What I want

to know is how the Atlanta region wound up on the hit

list of both federal agencies and environmental

extremists in the first place.

Surely

you've heard the news by now that once again the

environmental groups have filed suit to prevent

transportation improvements in the region, claiming that

the lastest Atlanta Regional Commission plans, approved

known as the MARTA Mafia), will make air quality in the

region worse, not better.

They've got

us over a barrel there, because there is no scientific

way to prove what they're insisting we prove. If the

number of airplanes flying out of Hartsfield Airport

keeps increasing, air quality is going to get worse no

matter how many people ride buses and trains and leave

their SUVs at home.

Of course,

the science by which they condemn us is fuzzier than a

pimp's dashboard, and the federal agencies that have

decreed that Atlantans may not decide our own future have

no constitutional authority to take control of elected

governments the way they have. Nevertheless, with our

current governor firmly in control and every new attempt

at compromise halted by these environmental nut cases, it

looks like the only future for Atlanta is transportation

strangulation.

But why did

they pick Atlanta? There are dozens of cities where the

air is notoriously dirty. There are places where economic

development folks aren't nearly as concerned about

bringing in clean industry, but are eager to offer all

kinds of tax incentives for any pollution-spewing,

water-guzzling job producer that will come along.

What could

it be about our area that has these folks in such an

uproar.

Could it

beeeee... SUCCESS?!

Is it

possible that we've been singled out for such special

attention because we are living the American dream -

a society where people are free to make their own choices

and receive the rewards and consequences of those choices

without government interference?

In other

areas, the federal government told the local folks that

huge, expensive train systems like MARTA would make their

air cleaner. The air in those places has not gotten

cleaner as a result, the cost has been enormous and the

systems have to be perpetually propped up with tax

dollars because people simply won't use them in large

enough numbers to keep them going if they have to pay the

full cost of a ride.

Same is

true with MARTA, but the difference is that most of the

region didn't fall for it. We're doing just fine without

it, thank you very much, and the feds just can't stand

that.

They've

strong-armed us (with our governor's help) into coming up

with a new plan that might come closer to satisfying

them, but apparently it's still not enough for the

environmentalists. They won't be satisfied until they can

dictate our life-style jot and tittle from their white

horses, never once having been asked to prove any of

their claims.

Well, I'm

sure we'll all breathe easier now that our duly elected

governments have been stopped from building more roads.

Let's see if I can understand the logic... having twice

as many cars jammed into half as much space for twice as

long, idling instead of moving forward, will make the air

cleaner.

Good plan.