Skip to content
Sponsored

The Last Thing This Nation Needs…

I hate to nitpick at an outstanding and historic speech but it's January 21 and time to start talking about the stimulus bill, so, well, I'll let James Howard Kunstler do the nitpicking...
8:57 AM PST on January 21, 2009

I hate to nitpick at an outstanding and historic speech but it’s
January 21 and time to start talking about the stimulus bill, so, well,
I’ll let James Howard Kunstler do the nitpicking…

“We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars…”
Barack Obama’s inaugural address.

“The last thing this nation needs now is a stimulus plan aimed at
the development of non-gasoline-powered automobiles married with
extensive rehabilitation of the highway system.”
James Howard Kunstler

Photo of Aaron Naparstek
AARON NAPARSTEK is the founder and former editor-in-chief of Streetsblog. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Naparstek’s journalism, advocacy and community organizing work has been instrumental in growing the bicycle network, removing motor vehicles from parks, and developing new public plazas, car-free streets and life-saving traffic-calming measures across all five boroughs. Naparstek is the author of "Honku: The Zen Antidote for Road Rage" (Villard, 2003), a book of humorous haiku poetry inspired by the endless motorist sociopathy observed from his apartment window. Prior to launching Streetsblog, Naparstek worked as an interactive media producer, pioneering some of the Web's first music web sites, online communities, live webcasts and social networking services. Naparstek is currently in Cambridge with his wife and two young sons where he is enjoying a Loeb Fellowship at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design. He has a master's degree from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism and a bachelor's degree from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Naparstek is a co-founder of the Park Slope Neighbors community group and the Grand Army Plaza Coalition. You can find more of his work here: http://www.naparstek.com.

Read More:

Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.

More from Streetsblog Los Angeles

GoSGV Program to Distribute $2000 E-Bike Vouchers to SGV Residents. Apply Now!

April 29, 2026

Wednesday’s Headlines

April 29, 2026

Metrolink Cut Service; Budget Pressure Could Mean More Cuts, Fare Increases

April 28, 2026

Tuesday’s Headlines

April 28, 2026

This Week In Livable Streets

April 27, 2026
See all posts