tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7310088157925720041.post5978901007009186491..comments2023-09-20T08:48:41.660-05:00Comments on Cycling in Wichita: Some books on transportation and urban policyJohn B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06358811061653958120noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7310088157925720041.post-31946757617987531032009-01-09T13:01:00.000-06:002009-01-09T13:01:00.000-06:00Mr. Crank: Yes to all. I don't know how it'd go o...Mr. Crank: Yes to all. I don't know how it'd go over, but I'd seek to appeal to conservatives on philosophical grounds: that more livable communities help to reinforce the traditional notion of community as a more-or-less unified polity in the face of a larger, more fragmented society.<BR/><BR/>In other words: (some) conservatives would argue that, in effect, we got into the cultural/social mess we're in part because of government attempts at social engineering. Why not invest in an attempt to try to right the ship (so to speak), at least a little? Maybe I'm just dumb, or I'm not quite clued in to just how deeply conservatives have bought into the Grover Norquist mindset; but it seems to me that it'd be hard for a genuine conservative (whether a traditional one or whatever passes for one these days) to argue <I>against</I> investments that would lead to a fostering of a sense of community that would also, in the long run, end up benefiting everyone economically.John B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06358811061653958120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7310088157925720041.post-61800001413413840142009-01-08T20:25:00.000-06:002009-01-08T20:25:00.000-06:00While I agree that there is no inherent reason for...While I agree that there is no inherent reason for conservatives to be less engaged in the discussion about urban planning and transportation issues, I think the reality is that they are. In my experience it always seems to come down to the money. Changing or enhancing our urban infrastructure takes money. Some see it as an investment, others do not. There is also an interesting tension in many metro areas in mid-western states when it comes to allocation of state resources. The concerns of large population centers for a livable urban experience is not shared by constituents who live out-state and are usually more politically conservative; yet sometimes money for the city comes from the same state pot as money for rural transportation infrastructure.The Jolly Crankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09413710628789759348noreply@blogger.com