Podcast 176

Midweek updates on the big stories. What is Obama’s end game with immigration? The Highway Trust Fund will hit empty in August, unless Congress ‘does something’. How about passing a law that says one hundred percent of the money in the Trust Fund has to be used for highways, not trains, buses, bike trails and ‘affordable’ housing along LRT lines…and not to prop up bankrupt transit departments. Think the President will sign that? Compare how two different news services come away with two completely different stories out of the same economic news. Farmers have already lost millions of dollars on grain from 2013 that hasn’t been shipped. Why? Because Warren Buffett’s trains are hauling oil rather than grain. This is why we wanted the Keystone Pipeline built. Oh yeah, Warren is good friends with President Obama. Weird, huh? What happens when someone tries to cancel their Comcast service? In this podcast a short clip of a bitchy customer ‘service’ rep, but the whole debacle went on for 45 minutes. Want to know what’s wrong with America? This is a start. And, thanks for your patience as we upgrade to new software, with associated learning curve struggles. Sponsored by X Government Cars

Podcast 165

Take a ride on the near deserted Minneapolis to Saint Paul Light Rail ‘Green’ Line. A little more than a week ago, the new LRT line between downtown Minneapolis and downtown Saint Paul opened to wide acclaim. As many as seventy five thousand people took advantage of a free ride on a train, while the local media gushed about the line’s ‘success’. Will this billion dollar project be a success? Have increases in federal and state funding for these kinds of projects in cities all over America produced higher levels of ridership? Do these LRT lines attract ‘investment’ or are tax dollars displaced to ‘subsidize’ development? Is the ‘creative class’ moving into downtown areas? Are companies moving into downtown areas? What about the transportation needs of industry and commerce, and the smaller cities in the state. Are you ready for a substantial increase in state and federal gas taxes to support these projects in the future? Sponsored by Edelweiss Design

Podcast 164

President Obama’s Next Debacle? The Economy? An Immigration Meltdown? An open feud with the Clintons? Getting you updated on the main stories to watch for the coming week. Including…an 18 cent per gallon gas tax increase? Really? Believe it or not, a bipartisan effort to replace the shortfall in the Highway Transportation Fund. Will you still love your trains and bike trails when you’re paying over 4 dollars a gallon for gas, and when food prices head up due to the increase in diesel? Bumpers provided by Jillian Rae’s Eric Martin. For the full tracks with vocals check out Jillian Rae’s website. And, sponsored by Sedation and Implant Dentistry of Saint Paul