyone in the cycling press who was hoping for a relaxing weekend of base miles and pigskin-related debauchery.

And so that’s that. Right? Right?

Wrong.

“Unlike the U.S. Attorney, USADA’s job is to protect clean sport rather than enforce specific criminal laws,” said U.S. Anti-Doping Agency CEO Travis Tygart. “Our investigation into doping in the sport of cycling is continuing and we look forward to obtaining the information developed during the federal investigation.”

Oh, goody. The fat lady not only hasn’t taken the stage, she hasn’t even left the house yet. Is it too early to start fuckin’ drinkin’?

• Late update: My spidey-sense must have alerted me that this was coming. Earlier today I boxed up nearly 23 years worth of back VeloNewses and hauled them the hell out of my office, instantly tripling its square footage. Thank God I no longer have to work this train wreck. I can just enjoy watching the disembodied heads as they roll goggle-eyed down the tracks.

And now, for something completely different

February 2, 2012February 2, 2012 ~ Patrick O'Grady ~ 13 Comments

Vegetable beef soup — Bike rides and beef soup — what's not to like?

Enough about the evildoers already. I quit that part-time job feeding greenbacks to vulture capitalists so I wouldn’t have to be pissed off all the time. And here I am pissed off all the time. What the hell?

Anyway, the Heaviest Snow of the Season® was supposed to hit this evening, so I tore myself away from the computer and went out for a brisk 90-minute ride on the Bike Friday New World Tourist Select, which is next in line for review in Adventure Cyclist.

It was fine — what isn’t compared to watching the making of political sausage in the nation’s capital? — and when I was done I toddled over to Ranch Foods Direct for a few pounds of crosscut beef shanks as the foundation of a hearty vegetable beef soup to gird my loins against frostbite.

Only there weren’t any. Shanks, that is. Loins of this and that they had, and some of them frozen, too. But nary a shank was to be seen.

A young lady asked if I needed assistance, to which I replied in the affirmative. And in less time than it took me to write this post three pounds of freshly cut beef shanks were in my hands and bound for the soup pot. Nothing like doing your little bit of business with folks from the ’hood.

Funniest thing. I’m not pissed off anymore.

Petri dished

February 2, 2012February 2, 2012 ~ Patrick O'Grady ~ 12 Comments

The Petri amendment to restore Transportation Enhancements to the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act has failed by just two votes, 29-27.

Arguments that walking and cycling are legitimate modes of transportation worthy of federal support fell on deaf ears in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Rep. Tom Petri (R-Wis.), noting that his amendment was supported by the National Association of Realtors and the National Heart Association, said bike and pedestrian projects “add value to our neighborhoods” and provide “a balance to our national transportation program.”

Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.) added that increased walking and cycling would reduce congestion on American roads.

“This is not just throwing something out for recreation. This is truly transportation,” he said. “We have to recognize that we’re never going to build enough roads to accommodate everyone. We need to encourage people to be taking other forms of transportation.”

But Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Penn.) said the cuts to bike-ped funding were “fundamental” to reforming the nation’s transportation program.

“Spending money on bike paths is nice, but it’s a community-based function,” he said. “It’s not for the federal government up here in Washington to tell states that they must spend these monies.”

Uh huh. Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va), ranking Democrat on the committee, noted that the 845-page bill was introduced just a few days before markup and asked for those who had read the entire measure to raise their hands. Asked how many hands he saw, Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) replied, “I can’t count that low.”

So just what is it that the federal government is supposed to do? Beyond straining at gnats and swallowing camels, that is?

Month: February 2012