Dear Thunderhead members,<\/p>\n
\nPlease pardon the length of this post, but I want to provide
\ninformation on our incoming USDOT Secretary, Ray LaHood, a moderate
\nRepublican Congressman from central Illinois who was retiring from his
\nseat this year. In summary, he’s been great for us! He is an active
\nsupporter of bicycling and trails, and he has very visibly gone
\nagainst the wishes of his party leaders on our issues:\n<\/p>\n
\nIn a letter da ted April 28, 1997, LaHood joined 5 other Republican
\nHouse Transportation & Infrastructure Committee members in expressing
\nsupport for both Enhancements and CMAQ to the committee chair, Bud
\nSchuster. He also spoke to the Illinois Valley Wheelm’n bicycle club
\nabout his support of both of these funding sources, which he said
\n“have provided many benefits to the environment and local communities
\n(e.g., bicycle and recreational trails). I believe in the importance
\nand value of these programs.” Congressman LaHood’s leadership was
\npivotal in ensuring that Enhancements would continue in TEA-21 (1998).\n<\/p>\n
\nOn July 11, 2003, a House Appropriations Subcommittee, led by Rep.
\nIstook (R-OK), passed a fiscal year 2004 transportation budget that
\nredirected the $600 million slated for Transportation Enhancements to
\nhighway construction. Zeroing out TE threatened it not only for that
\nyear, but for the reautho rization bill that became SAFETEA-LU. An
\neffort to restore dedicated Enhancements funding barely failed in full
\ncommittee, where LaHood was one of only two R’s voting for it. In a
\ntremendous and powerful 327-90 victory that solidified TE’s status, a
\nbi-partisan amendment won 327-90 on the House floor. LaHood stood up
\nimpressively to make a floor statement in support:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n——————————–\n<\/p>\n
\nRay LaHood’s House floor statement, September 2, 2003:\n<\/p>\n
\n “Mr. Chairman, I am a member of the Committee on Appropriations, and
\nI think I am one of two members on our side who voted to support this
\neffort to restore this program the way that it has existed for several
\nyears. I know it is probably not fashionable for me to be up here
\ntalking in favor of this amendment, but I feel strongly about it. I am
\na jogger. I have been a jogger for almost 30 years. I have taken full
\nadvant age of the Rails to Trails Program that exists in my
\ncongressional district and other parts of Illinois. I think it is a
\nmarvelous program. We have promoted around here a new caucus that has
\nbeen formed by the Members to get Members to exercise more, to get
\nMembers to stay in shape. Part of the way that some of us do it is
\ndisembark from the Rayburn Building and jog down the Mall. It is not
\nreally a Rails to Trails, but it is a marvelous place to jog.”\n<\/p>\n
\n “You see people jogging all over this part of the country. You see
\npeople jogging along the parkway from Old Town all the way down to
\nwhere George Washington once lived. These are Rails to Trails. These
\nare opportunities for people that would not have existed without this
\nprogram. The last thing I want to do is to turn this program over to
\nthe Governor of my State. Every State in the country has a deficit. I
\nguarantee you what th ese Governors will do is not turn this money into
\nRails to Trails or other amenities or other enhancements. They will
\nuse it to fund other things.”\n<\/p>\n
\n “We have got a $5 billion debt in Illinois. We have got a Governor
\nwho has been in office now 6 months, a new Governor, who has not been
\nable to figure out how to do that. But I guarantee you that if you
\nhand him a bag of money from the enhancements, from the Rails to
\nTrails, he will find other uses for it. As we are encouraging people
\nall over the country to exercise, to be fit, to eat right, to exercise
\nand to do things that will continue to make people healthy, there is
\nno better way to do it than to have this program. I am encouraging
\nMembers to support this amendment. This is a good program. It is a
\nprogram that works. It is not broke.”\n<\/p>\n
\n “I want to, too, mention what the gentleman from Oregon ta lked
\nabout, the whole issue of obesity. There has been more written about
\nobesity in the last 6 months or so or last year. If we really want
\nAmericans to be fit and healthy and get in good shape, the way to do
\nit is to allow for the enhancement program that has worked so well,
\nthat allows people to get outdoors, to ride their bikes, to jog, to
\nwalk. What better way to bring people in a community together. This
\nprogram has been a marvelous program. We should not change it. It is a
\nprogram that works. It is not broke. I encourage Members to support
\nthe amendment and continue the fine program we have had.”\n<\/p>\n
\n————————-\n<\/p>\n
\nOther items:
\n
– In the SAFETEA-LU legislation, he pushed for higher funding levels
\nfor our programs and earmarked $670K for two major trail projects in
\nhis district
\n
– At the 2004 Bike Summit, we presented him a certificate of
\nappreciation, in person. I va guely recall that he seemed in favor of
\nroutine accommodation (Complete Streets), an opinion reiterated by his
\ntransportation staffer at the 2008 Summit.\n<\/p>\n
\nI think we should all be pleased by Rep. LaHood’s selection.\n<\/p>\n
Ed Barsotti
\n
Executive Director
\n
League of Illinois Bicyclists
\n
2550 Cheshire Dr.
\n
Aurora, IL 60504
\n
630-978-0583
\n
www.bikelib.orgoldId.20081219104811358<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dear Thunderhead members, Please pardon the length of this post, but I want to provide information on our incoming USDOT Secretary, Ray LaHood, a moderate Republican Congressman from central Illinois who was retiring from his seat this year. In summary, he’s been great for us! He is an active supporter of bicycling and trails, and … <\/p>\n