New at Twin Rivers Cyclists?

Representative Doc Hastings of Washington State seems to think so. Here are his remarks in Congress on the debate over the Comprehensive House Energy Bill. The Bicycle Commuter Act is part of that bill and represents not only an effort to recognize bicycle commuting as a legitimate form of transportation but more importantly to build into law the idea of that cyclists should have equal rights with mortorists who have long enjoyed a tax subsidy for the cost of parking their cars.

It is hard enough to understand speaking against equal rights but then to paint commuter cyclists as part of a leftist dream seems pretty over the top. Certainly we aren’t going to solve global warming by switching to bikes but it can’t hurt and it helps move the culture toward one a bit more planet-friendly, but we wouldn’t want those gas companies to have to leave an ounce of oil in the ground.

Read it closely. I think Doc Hastings believes big, old-bad government is going to make him ride a bike. Bold facing is my emphases.
–Corrie

Mr. Speaker, this bill won’t become law, and it shouldn’t become law. Its priorities are all wrong. It won’t lower gas prices; it is going to increase them. It totally ignores nuclear power as a non-emitting energy source. It totally ignores hydropower as a clean, nonemitting energy source. It raises taxes by unknown billions. And, Mr. Speaker, it gives a tax credit to people for riding their bikes to work. I am sorry, but gas prices and climate
change aren’t going to be fixed by making people ride their bikes to work.

This isn’t a plan to make America energy independent and to free us from foreign oil. It is just a dream for the political left in this country. And let me repeat, Mr. Speaker, it raises taxes, it is anti-nuclear and anti-dams, it forces people out of their cars, and gives tax credits for riding their bike to work.