Truth AND Consequences

A while ago I talked a little about a TV program called Truth OR Consequences. (The MC of that show just recently died at the age of 92.) I have been thinking along those lines again after being in the presence of some young people who rant about the truthfulness of the President and his administration. I have to admit that trying to show the facts of things and supporting various ideas and concepts with information seem to be ignored with the basic sentiment that "that doesn't feel right so I don't believe it." Actions have consequences. Try dropping a stone into a quiet pond without producing some sort of ripples. (Shucks, try picking up a rotten piece of formerly edible vegetable material without getting the yuck squished out on you.) Words and ideas have consequences as well. One of the most effective ways to lie is to tell only the part of the truth that you want to tell without adding the rest. I was amazed at how effective this type of approach seemed to be for the re-election of Ron I-never-met-a-tax-increase-I-didn't-like Sims. One of his ads spoke of how the Republican candidate was going to take money away from Metro as if that were a horrendous idea. Another thought in that same ad spoke of how more roads would be put in by his opponent with a freeway going into a very scenic area that he was standing in. The consequences of continuing to divert money from roads and highways to Metro are evident in the continually lengthened commute times around the Puget Sound area. One of the ideas that is basically behind less roads is that more people will ride the bus and the light rail. Could it be that Ron and his cronies haven't seen the reality of how few commuters use the bus system by choice? The consequences of trying to force people into certain types of transportation choices had made the commute in Seattle a stopping factor in having the Super Bowl here. Ten years ago the main problem was insufficient hotel rooms and a somewhat less than ideal stadium. We have the hotel space now and a beautiful stadium but the transportation problem has gotten worse without the addition of more roads to carry the commuters. The truth is, we need more roads NOT more busses. I still see the double busses carrying less than half the number of passengers that they could at all hours of the day. How many other consequences will become evident in the years to come with the refusal to put money into roads and instead putting money into mass transit schemes that will require ever increasing subsidies to maintain the minimal transport capabilities?