Demand smarter, greener plans for transportation

It’s said that trying to cure traffic jams by building bigger roads is like trying to cure obesity by buying bigger pants.

Thanks to the endless feedback loop highway experts call “induced demand,” all that NCDOT’s bloated, insensitive expansion of the I-26 Connector in Asheville will accomplish – after bulldozing some 200 existing homes and businesses in its proposed paths – is to incite future calls for yet more lanes by fueling yet more of the uncontrolled, car-dependent sprawl development in south Buncombe and north Henderson counties that studies show is the cause of increased traffic on I-26.

Raleigh’s plan to pave paradise would devastate West Asheville – among other neighborhoods – by turning parkside Amboy Road into a 4-lane throughway, widening I-240 to an Atlanta-scale 10-lane freeway, and dumping high-speed traffic onto a 5-laned Haywood Road overpass that no bicyclist or pedestrian will dare cross to reach NCDOT’s skimpy, poorly designed greenway alongside I-240, which it insists Asheville must pay for.

Demand smarter, greener transportation plans by emailing comments to Drew Joyner at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it through Dec. 16.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Rasmussen is a member of the I-26 ConnectUs Project, bit.ly/I-26connectus.

U.S. Middle East policy misses mark under Obama

In 2001, 12 men from Saudi Arabia attacked America. In response, we sent half a million military forces into Afghanistan. 

Two years later, we sent even more into Iraq — destabilizing the entire balance of power in the Middle East.

The ensuing “Arab Spring” bought radical Islamists into power across the region. We supported (and helped) regime change across the Arab states — from Libya to Yemen; from Egypt to Somalia. Always on the side of “reformers” to liberalize the region.

All of the secular leaders were toppled. Most were horrible dictators, to be sure. But in their place came ideological leaders — theocratic fanatics. Again, unintended consequences.

Because of horrifyingly ignorant (or corrupt?) politicians we have the messy situation today. The Islamic world never invaded America. Their struggles were internal; in and among their own tribes. 

Only America (and her allies) were dumb enough to poke holes into the bees nest and continue to swat the bees coming out. NOW the nest is a wreck.

There is NO stable home for the “bees”....

Many Islamic people. fleeing the region after 13 years of constant warfare, will spread all over the world. 

And who do they blame for their plight? America — rightfully or wrongfully — and the West. They view Israel as America’s outpost in the region.

We, as a nation, need leaders who have strong powers of logic and reason. Game show hosts and smooth-talkers will not cut it. 

Many intellectuals were warning of these “unintended consequences” — myself included. 

At THIS point... I must admit, there are precious few workable fixes floating around in the Intellectual community. Our hearts are aching...

“Shhhh! We don’t want to hurt her chances in the general election!”

Does anyone really believe that Republicans would have any qualms about raising issues concerning Hillary Clinton’s history or her character during the campaign if she were to win the Democratic nomination? 

There are real weaknesses in her candidacy and they need to be raised during the Democratic primary vetting process.

There can be no double-standard about raising issues of character and history within the field of Democratic candidates. The Clinton campaign doesn’t seem concerned about harming Bernie Sanders’ chances in the General Election by smearing him with false allegations of misogyny, racism and being “soft” on gun control. 

In contrast, the myriad of legitimate issues raised about Hillary Clinton are based on her factual history and are well documented.

These issues include her propensity to follow the advice of those who advocate premature military involvement in foreign lands; the influence of corporate political campaign contributions on her environmental, energy, social and economic agendas; her backward history on criminal justice issues including the death penalty, mandatory sentencing, the war on drugs and opposition to legalization of marijuana which disproportionately devastates the lives of millions of African-Americans and Hispanic people; 

If the Clinton camp is basing its hopes on the cooperative silence of her critics, what does that say about her chances in the general election? 

This candidate has a real problem and Democratic voters throughout the nation should take notice.

Historical Jesus was a radical

The book “Zealot” by author Reza Aslon proves that the historical Jesus of Nazareth — far from being a pacifist spouting love for thine enemy and cheek-turning — was, in actual fact, a radical and a revolutionary and a zealot, and a bandit fighting in the mountains, and a Middle East terrorist who was crucified by the Romans for sedition and terrorism.

The historical Jesus bore no resemblance to America’s Christians.

Jesus was a radical! And a revolutionary! And a zealot! And a bandit fighting in the mountains! And a Middle East terrorist!

Jesus bore a close resemblance to (Fidel) Castro and Ché (Guevara) and their Cuban army of banditos fighting in the mountains against Spanish imperialistos!

And Jesus bore a resemblance to the 1960s’ student radicals and revolutionaries who waged armed revolutionary struggle against our Big Brother government in Washington.

And Jesus bore a strong resemblance to our American Revolutionaries and Sons of Liberty during the American Revolution.

Were Jesus here today, Jesus would be a member of the Resistance, waging resistance against American’s transformation from a constitutional republic — a free and open democratic society — into an Orwellian Big Brother police and surveillance state, and a technological dystopia.