Commentary by H.G. Listiak
Random Thoughts - Light Rail and Iraq
Tuesday 3/23/2004
Welcome to My World, where I have a few random thoughts today. First from the "I told you so" department, we look at the sacred cow of Phoenix, the light rail system that they say will carry 27,000 commuters a day. First of all that figure is way overblown in my estimation. Secondly, they are now saying it'll be finished in December of 2008 instead of 2006, and thirdly, it's going to cost 100 million dollars more than they originally said. This is only the first delay and hike. There will be more. I think it's time we cut our losses and make hamburger out of this sacred cow, or in this case mad cow. My second random thought concerns backing for the administration's predictions that despite the terrorist bombs and violence, the Iraqis really do feel liberated. Non-biased Oxford Research International has taken a poll. 71% of the respondents say life is better, 9.4% say it's the same, only 6.6% say it's worse, and 12.8% of the Iraqis just don't know. The poll pretty well agrees with reports coming from our returning members of the armed forces. And finally a letter that's been going around and emailed to me by Mindy. It starts: To whom it may concern. I lost my job this past year. When Clinton was president I worked in a prosperous enterprise, but in the last year we had to close our operations. Far worse, I lost two of my sons in Bush's evil war in Iraq. They gave their lives for their country and for what? My pain is indescribable. While trivial next to that, I have also lost my homes. I have nothing left. I am a senior citizen with medical problems and not in a position where I can begin a new career. I was reduced to the point where I was homeless all because of President Bush. When the authorities found me they had no compassion for my misfortunes or ailments. I was arrested. If I had any money left I would donate it to the Democratic Party. If Al Gore had been elected in 2000 I would still have a job, a home, and most importantly my sons. Signed Saddam Hussein. I'm bad, as I see it ... I'm H.G. Listiak.