Trump Is Less Than A Half Mile Away Today, Last Week I Took Public Transit 20+ Miles To Hear Bernie Sanders
Before this year, and despite being an active voter for 30+ years, I’d never seen a presidential candidate in person. At noon today Republican frontrunner Donald Trump will be speaking at the Peabody Opera House — less than half a mile away from my downtown loft. I won’t go hear him speak — not worth minimal effort.
A week ago, however, I traveled 20+ miles to hear Sen. Bernie Sanders at SIUE’s Vadalabene Center. As I indicated on February 2nd, I already voted for Bernie Sanders via absentee ballot. Today’s post is mostly about my journey there and back via public transit.
You’re probably thinking it took forever, the answer is no & yes. Getting there was as fast as driving, coming back took three times as long.
Each weekday morning the Madison County Transit 16X Edwardsville-Glen Carbon Express makes two pickups from St. Louis, it makes nine drop offs. At 7:02am I caught the first 16x at 6th & Washington Ave. Thirty-six minutes later I was on the SIUE campus.
Driving from my loft would’ve required my husband to use our Enterprise CarShare membership so I could use our car, it would’ve taken 36-41 minutes for me to drive there. With the time it would’ve taken me to walk from parking to the line using my wheelchair on public transit saved me time — and money.
Upon arrival at the campus I didn’t stop to photograph — I wanted to get to get in lime at the Vadalabene Center. As I was making my way to the back of the line a volunteer stopped me and said I could follow her to the disabled entrance.
I already knew the next express bus to St. Louis wasn’t for another 4 hours — I’d need to take two buses and a train to get home.
I had two options:
- #19 to Collinsville > #18 to Emerson Park > MetroLink to St. Louis
- #4 to Granite City > #5 to Emerson Park > MetroLink to St. Louis
Both were within minutes of each other — just shy of two hours total. Based upon when I arrived, the #2 option via Granite City would be next. While waiting I began talking to someone else who attended the event, we talked much of the way until I got off the train downtown. Turns out he’s married to a woman I’ve known for at least a decade, they live in Webster Groves!
It was worth all the trouble to hear & meet Bernie Sanders! Missouri & Illinois both hold primaries on Tuesday, along with Ohio, Florida, and North Carolina — please vote.
— Steve Patterson
Took this same route (reversed) for three years living in Edwardsville and working in downtown St. Louis, and picked my apartment specifically for its proximity (two blocks) to the downtown Edwardsville transit center. Worked out great — #19 to #18 to Emerson Park to 8th & Pine. 16x back at the end of the day. Locally, easy access to a bus to the commercial strip (Walmart, Target, Schnucks, etc), to another job in Alton (that trip was always interesting) and a walkable, clean downtown.
MCT is a great service and seems to have a good relationship (route timing, transfers, etc.) with Metro.
It wouldn’t take much to make transit a viable option for almost everyone. The region is chopped up like hell and largely unwalkable, but still feasible, especially for old towns like Edwardsville and campus environments like SIU.
My daughter went to the Bernie speech also. She said she and her friend were almost the last ones let in and they got there a before 8 am.
She is 17, but will be 18 soon, her friend is 18, I was happy to see she took the initiative. I think there is hope with the young people. I regret the many problems they are left to deal that with have not been addressed. Certainly Bernie has my vote when compared to the insanity of the Republicans, and Hillary is corporate in her sympathies. Or the exact problem that is bringing America to its knees.
America definitely needs different approaches. The bullshit of buying elections and politicians is bribery. Bribery is what is occurring no matter how legal the laws and courts make it in their words.
All we get instead is abortion, birth control, planned parenthood, gay rights and the rest of the crap Republicans use to divert discussion from the real issues.
Truly a political revolution is needed
1)Abortion is MURDER. Period. Currently, our society punishes murderers–except at Planned Parentho
2)The Church speaks out against birth control. Republicans don’t.
3) Planned Parenthood supports abortion, which is murder. PLANNED PARENTHOOD CONDONES MURDER! Planned parenthood could be a good thing, but under its current structure, it is not. It needs to 1) redirect its efforts toward counseling the public relative to developing self respect and instilling a sense of pride and responsibility as it relates to sexual behaviors; 2) teach awareness of the adoption alternative ; 3) convince the Doll Tearsheets and Mistress Quicklys of society to develop some level of self respect, because there seem to be some unresolved issues, to date, about the “disposal” of certain body parts that show up after the butchers leave the scene. ?? Why would a mother want to murder her own child?? 4) Continue to distribute birth control to those who just can’t keep their zippers zipped or their legs together before committing to marriage. Marriage is a sacrament, and marriage requires a serious commitment among the two partners (regardless of the sexes involved).
Gay issues is past tense. Sure, there are a few gay-issues fires that pop up from time to time around the country, but for the most part, you should give both the Republicans and the Democrats some credit for having made this yesterday’s problem. I’ll admit that many Republicans kicked and screamed about this issue…and are still kicking and screaming…..but now it is officially resolved. Expect some more kicking, more screaming…
But “the rest of the crap” that you refer to is a nebulous reference to ….what? Hard work, personal responsibility, pride in ownership, resourcefulness, personal commitment, belief in the sanctity of marriage .?
First of all abortion. If abortion advocates voiced their support universal healthcare I might believe the feigned concern for unborn lives. The fact is after birth, humans are rejected. The hypocrisy of not caring about human beings after they are born is clear in all Republican/right wing policies and pronouncements, such as the are. Donald Trump actually appears to be the adult in the room when he says old people should not die in the streets.
And LGBT rights are a non issue? Give me a break, look at Steve’s post, as I see you have done. Republicans in the Missouri senate can pass a law that says it is ok to discriminate, but they can’t pass ethics reform, any kind of infrastructure bill or any help for education. Then they pass this monstrosity of a bill
The Republicans needs to have voter suppression, gerrymandering and the immense propaganda machine of billionaires to even begin to compete in elections. Not to mention voter fraud, not of the individual, but of manipulating results on machines which is possible with so many machines nationwide without reliable back up.
And you want to know the rest of the crap? You mean wanting to send Americans back into combat after 10 years of disrupting the region, or do you mean tax cuts for the wealthy with no way to plug holes in the budget? Do you really need for me to repeat the rest of the crap?
I am only acting for your children, my children and grandchildren. I am a combat veteran. I don’t want that chaos to visit America.
Lets talk about hard work, Republicans are lazy as hell, living off the work of others,but the idea Republicans have any sense of personal responsibility is funny as hell. The Republicans are blaming Obama for Donald Trump, not the 30 or 40 years of hate and bigotry enabled by the Republicans.
You seem to be a smart person, you should be able to see what is going on.
Hillary Clinton is the best Republican candidate
Bernie Sanders is the only Democratic candidate
Oddly enough he is the most conservative of all of the candidates. For one thing he is protecting the middle class. This will help prevent the rise of militant organizations that can attract disaffected individuals and equality will result in a healthier economy.
Hard work equals jobs which are all being sent overseas to the benefit the corrupt 1% buying government at all levels.
Political revolution, yeah I’m ready.
For whatever reason, you appear to be inclined to think that Obamacare was conceived by the gods. If so, why are so many citizens unable to afford it? And for those who can afford it, why do they dread the thought of having to use it, paying in many cases higher deductibles than with their previous policies? What good is a lower premium if you can’t afford the deductible? We don’t need to create opportunities for presidential bragging rights!
Abortion and Obamacare are mutually exclusive conversations. And I don’t “feign”concern for unborn lives. Parents should not have the right to terminate the lives of their unborn children, under any circumstances, period. These “parents” need to consider the consequences before they rut. With goats, the buck is on and off in seconds, looking around for the next doe in heat. But goats don’t rut unless they’re in heat. Maybe some of these absentee “fathers” learned from the goats.
Donald Trump does not represent the mainstream Republican party. If he wins the Republican ticket, we can be certain that another Clinton will occupy the Oval Office for 4 more years of Obama-slobber. Hillary Clinton is not a Republican. She is a stereotypical Democrat. Bernie Sanders isn’t a Democrat; he is a Socialist. He isn’t protecting the middle class. He is attempting, through entitlement programs, to create a new middle class soon to be comprised of welfare sponges, druggies and adult home bodies. Every team in the league gets a trophy–the SAME trophy, in fact.
I don’t find de facto fault with those who have worked hard and earned a decent paycheck in the meantime. MOST people consider that to be the American dream. As an American who works hard and provides well for his family, I dislike offering handouts to those who who would rather scam the system than work, to those who are smart enough to know that more progeny equals a higher welfare check, and to those who buy beer and cigarettes with my hard-earned money. What would happen to your welfare state if every American woke up tomorrow morning, rolled over and rutted with his partner, decided he didn’t feel like going to work anymore, then signed up for welfare?
Our military has never been weaker. And the Obama administration’s present strategy is failing, partially because we won’t assign the necessary manpower to fight ISIS. North Korea is making a fool of the US. We’ve alienated Israel, one of our closest allies. I thank God that the Republicans understand this and at least claim to want to do sometime about it. They know that if we want to defeat the enemy, we will need to fortify our military and go after them on their soil. Otherwise, we’ll be chasing them down in the US. War is disgusting, but less so than dying at the hands of ISIS in our own country.
There really isn’t a need for a political revolution. All we need in this country is for parents to parent their children, to teach them right from wrong, to assign them responsibilities with consequences, to create an environment where they earn what they get, starting at an early age when they’re just learning to talk. But moreso, we need fathers to commit to their families, to invest time with their children, to support their wives, and to impart to their kids the value of education, religion and family. And if this happens, it won’t matter much if our president is Democrat or Republican,will it?
I did not say Obamacare was conceived by the gods. I actually think it poorly represents what America should have done, which is some type of single payer system.
You seem to think that protecting the weakest among us would somehow turn everyone into lazy people. That isn’t what happens in Finland, Sweden, Germany and so on. You just jump to absurd conclusions and use demeaning language towards those who need help
I assume you have no religious beliefs, certainly Christianity preaches helping your fellow man, a much different approach than what you are talking about
Take the recent closing announced of the Carrier plant, which is moving to Mexico. I believe there is some 1300 people impacted, surely there will be a percentage that need help with food, housing or other means. The irony is the people bitching the most about government helping people are the same ones that have produced and encouraged the policies of sending American jobs overseas.
As far as the military goes. I guess since you are for another ground war you are going to volunteer and go fight on the front lines, correct?
The American military has the biggest budget of any military in the world by a large margin, however the real weakness will not come from the lack of military equipment, but from a society torn apart by Republican policies and hate. It can no longer be denied. Hate and bigotry is the modus operandi of the Republicans. They don’t want to work with the President or anyone who is not part of their ideological pure sect. They allow no dissension within their ranks. The Republicans are a danger to the nation, it is that simple.
As I said Bernie Sanders is the only true conservative, he sees that a healthy nation, both physically and with access to a good life brought on by education and jobs is important to national security concerns. If you have a strong people, you have a strong nation, read Confucius
You misread my post.You missed my point. I did not say I am opposed to giving aid to those who haven’t abused the system. “Sponges, druggies and home bodies” represent a group that probably doesn’t show much initiative and continue to abuse the system.
I do have religious beliefs.My belief is biblical based: I believe that I should help those who also participate in the helping process. My Christian love doesn’t extend to those whose biggest daily accomplishment is slobbering and farting !
No, I won’t volunteer for any military action against ISIS. I’m too busy doing my job, paying my taxes, supporting those who don’t do their job, those who don’t pay their taxes. I figure we should send those people who have been on the receiving end to fight so that they too can contribute to those who for so long have contributed to them. But I’m sure you realize that we’ll all be fighting if ISIS mobilizes in the US, won’t we? Our initiative should be proactive, as that strategy usually produces the best results.
I live in Frankfurt, Germany….and I have to say that, in and around Germany including downtown Frankfurt, I certainly don’t see the level of energy that I see in downtown LA, NYC, Atlanta, Chicago. And why should anyone expect there to be, when every person gets the worm, no matter what time he gets out of bed.
I guess you think you are the same as Dick Cheney, leave the dying to the peons, is that it? You are unbelievable. Well I guess you don’t feel an immediate threat.
I didn’t want to discuss military strategy. but Obama has it right, try to do more with less, a few special forces, bombing and helping partners. America has wasted over 10 years in the middle east with little to show for it. America is largely at fault for creating this quagmire due to Bush, Cheney and the rest of the cowards who want others to die for them.
America should not commit ground troops until nations that are under immediate threat such as most of Europe, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the rest of the middle east commit ground troops.
Obama also has it right in trying for diplomacy with Iran.
Israel makes its own bed and America should stop supporting them, they are stealing land from the Palestinians. Would you be okay if Israel came up to you and said they were going to take your property?
Israel is as corrupt as Russia at this point when they steal land like Russia, or do you think it is ok for Israel to steal land?
Should America mindlessly support Israel, no matter how corrupt their actions, is that what you are saying?
As far as public help, your language in general condemns people who need public help. You group them all with druggies, worms or farts or whatever your catchword happens to be, don’t pretend you care, you don’t want to look for solutions to poverty or anything else, You had an opportunity to change your tone, but didn’t. The real corruption in America is at the highest levels.
Yes America is creative, but the edge is being lost not because Germany has free health care or free college, but because a few corporate insiders are sending technology and manufacturing overseas. Any builder should know that creativity stems from hands on work, that is from the doers. America does not build anything any longer, a very dangerous situation for a lot of reasons
You are going after the wrong people, it is the Koch Bros and people like them greedily counting their money in boardrooms that are undermining America.
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See, the big problem with setting up a contingency military strategy as you suggest is that it leaves the fate of our country in the hands of others (most of Europe, S. Arabia, Turkey, as you mentioned). I’m not ready for that.
“Greedily counting their money”–spoken like a true Socialist! My response is, “If you earned it, you have the right to count it…or to spend it–in a no-judgement zone.”
California, Texas, New Mexico. (Do you know where this argument’s going?) I’m fairly certain Mexico has a position on similarly acquired land. Wanna give California back to the Mexicans?
Sorry, Socialism has no place in my life. It’s contrary to every thread of my fabric. I’ll never support the sponges of society. I’ll send money to those who need it, not to those who voluntarily have more free time on their hands than I have.
The biggest sponges in America are the Koch brothers and those of their ilk, surely you are aware of wealthy insiders buying up government policy for profit. There’s probably a March Madness sale going on as I write this, politicians for sale, cheap.
So Socialism has no place in your life. You already said you are willing to let young men die for you. Soldiers who are in the big bad Socialist American Army. And I only can suppose you use Socialist roads, sidewalks, libraries, police, fire protection and the like.
You take negative words, sponges, instead of asking intelligent questions about what is best for America, the welfare of its people and its future.
The world is full of hard working people, you think you have made it on your own, but in fact it is the structure of society, and its history that has helped you succeed.
You could just as easily but busting your butt walking behind a water buffalo trying to eke out a living on a small piece of land.
The success of America is because of all Americans, not just a few privileged insiders.
The truth is that I’d much rather be “busting my butt” behind (a donkey), trying to eke out a living on a small piece of land. That was my life until I decided I needed to ‘bust my butt’ in a classroom so that I could one day better provide for a family. But I’ll be back behind the plow as soon as I can manage it, believe me.
I did make it on my own. I left Elberta, AL on a bus with $475.00 in my pocket and a bag of sandwiches, three apples and two dozen or so cumquats picked from our tree, arrived in South Bend with $468.50, 34.75 hours later. I arrived on campus at 9:45 AM, moved into Alumni Hall, put my clothes away and went out the same day and landed a job. I worked the next 4 years at the Mishawaka (IN) Dog Pound, cleaning cages, feeding the animals and assisting with adoptions (3.5 hours per evening M-F, Saturday 9:30 AM to 12:00 noon; Sunday 9:30-11:00 AM). I earned $3.22 an hour. During the summer break, at Thanksgiving and during the Christmas break, I worked as a construction laborer around South Bend, and I also kept the job at the dog pound so that I could return to it in the Fall. I never had a problem keeping a job because I always gave it 100%–behavior I grew up with. And I carried 18 hours in a civil engineering curriculum. Got no help from anyone. Frankly, I didn’t expect it since I was brought up to own my own commitment.
Not to beat a dead horse, but I PAY TAXES that provide for my roads, sidewalks, libraries, police, FP, etc. Sure, I share these things with everyone else, but the same is true with the push plate on the men’s room door at Handy Dan’s Hardware! But if it would make you feel better, you should know that I avoid sidewalks whenever I can!
I said nothing about being “willing to allow young men to die for me”. But I recognize that death is a consequence of war. I have a son who will enter college in two years and would be eligible for the draft. I’d rather he fought a proactive war on foreign soil vs a reactive one on American soil.
You’re wasting your time trying to convince me to accept Bernie as anything but a really nice guy who happens to be a Socialist–just like Maduro, Castro, Stalin, Guevara, Lenin, Morales,Zedong, Allende, Chavez, and Rousseff, to name a few whose names I can remember. History doesn’t paint these guys out to be pope material.
Surely you realize comparing Bernie to Stalin or Mao is hyperbole. I know you are smart enough to realize it, but if Bernie was the nominee, which appears unlikely, the airwaves would be filled with similar false comparisons. Trump already called him a communist, which points to the abject stupidity of Americans who don’t know the difference. or more likely, especially when conducted by by news organizations, propaganda and false words.
The point I was making about the water buffalo is that you have options. This is due to the rest of American society efforts to build a better world, that might not be the case if you were born in lets say Southeast Asia. As Donne says, no man is an island.
I think the main things Bernie are saying is free college, universal healthcare, create fair trade not free trade and stop buying elections. All which this seems to me a good idea, especially if you have a son draft age.
I know Finland best, there are no slums, everyone in Finland has a stake in the success of the nation. It is far more democratic in its actions than America from what I see. It is Democratic Socialist. The quality of life is high in Finland. They have one of the best, if not the best, education systems in the world, and it is free, so I guess free tuition doesn’t impact their motivation. All of this is in large part because the society as a whole is just in its treatment of its citizens and it feels that way.
The United States, not so much.
In the end I am concerned about my sons 31 and 33 and daughter almost 18 and their future, (and family of course) We may disagree, but I am trying to look out for your sons future too, I believe Bernie is closer to where we should be headed than any other candidate, whether he wins or not.
Besides the fact that the US was founded as a democratic society, which I place high value on, I object to anything socialistic because under its structure, all property belongs to the state, which differs from communism where all property is held in common. Water that down a bit, and you’ll find “Sanders-Socialism”, which is too close to the real thing. I’m among the group that feels that socialism is just an excuse for a small group to sequestrate/expropriate the vast majority and treat them as cattle, where everything is controlled by a few people who benefit and profit from the arrangement under the guise of the “people’s government”. And I do believe that the average joe works more diligently when he has opportunity to directly profit from his own efforts. We see it every day in our personal experience: the assiduous/persevering employee usually gets the promotion and earns the fatter paycheck.
Holy Cow, I often wondered if you were little more than a sophisticated troll You claim to have lived in Germany yet to try to say in Social Democrat nations the property belongs to the state. That’s not true in Finland, Denmark, France or many other Social Democrat Nations.
I also guess you missed the part where I said society as a whole feels their citizens are treated justly.
I thought I could have conversation with you, but clearly you are so saturated with Fox News and Rush Limbaugh that is impossible. Good Luck.
Thanks for the good wishes. Present tense: I currently live in Germany and for another 15 months.
Let me clarify German “Socialism”.
Above all else, Socialism is characterized by government ownership of the MEANS OF PRODUCTION. That’s real Socialism. Consider the list of German companies that thrive in the world market–drug companies, airlines, car manufacturing companies–and it becomes clear that Germany is a Capitalist country. It’s should be obvious to everyone that Mercedes’ Board of Directors isn’t comprised of German government employees! (An example of government ownership of the MEANS OF PRODUCTION would be the UK health system, where you’ll find government employees working in government owned and operated hospitals. Contrast that with Germany’s health care system that relies on PRIVATE doctors in PRIVATE hospitals.) England’s health care system isn’t widely regarded as innovative or, in some cases, even adequate. Germany’s is!
But in Germany, the redistributionist element of Socialism does exist. Government funded health insurance for the MAJORITY of Germans is a socialistic safety net. But so is the public school system in the US! In that sense, most western democracies have some socialist tendencies, but they are ESSENTIALLY capitalist societies. If you take “Socialism” to the extreme, you’ll find yourself in North Korea. What a place to wake up in!
I suppose I am somewhat of a troll! I spend a lot of time “between-flights”, when I read the newspapers, on line, of every city where I’ve ever lived. We’ve moved a lot. Newspapers in three of those cities carry blogs similar to URBAN REVIEW. I’m not a people-watcher, so I spend my time sharing my ignorance with the rest of the world.
G, I’m sure that you’ll disagree, but this makes sense: http://www.businessinsider.com/what-americans-dont-understand-about-nordic-countries-2016-3
I’m not sure what you are saying I disagree with, but Finland is only an example. The United States has to find its own solutions. Thanks for passing along the article though.