Ohio is not the heart of it all
Try moving by Train or Ferry or Tram
I grew up as a child riding trains to the Dixie South and back to the Yankee North. As a college student in Europe I took the Paris Metro, and the Italian trains, returning to my childhood home in Cordenos, Italy. As a working adult, living in Brooklyn for a half a dozen years, I never once drove a car and rode the NYC MTA, in town, and Amtrak and Acela going outta town. I rode the subway, but only twice a VHF (Vehicle for hire). As a visitor to NYC to town this past weekend I rode the NYC Ferry.
The ferry experience was a memorable one. My lady and I took a one to stop ride, from the Gantry Plaza State Park Recreational Dock in Long Island City to the Roosevelt Island Ferry Terminal. We arrived within six minutes of departure. We then met the our grandchildren and their parents for an unexpectedly sunny day and a grand walk south of the overhead Queensboro Bridge to the tip of the island, known as Four Freedoms State Park. The southern point is the four acre park designed by Lois I. Kahn, Architect. Etched in stone are the words proclaimed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt given to the United States Congress on January 6, 1941.1
Surely had the traitorous insurrectionists of January 6, 2021, on the US Capitol Building read and comprehended the meaning held within those etched words, or had they listened to the archived speech of that day, they would not have made the grave mistakes they made exactly 80 years to the day, from the President’s proclamation. Guaranteed.
We continued our walk north on the Island past the Cornell Tech University campus, past the Tram to a coffee shop. We decided to take the 5:11 PM ferry back to Long Island City. This time the ride would include our grandchildren and their mom, Cara. Think of it as an amusement ride if you’re four or six years old. We moseyed over to the loading dock and saw that the approaching ferry was going to have a late arrival. What can you do?
The grandchildren were very excited. They could see the ferry as it left the Astoria dock headed south along the East River. The ferry did not dock on the north side as expected but swung around to the south side. The children ran the length of the canvassed structure to the gate for embarking on the ferry. Their mother quickly followed them as they were allowed on with the first few passengers.
Our view was obstructed by then. Stacey and I were further back because of the unexpected location for docking. We were just about ready to board when the two young ferry attendants quickly without warning, with the exception of allowing one last passenger on, shut the gates to the ramp to the ferry.
I was in ear shot of the attendants and exclaimed in the rather noticeable voice saying “hey, my family is on the ferry“. I tried to express some other pleas to them, but there was no reasoning whatsoever. The gates were shut, the ramp was moved, the ferry backed up, and off the younger portion of family group went to Long Island City, without the spouse and I. The capacity rules are the capacity rules.
The most immediate and pronounced thought that entered my mind that exact moment, turned toward the Ukraine conflict. Stranded by NYC Ferry, I felt like I was torn apart from my family who were leaving for Poland, while the rents stayed in Ukraine. I was overwhelmed with empathy for the Ukrainians. God bless the peacemakers.
The point of all this is that if you want to get to Roosevelt Island from the Manhattan Island or Queens or Brooklyn a number of opportunities awaits one to choose. Generally it’s a long walk and may be the least favorite choice particularly with the time element involved. However, one can ride the ferry, take the subway, take the tram ride a bicycle over the bridges, or take a car, be it a VFH or privately owned automobile. That’s how our son-in-law, Rich, returning to the scene of stranded ferry riders, us, picked us up and drove us to Long Island City. Nice Guy!
find it here
Options in the State of Ohio, which use to welcome one with the words “Ohio, The Heart Of It All” have been replaced with the slogan, “find it here”. That saying and the preceding one are golden untruths. For starters they allow automobile dealers to sell late model cars without a spare tire.
I unfortunately had a tire go flat this morning. Couldn’t find a spare to fix it myself. The roadside assistance plan had to be kicked in, then a tow, then sitting at home in a car-centric society with no options to travel safely about the county. I didn’t find much joy in that hour of the day.
#Earthlings
The Auto industry is big in Ohio. The corporate types have pledged their souls to the fossil fuel industry, to try to end life on earth for #Earthlings, before the Divine’s original destiny plan is fulfilled. The two industries are doing a very good work for evil, very sinful.
Some states on the east and west coast of the US of A are commonly referred to as progressive states in a rather common catchall general way. By no means do all people in such locales belong to one side or the other of an ideological spectrum. We could spend the rest of this message itemizing the benefits of a progressive, dare I say liberal thinking pattern, but we will not go there.
Canada has had a party, politically speaking, that was formerly known as the Progressive Conservative Party. It is defined as a right centered platform. In Ohio the terms progressive, nor conservative, are applicable to those in current majority leadership positions. A more suitable description of party politics in Ohio, based on ‘good ol’ boys’ leadership qualities would be more in line with a regressive party. And why?
Let’s just focus on transportation for this message.
Regressive
Remember John Kasich, the politician, and his foibles that continue today in majority leadership in OH today? Back when he was first governor of the state for two terms he was given the opportunity to accept $400 million from the federal government to design fast speed rail in the state of Ohio.
After the election, Kasich wrote to Strickland urging that he not spend any more money on the project, given his opposition. He also appealed to President Barack Obama, requesting that the president "make provisions” for the federal-stimulus money to be used on other infrastructure projects in Ohio.
The Obama administration, unable to change Kasich's mind, revoked the grant.2
If there was ever a definition of a regressive policy on a planet that has been killing and continues to be smothered with CH4 and CO2 by fossil fuels, Kasich’s foible is a good starting point.
The Ohio General Assembly and the current governorship is governed by regressive regulation. One cannot even get on an Amtrak train ride from the Capitol City, Columbus to go to Cleveland, Toledo, Marietta, Dayton nor Cincinnati, let alone Chicago, Pittsburgh or New York. It is discreditable the leaders can not pay forward for the citizens they govern through their legislative rules and regulations.
Everybody recognizes the political party gerrymandering that allows the criminal element to infiltrate these political positions. Ask the old Speaker Householder, though I doubt he would admit to his crime. Everyone knows of the greed and payoffs that grease the wheels.
Subsidize
Ohio subsidizes the auto industry. Now the rulers want to incentivize the industry for electric vehicles. The regressive madness continues. We won’t discuss what covers car tolls versus train ticket costs. Driving a car has very little with time savings going from point A to B in a typical 5 mile or less average prevalent trip, either for errands, work, or play. Wasted time mounts dramatically during a normal work week. Forget getting anywhere, quickly, after a major sporting or cultural event or commute to / from work.
On January 4, 1976 in the City of Philadelphia I saw with my own eyes hundreds of thousands of the two million people gathered to attend the 4th of July Bicentennial festivities when President Gerald Ford addressed the throngs of people. Most did not use cars to come the Independence Mall Site. They surfaced from the underground!
Interurban Railroads
While riding a train I prefer writing, researching & reading, sometimes sleeping. Driving a car comes with seeing screaming road rage drivers, parking cars and parking lots, crashing vehicles and flat tires. A century plus ago transportation was different.
The first interurban line in the United States connected Newark and Granville, Ohio. The most profitable and heavily utilized line in Ohio was the ABC (Akron, Bedford, and Cleveland) Line. Construction was completed on this interurban in 1895. By World War I, 2,798 miles of track existed within Ohio. Ohio's mileage exceeded the next closest state by approximately one thousand miles.
A Zoetic Message
I equate Mindfulness more of a progressive use of our brain power for the common good for all the people, just as Franklin Delano Roosevelt spoke about in 1941. The Mindlessness use of brain power, either consciously or subconsciously, tends to reject the notions of the common good. The brains will focus on individual benefit to the mind considering an act, a bill, a rule, a law, first and foremost. Conceptual block busting is inherently mute by regressive thoughts.
We can all come together to progress no matter the issue, and chose individually not to be persuaded to regress. Word of caution, Ohio may have let you ‘find It here‘ moons ago, waste no time now thinking about “Ohio, The Heart Of It All”. It is not. You may regress in trying to ‘find it here’ until selfless leaders appear in our government to help us selflessly.
I despise no one, love everyone. So should we love all, yes?
https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/president-franklin-roosevelts-annual-message-to-congress
What a glorious day that was! Another mode of transport popular in our family: the scooter! Perfect for allowing little legs to travel far.