Democrats hit Bush on security of buses, trains (radio address)

[Rose Siding]

snip>
"In the past four years, the federal government has spent about $9 per flying passenger, but only 1 cent per transit passenger," Rep. Robert Menendez of New Jersey said in delivering his Democratic Party's weekly radio address.

"While the money we spend on aviation security is absolutely necessary, we cannot afford to forsake public transportation security," said Menendez.

"The president's refusal to acknowledge this reality in his budget is putting the lives of Americans needlessly at risk," Menendez said.
....
Menendez, in the radio address, said, "The subway and bus bombings in London once again caught the world's attention, but were unfortunately just another reminder that public transportation is a favorite target for terrorists."

"We have been fortunate so far in this country that we have not been hit by terrorist attacks on our buses or trains," Menendez said. "But as world events keep reminding us, we can not afford to be complacent."

http://today.reuters.com/News/newsArticle.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID=2005-07-16T151616Z_01_N161846_RTRIDST_0_POLITICS-SECURITY-DEMOCRATS-DC.XML

[SpiralHawk]

1. "Get over it. Only the lumpen proletariat uses buses and trains.

All the Chosen People have Mega MoneyBucks and fly. That is the law of the jungle." - BushCo

[AtLiberty]

2. Makes you wonder if this is part of Bush's plan to end...

...mass transit once and for all...

[VegasWolf]

3. According to the monkey, we're fighting them over there so that we don't

have to fight them here. Theory failed.

[JABBS]

4. Dems Speak Out On Republicans Nixing Rail Security Funding

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/07/16/democrat.radio.response/

(CNN)-- In the wake of last week's terrorist attacks in London, Democrats are asking the Bush administration to spend more money securing the U.S. public transportation system.

They say White House transportation policies are "putting lives at risk."

"A major attack on a public transportation target in this country would result in a devastating loss of life, and could have economic impacts even greater than September 11," Rep. Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey, told the nation Saturday in the Democrats' radio address.

"But even in the face of these facts, the Bush administration has largely ignored the security of the 16 million people who use public transportation everyday."

***

For background on what the Democrats are "railing" against, go to Journalists Against Bush's B.S.

[Sub Atomic]

5. I was in New York when the London bombings happened

and I don't remember ever seeing the amount of police on the subways, the platforms, the entrances...everywhere.

And I've been going to New York for 20 years.

[high density]

6. So what exactly do my elected Democrats want done about it?

I'd rather not see America continue down this path of becoming a police state. I don't understand what can be done about this problem, besides beefing up our intelligence gathering capabilities. Do they want us to all get frisked every time we enter a subway, or what? I just keep hearing lame political statements about security and I don't understand what they expect to be done about it.

[barb162]

7. I am on the same page as you are. I was just in the city and

noticed that a bomb-filled truck can park anywhere under an el or train track (under a bridge or in a viaduct) and blow the living crap out of it especially when a train is rolling over it. Kill 500 to a thousand people easily as the train derails and falls into the street. There is NO WAY to protect our transportation infrastructure!!!! Do you ask people to take off their shoes (or boots) and open their bags before they get on a bus or train, all in a blinding snowstorm when people are shivering because it is zero and the wind is 20mph and they are standing in a foot of snow?