Basement Office

That’s that

The polls in Pennsylvania opened up at 7:00 and Arielle and I were there by 7:45. We waited in line for about 20 minutes and then got to pull the levers. Turnout has been high in our neighborhood so far; we were the 61st and 62nd people to vote in less than an hour. The demographics of our neighborhood leaves me with little doubt as to which way it will swing.

Here’s hoping for the best for the rest of the state, and for the country.

Game on!

• Kerry supporters: vote early and vote often.
• Nader fans: I’m with you. Just not this time.
• Bush groupies: May you walk in front of a bus on your way to the polls.

Chipping in

Riding high on the belief that this election is going to turn out better than the last one, I volunteered to work at the Pittsburgh Kerry campaign headquarters tonight.

For three hours I telephone people and in a sort of snake-devouring-its-own-tail, pyramid scheme sort of way, recruited even more volunteers. It wasn’t like I was on the front lines, preaching to the unconverted, but it was a start. And it made me want to do more. Knock on some doors perhaps, or do some more calling. Undecided friends (ahem), you’ll be hearing from me.

If we can all just do a little more, things can get better.

The view from the top

The Presidential debates are over, and instead of going out with a bang, things ended in a quiet whimper. All the worse for us, as far as I’m concerned.

The debate last night capped off an evening that, for me, also involved the screening of a movie called The End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of The American Dream. The showing was sponsored by several local clubs and university organizations and attracted nearly 20 individuals who actually understand the magnitude of the problems we face in the next decade. It’s nice to know I’m not the only crank who gets off on this topic.

Oil production is at or near its peak. Forever. This is big stuff. Think about it: pretty soon, no matter how hard we try, we will not be able to extract as much oil from the Earth as we do right now. Obviously this has major implications for the health of a nation such as ours that relies so heavily on oil for virtually every facet of life. With this increased dependence on oil also comes an increased dependence on natural gas for electricity generation and home heating. We’ve come to rely on unstable energy sources for a way of life that is, at best, an unrealistic fantasy and at worst a doomed clusterfuck.

The simple facts are that neither resource is in great abundance worldwide, the United States certainly is not self-sufficient in either, and our dependencies put us in a most precarious situation. We are subject to the whims of the Middle East oil powers that be (hence, our war to stop the terrorists, find WMD’s, liberate the Iraqi people secure the oil supplies), and face increasing competition from larger nations such as China and India that are beginning down the same sad path of industrialization that we have already trod.

The United States uses 25% of the world’s oil. And we have about 4.5% of the world’s population. This is a sickening imbalance. China and India alone make up about two-fifths of the world’s population — 40%. What happens when their economic engines start demanding oil and other fossil fuels at the kind of levels we affluent Americans have grown accustomed to?

Something has got to give. And like it or not, it’s going to be this impossible way of life we have set up for ourselves. Our ridiculously long supply chains that keep the Wal-Marts of the world packed from sea to sea with the most useless mass-produced consumer goods are going to disappear. It will no longer make sense for lettuce grown in California to be shipped across the country and consumed in New York. Our suburbs will become ghettos, islands of asphalt and monotony, strangled by the realization that their “American Dream” is one of the greatest hoaxes ever pulled on the American people.

And what have will our illustrious presidential candidates do to address this issue? Judging by their performance last night, not much. The environment was mentioned in passing exactly once, by Kerry, and rising gas prices were mentioned twice, again by Kerry. And, truth be told, I don’t know if he gets totally gets it. With the way things are, rising gas prices are inevitable. The gas prices in America are not even close to those in Europe. Our subsidization of cheap oil hides the real market of supply and demand.

Blame the president for bringing us to a war that threatens our relationships with oil-producing countries, yes, but look deeper and point the finger at the American populous too. We’re the worst offender of them all, and the SUV-owning Kerry is no exception. His senate record paints him as a friend of the environment. But he has been too silent on the issue while on the campaign trail.

I was hoping for more last night. But the questions went unasked and the words remain unspoken. It’s the silence that’s killing us.

Notes on the debate

In real time. It’s a kickin’ Friday night in Pittsburgh.

• Mr. President — there are not multiple “internets.” There’s only one. And Al Gore invented it.
• The most ardent Kerry supporter in the world is sitting behind him in a white shirt.
• It’s fun to watch Charlie Gibson on CBS.
• It’s not good debating style to interrupt the moderator. GW, I’m looking your way.
• Drinking game terms: “We’re workin’ hard,” “Wrong war, wrong place, wrong time,” “We’re doin’ all we can,” “Thirteen years.”
• Is Canada a third world country?
• Citizens of St. Louis, memorize your questions. You’d look a lot more bad-ass.
• Websites mentioned: johnkerry.com
• George — you’re not running against Ted Kennedy.
• “Hey, we’re spending more and taxing less. What the hell! It’s a party!”
• 5.6 trillion = 5,600,000,000,000. That’s a big surplus to mess up.
• “Battlin’ green eyeshades?” What the hell? (Update: Apparently, it’s a saying that is used when accountants (who sterotypically wear green visors) disagree over something. Crazy southern sayings.)
• James Hubb, you tree hugger, I love you.
• Kerry and [the Patriot Act, stem cell research, abortion]: the strongest answer of the night. Take your pick. He didn’t pander, he didn’t dictate, and he acknowledged the complexities inherent in each issue.
• So, Shrub, it’s okay for your crazy religious ideas to get in the way of your presidency, but it’s not okay for a Supreme Court judge to have personal opinions on the decisions that face them?

But the best thing ever about the debates? Presidential Debate Bingo!

Nothing good can come of this

The Pittsburgh Port Authority is making noises, and they aren’t happy ones. Faced with a $30 million deficit, they are proposing massive price increases and service reductions if things don’t improve. Calling this their “Doomsday Plan,” the Port Authority officials paint a bleak picture for the future of mass transit in Pittsburgh.

Among the “highlights”

• A 75¢ raise in the standard fare, which is a 43% increase over the current fare of $1.75;
• Elimination of weekend service;
• Elimination of all routes after 9:00 PM on weekdays, and;
• Elimination of “an untold number” of weekday routes

Estimates place the daily ridership of the city buses at 235,000. A quarter of a million people, and then some. If Pittsburgh thinks they have traffic problems now, just imagine if even 10% (a conservative estimate) of those people, 23,500, were forced by the cuts to change their commute to one by private automobile. It’s madness.

And what of those who can’t make the easy switch to an automobile? Don’t they deserve fair access to transportation? Some people simply can’t afford a car, while others realize that their money could be better spent elsewhere. Is it acceptable to let these people slip through the cracks?

If the state legislature fails to make additional tax revenue available to public transportation, I will feel let down and more so, disgusted. For too long public transportation has gotten the short end of the stick while money has flowed freely to road-building projects that have only been successful in causing more congestion, not less. Government has a responsibility to make wise use of the taxes collected from citizens; investment in a solid transit infrastructure is among one of the most rewarding investments a city can make.

Cater to the masses

A question. What has:

• A large crowd standing in long lines;
• Free “we’re #1” foam fingers and t-shirts being hurled into the merchandise-mad audience;
• Media coverage, and;
• Jon Bon Jovi?

If you guessed any Midwestern state fair, or perhaps an auto-racing event in a Southern state, you’re wrong. However, if you thought, “a rally for John Kerry on the Pitt campus,” then, by god, you were right.

Taking advantage of my workplace’s liberal attitude toward liberal events, I took the morning off and, with Arielle, attended.

Security seemed tight at the event, but an assurance from a friendly local firefighters’ union member/crowd control goon that we could slip through the barriers and right into the event area showed us otherwise. I think there may still be people standing in line waiting to get inside.

Had there been beer tents, I could have sworn we were at a rock concert. The crowd was packed shoulder-to-shoulder while a hot (for once) sun beat down. However, any resemblance to a rock concert waned with the emergence of past football heroes and local and state politicos who, mercifully, kept their introductory remarks short. Paradoxically, the rock concert vibe failed to revive itself when Mr. Rock-and-Roll himself, Jon Bon Jovi took the stage, acoustic guitar in hand and fiddle player in tow.

Things seemed promising as he led things off with an Elvis Costello tune, What’s So Funny About Peace, Love, and Understanding, but the crowd (as did I) seemed to lose interest as the acoustic barrage continued. Not even a rousing around-the-campfire version of Livin’ on a Prayer could rile the crowd up. I could see the masses wanting to sing along to the ultra-singable chorus, but without Ritchie Sambora and the power chords, the energy just wasn’t there.

JBJ, after his three song set, reminded us all to vote (duh) and then introduced Theresa Heinz-Kerry, whose speech was actually quite thoughtful and genuine. I’d probably vote for her.

After suffering through the Heinz boys (one of whom is good at impressions, though) and Blink-182’s Tom DeLonge, our presence was finally graced by the man of the hour himself.

Kerry spoke for about a half-hour, and held forth on probably a half-dozen or so topics. Predictably, the environment and education were popular issues with the crowd. No mention of the gay marriage issue, though, which was surprising given the makeup of the crowd.

Kerry came off as quite articulate and personable, although one line of his — “God gave the United States only about 3% of the world’s oil” — seemed kind of out and place and absurd. It’s an unfortunate fact of geography, John, not the fault of any omnipotent superpower.

It was a good experience to witness firsthand an event like this. Foam fingers, rock stars, and all. While I remain cynical of the spectacle of it all, I do feel that in this case, the ends justify the means.