Folks, we need a new mass transit initiative. There was a time at the turn of the last century that all cities had trolleys; even many small towns had trolleys. However, in the early 1900’s the automobile corporations (particularly GM) decided that trolleys stood in their way to a mass market. They were correct, and they are still subverting mass transit. Of course in those days gasoline was not an issue. Now is the time to return to mass transit, I would love to be able to read on my way to and from work. What a waste of time and money is the private automobile and the belief that it is the manifestation of our "individualistic freedoms."
I recommend you read the following, if you missed the 10 minute TV show, and read the entire transcript if this piques your interest. It is a quick 5 minute read.
PBS History Detectives
Episode 10, 2006: Cleveland Electric Car, Cleveland, Ohio
"Wes: GM was convicted of monopolizing bus sales, but Black believes they had a bigger agenda. What they desired was the takeover of the entire national transit system. They had created a whole new mind-set, and ultimately, the momentum that they had put in motion subverted the entire trolley system. Now, in the research that I’ve done, I’ve come across a number of newspaper articles. I show Black the news stories about former Cleveland mayor Ray Miller and his GMC dealership.
Edwin: Oh, sure, typical. We have a case that we discovered in Tampa and St. Pete where people were complaining to the FBI and the justice department that the members of the city council who had ratified this takeover suddenly all were driving around in GM Cadillacs.
Wes: Black shows me the FBI report. Witnesses describe how local politicians seemed to have benefited after doing away with the streetcars. While no indictments were ever filed, the FBI said in its report that it declined to investigate further because it was such a hotly debated political issue. So much of this is sub rosa. So much of this is done with a wink and a nod. So much of this is so hard to pin down. I also point out that while Miller got his truck dealership within a month of GM getting a bus contract, that was four years after the city council’s decision about the streetcars. So in all your research that you did, did you ever see any mention of Cleveland?"
Read the PBS History Detectives transcript for the show here:
PBS History Detectives Episode 10 - Trolleys
If you find you want to know more about how the automobile industry is taking our freedoms away then get "Taken For A Ride" "Taken For A Ride" and "Who Killed the Electric Car?" "Who Killed the Electric Car?"
Folks there is a more rational way to live on this small planet, and we must look critically at the mistakes we are making. I am not pointing fingers at anyone else, I must include myself. I realize that I have huge contradictions in my life, primarily because of how we and our forefathers have organized our society. We must vote for mass change, because recycling newspapers and aluminum cans is not enough. I want my freedom from car payments and insurance and constant irritations of gasoline, changing oil and filters, and not being able to constructively read or write while moving my body around.