AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA: The Stimulus Plan & Environmental Catastrophe
Dear President Obama,
We’re all for stimulating the economy. But, here at Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, we’re also all about protecting small family farms and the environment in general. So, please, as you put together your stimulous plans, think about the following inintended consequences your economic plan could unleash on the environment…
1) SPEND LESS ON ROADS. MORE ON PUBLIC TRANSPORATION.
According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer on Wednesday, Jan 28th “TRANSIT ADVOCATES WANT MORE MONEY“….$30 billion will be spent on highways and only $9 billion will be spent on public transportation.
This is very unfortunate, since more roads lead to more sprawl and development. Which leads to less family farms and farmers farming. The right thing to do would be to invest more heavily in public transportation and bike and walking paths. And build no new roads, but simply repair failing bridges that are in danger of collapse.
2) LET THE CAR COMPANIES FAIL. INCREASE THE GAS TAX.
Government loans to US car manufacturers, of course leads to more global warming. Frankly, we’d prefer the government pay the big 3 to go out of business! We’re all for preserving jobs, but not at the cost of the environment! We would also like to suggest drastically increasing the gas tax. If gas was not be allowed to go below $5 or $6 a gallon, this would force people to buy cars that have better mileage and would deter people from moving to the suburbs for fear of expensive long commutes.
3) KILL THE DEATH TAX. IT DESTROYS FAMILY FARMS.
Increasing the estate tax from 45% to 55% will mean that more family farms, will need to be sold off to pay the tax man. One of the few things Bush had right was to try to eliminate the death tax altogether. There are many ways to soak the rich, but this isn’t one of them. Ever wonder why Europe doesn’t have mile after mile of strip malls? Because families pass down land from one generation to another. What would make more sense if for there to be an exemption for family farms, private forests and other large chunks of conserved land.
4) DON’T USE BAILOUT MONEY TO BAILOUT BUILDERS. TEAR DOWN McMANSIONS.
We also feel that using federal money to bailout builders such as Toll Brothers is completely ridiculous. Yet, this is exactly what the new administration is talking about doing. Toll Brothers is at the heart of the sub-prime mess and is responsible for thousands and thousands of acres of once fertile farm land…particularly in Pennsylvania where many of Art in the Age’s craft partners reside.
A more radical solution would be to use TARP money to buy up all the vacant foreclosed suburban development homes and then bulldoze them. Tear them down and return the land to farm use. Move people out of the McMansions and cul de sacs and back into our cities and towns. Use the bailout money to get people back into agriculture.
Mr. President, we know these solutions set forth are radical, but desperate times call for desperate measures. We elected you thinking you would put the environment first. Bailing out development builders and making families sell their farms to pay the tax man wasn’t really what we had in mind.
Sincerely,
Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
