Bush Legacy Tour

LAS VEGAS, NV-We rolled into Vegas on Thursday night. Of all the places we have gone, this is the one spot where a large painted bus rolling through town does not stick out all that much. In fact to have a bus that is not thematic and painted in Vegas is a little conspicuous.  

The event on Friday was a few miles away from the strip so we were not taking people away from the standards attraction like the fountain at the Bellagio or David Blane’s magic show. I am sure this was a relief for Steve Wynn. He was very concerned that the Bush Legacy Tour would distract so many visitors away from the casinos that he would take a huge hit that day we came to town. We had a great crowd to see the bus at the SEIU but not too big as to effect Mr. Wynn’s bottom line.  The SEIU put together a great event. The SEIU represents thousands of the service workers that work in the Las Vegas gaming industry. 

With the Las Vegas economy growing at a rapid pace, this city is one of few that is not experiencing job loss over the last eight years. What they are experiencing is home foreclosures at an alarming rate. In fact Las Vegas is the home foreclosure capital of the country. Seven of the 100 worst home foreclosure zip codes in the country are in the Las Vegas area.  Unlike cities like Cleveland or Detroit where job loss and the declining economy has a major hand in the foreclosure crisis, the Nevada foreclosure crisis is thought to be largely attributed to the lending practices of the mortgage companies.  Over 700 people in Las Vegas lose their homes each month due to foreclosures.

Families who bought into the American dream in Las Vegas were  often not informed about the treacherous nature of  adjustable rate mortgages and many only took these risky mortgages because they had difficulty qualify for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage.  Many families planned to establish credit with an adjustable rate mortgage and then transfer to a more stable 30 year fixed mortgage. Ironically in Nevada, the state hardest hit by the housing crisis, Nevada Senator John Ensign has actively delayed relief for his constituents facing foreclosure. A couple months ago, Ensign alone, stalled and then voted against a housing package that would provide relief to the homeowners. The housing relief package had broad support by Republicans and Democrats alike, yet Ensign insisted on adding in $6 billion in tax breaks for the producers of renewable energy. Considering Ensign’s deplorable voting record on the environment (Ensign has a 26% rating on the environment according to LCV) it is difficult not to see this as a political move on the Senator’s part. Ensign was more concerned with playing politics so that he could say that his opponents in Congress voted against renewable energy, than with his own constituents losing their homes. In the meantime while Ensign stalled, 8500 Americans are losing their homes to foreclosure each day!  One  in 43 Nevadans face foreclosure.   *

The housing crisis is by no means the only issue the Senator Ensign has sided with Wall Street over Main Street on. The Senator has voted with the President’s policies 94% of the time on everything from  giving tax cuts to the rich making an average of $1.2 million per year to privatizing Social Security. The Nevadans I spoke with have had enough of the Bush Administration and the members of Congress like Ensign who support their failed policies.  When asked how they will remember this administration we received some strong comments. Jack from Las Vegas said he will remember the administration as, “ the biggest domestic policy failure in my lifetime. This has been the most anti-worker administration since Reagan. “ On a lighter note, he added “It has provided some of the dumbest sound bites ever.”

Rebecca commented on what she will remember as the overall failures of the Bush administration, “I will remember the government reaching far beyond its constitutional rights, cheating the citizens, and the high cost of their failed decisions.”

That high cost has been felt strongly by Jeannie whose son was sent to Iraq. She has spent all of her time since he was sent there “doing whatever I can to make people realize the uselessness of this war.”

 *http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/25/AR2008062502886.html

As President Bush heads back to Crawford today for yet another vacation, the country's inflation rate has soared to a 17-year high and home foreclosures are up a sobering 55 percent since last year.

The millions of Americans who’ve lost their homes, their jobs, their healthcare this year under THE Bush economy will just have to wait until he gets back for more comic relief about his “drunk” buddies on Wall Street

Download the cartoon in high resolution here.

Watch the video of Bush mocking the state of the economy:

FLAGSTAFF, AZ- The day in Flagstaff started off great. We took a cab to where the bus had been parked much earlier to secure the space. The cab driver asked what we were doing in town and when we told him, he absolutely loved it! He talked about how he thinks Bush is a terrible president and how he feels that McCain has been a terrible senator. He said that if McCain becomes president his plan is to move to the Virgin Islands.

We had a lot of similar responses during the stop. We had a prime location in Heritage Square down town and had at least 100 people come through the bus.  Today was a special day not only because we were in the state of a very high profile Senator who is a great friend to Bush, but because today is the birthday of Social Security!  Seventy-three years ago FDR signed the program into law. It was fairly ironic to be in Senator McCain’s home state on the 73^rd birthday of a program that McCain has called a “disgrace” and voted twice to privatize.  Of course this doesn’t stop him from cashing the Social Security checks he gets every month. Last year he collected over $23,000 from a program he doesn’t actually believe in.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gwHGMYappR5eiPj4JoZ8L-7YUacAD91VPP78E

The Social Security issue was one of many that Arizonans passing by the bus were angry about. The environment is also a huge issue for the people with whom I spoke.  Flagstaff does a great deal of eco-tourism and prides itself on its beautiful forests, clear skies and pristine drinking water. Millions of people come to the area each year to participate in outdoor sports and activities. We talked to a lot of people about Bush’s disastrous environmental policies including the duplicitously named Clear Skies Initiative, the refusal to sign the Kyoto treaty, the weakening of clean water laws, and the overall practice of letting corporations regulate themselves. Given that McCain supported Bush’s agenda 95% of the time in 2007, his environmental record is akin to the President’s if not worse. According to the League of Conservation voters Congressional Scorecard, John McCain was the only Congressperson to receive a score of ZERO during the last year’s Congress. John McCain skipped every single important environmental vote of 2007 according the scorecard report! To his credit, he has been too busy spending his Social Security money to be in DC on the floor voting on some silly greenhouse gas legislation.

WINDOW ROCK, NAVAJO NATION- This morning’s stop constitutes the only stop the bus will technically make outside the US. Window Rock is physically located on land surrounded by the state of Arizona but is the capital of the Navajo Nation. We made a stop in the Navajo Nation to talk about the ways that Bush, McCain and their conservative allies have short-changed Native Americans along with rest of the country. Bush’s budget each year he has been in office has cut or eliminated funding for many critical programs designed to help the Native American people. Programs like the Bureau For Indian Affairs Education Construction Fund, the Indian Health Services Urban Indian Health Program, The Indian Heath Facilities Fund and many Native American educational programs have all felt the squeeze and have had to deal with significant cuts. I was not surprised that the people who came through the bus did not have a lot of good things to say about this administration. One man driving by was not able to take the time to come in and see the bus but rolled down his window and said, “Bush has done nothing for American Indians.” This sentiment was echoed throughout the stop.

The event in Window Rock was also focusing on the environmental neglect of Bush and his allies like Senator McCain. Bush and the conservative-led Congress refused to cap greenhouse gas and carbon dioxide emissions and have insisted that offshore drilling- rather than less energy consumption-is the answer to the energy crisis. The conservative environmental policy has traded clean air and water and sensible energy solutions for the interests of big business and deregulation. The Navajo people have weathered the storms of many American Presidential Administrations. I did not get a take on where the Navajo Nation feels the current one ranks comparatively. What I experienced in Window Rock is that the conservative policies of favoring the rich, rampant deregulation and privatization have impacted the Navajo community in many of the same ways it has impacted the dozens of other communities we have visited.

FARMINGTON, NM-Even in a conservative place like Farmington, New Mexico we still had a good group of people come out and support the bus. I heard over and over how surprised people were to see this bus in the middle of this extremely conservative area.

Not all of the people that came out to see the bus were there to support it. We had a handful of people say that they support the President and feel that he has done a great job. We even had an elderly man leave comments on a comment card saying, “Best damn pres. we ever had, don’t be in town after dark. We are Bush people here.” He  may have been concerned for our safety navigating the streets of Farmington in such a large vehicle after dark but I think what he was referring to may have been a threat. There is something about a threat left on a comment card that does not elicit the fear intended.  Fortunatley most of the folks that disagreed with our mission in Farmington did so without threats and expressed their disagreements with decency and politeness. They were in the minority, however, of the people who came through. The majority of the people I spoke with were fed up with Bush and his allies in Congress and looked upon the last eight years as being full of disaster.

Ken remarked that, “ ‘Mission Accomplished’ will never have the same meaning and that Bush has been the worst President of my lifetime 1950-present.”

Bonnie was concerned for the future of American families and the future of her grandchildren. “We have seen unprecedented abuse of power-leading to the dismantling of our rights. Bush and his allies are driving millions of the middle class into poverty and are selling out my children’s and grandchildren’s futures to big money corporations.”

Vicki commented that she agreed with the views expressed on the bus and that “…we need change, change, change. We should promote alternative energy, healthcare and prevent the neo-conservative cause.

Several Farmington locals expressed concerns over what the upcoming New Mexico Senate race would bring for their state. Retiring Senator Pete Domenici has been a reliable vote for the conservative cause. There is strong hope that New Mexico can elect someone with progressive ideas that actually looks after the needs of the middle class community in Farmington and beyond. The side of the antique fire-truck the bus was parked next to summed it up best. It said “Farmington Fire Dept.” then “ Community Relations.”  The idea that firefighters are part of the government and are there to serve the community was felt strongly enough to paint it on a fire-truck 60 years ago. Unfortunately the idea that the government is there to serve the community is not one this administration and its allies have adhered to.

ALBUQUERQUE, NM-John Steinbeck would not recognize the Route 66 of the 1950’s during its heyday,  let alone the stretch of it that runs through the Nob Hill section of Albuquerque today. When Steinbeck wrote the Grapes of Wrath he described an oft-desolate road full of pit-falls, hardships, and some no-good people looking to take advantage of hard working decent Americans in a variety of different ways. The story of the Joad’s journey west-bound along Route 66 touches on big finance corruption, lack of healthcare, union-busting and money being put before the needs of decent Americans. The Bush Legacy Bus parked on Central Avenue (formerly part of Rt.66) in Albuquerque eighty-plus years later, is essentially telling the exact same story.

We pulled up Monday morning on Central Avenue in Nob Hill, which is now an area where boutiques, record stores and coffee houses have now taken residence in the buildings that once housed the hotels, diners, and gas stations tourists frequented on their drives across country. Much of the old signage and architecture remains and we thought it would be the perfect spot to bring the bus.  The foot traffic was excellent and we had at least 150 people come through the bus in a couple hours. 

In the tradition of the many travelers on that famous stretch of road, we had people from all walks of life come through the bus on Monday. We had Terry, a mother of a young boy, who is stridently trying to teach her son to “do the right thing” and has fought against this administration’s misdeeds throughout.   John Wantz who is a ceramic artist from Santa Fe came by with a gift he had made for the bus. He presented us with a ceramic mask of GWB with his head shaped like a toad, eating a small frog. When asked about the meaning behind the piece he said, “Big toads eat little frogs.”

 I spoke to Hammer who is retired from the National Air traffic Controllers Association.  He talked about the dire state of the air traffic controllers in the country today. They are drastically understaffed and it is at the very least affecting the ease of travel for passengers and at the very worst going to cause a catastrophe. Hammer dutifully performed his job since 1981 and watched over the last eight years as the Bush Administration and its conservative allies in Congress blocked legislation time and time again that would rectify the problem of understaffing.  As I point out my inconvenience sitting on the runway many times waiting to get clearance due to the increase in traffic and the decrease in controllers, Hammer laughs. “That inconvenience is really the least of your problems. What you should be worried about is the air traffic controller and the pilot that are on their  55^th working hour that week  controlling and flying the plane.”

 I cannot think of a better example of where the conservative policies of Bush and his allies are more inappropriate.  The idea of limited government that only performs the functions that people cannot perform for themselves sounds great in theory but regulating an industry responsible for the safe passage of millions of people every year takes some oversight and accountability.  Even under the auspices of limited government, I would not feeling safe flying the friendly skies if the same corporate sector responsible for Enron and the mortgage crisis are deciding how air traffic should be controlled.  http://www.natca.org/newsletter/Staffing.msp

The Route 66 stop was a success and we engaged with a lot of people. Upon leaving I stopped in a home furnishing boutique the bus had been parked in front of during the stop. I started talking with the store manager who had come through the bus a half hour prior. I apologized to him if the bus being on the street had in any way diverted business. He said quite the contrary they had not had a Monday morning that busy in ages. He thanked us for the business and for getting the message out.

ALAMAGORDO, TX- Alamogordo, Texas is a town that is well known for being the home of the first atomic bomb ever detonated in history. Alamogordo was a nuclear test site during WWII and you can see the nuclear theme in the signage and themes of local businesses that make use of phrases like “atomic “ and “nuclear” to sell everything from carpets to pizza. The town is still reliant on the military to provide a lot of local jobs and housing. Holloman Air Force Base is the largest employer in Alamogordo. When I had a young military couple tour the bus on Saturday,  I was surprised and delighted that they told me they had heard about our event in The Hologram, the Newspaper for the Holloman military base.  The bus tour was mentioned in the column that reports on things to do around town. The Bush Legacy Bus was next to the farmer’s market which had already happened earlier in the morning. Thankfully, we did not have to compete with fresh fruit and vegetables and had a decent crowd come through our stop. As with most of our stops through smaller towns, the people are pleased that we are there as a lot campaigns and national tours often skip over their towns en route to more populated areas.  We were happy to be there. The burritos at Eddies were worth the trip alone and the people we met at the event were great. At the risk of tooting our own Prevost bus horn, Alison from Alamogordo’s praise was incredibly gratifying and almost as good as the burrito. “You have done an awesome job! This was very informative and a unique experience that showcases the biggest failure in the White House. Thank you for standing up for our country!”

ODESSA, TX-As we pulled into Odessa’s main drag for our event we had some help from an anonymous stranger who came out of nowhere to help direct the bus into its parking spot and help us set up cones. The stranger got out of his truck to talk to us and came on board the bus.  He had seen us a few traffic lights prior to pulling up and the bus piqued his curiosity.  He was amendable to the idea of the tour and we began talking. We were on the hunt for a quick breakfast and the stranger, who we later came to know as Manni, offered to take us a few miles up the road.  We all went to breakfast and Manni was kind enough to treat us as his way of supporting the cause.After enjoying some great food and conversation with Manni  we opened up the bus to the public. Odessa was a special stop because it is only several miles away from Midland where the President spent a substantial amount of his life. Tourists can tour the house that GWB lived in when the Bush family first moved to Texas for GHWB’s first job in the oil business.  Another Odessa tourist attraction is the Presidential Museum and Library which is dedicated to the office of the Presidency. Looking at the museum brochure it is not difficult to draw a sharp contrast between the leadership the museum celebrates and the leadership that the Bush Legacy Tour displays in its exhibits.  The Presidential Museum was created after the death of JFK as a means of the celebrating the integrity of the institution and prominently features this quote from the late president: 

"The final measure of your Administration will, in large measure, rest on how well you respond to [the American people's] inward hopes while leading them toward new horizons of ambition and achievement."
"John F. Kennedy Tells Youth How to Prepare for the Presidency"
—Parade Magazine, September 23, 1962, Leadership Library   

From the comments I receive on the bus every single day, George W. Bush has not responded well to the people’s inward hopes and has certainly not led the nation towards new horizons of ambition and achievement.  Based on informal polling on the bus, people are not feeling hopeful for the future at all and are scared that the next administration will continue the same policies motivated by fear, greed, and dishonesty.  Some of the perceptions of the Bush Presidency from the Odessa citizens who came by on Friday reflect a less than honorable presidential legacy.

Felipe summed it up in eight words,“George Bush has been the worst President ever.”

Carl focused on the President’s crowning “achievement” the War in Iraq. “We’ve wasted trillions in a pointless war in Iraq and the blood of many brave soldiers that did not need to be shed.”

Bobby from Odessa brought up the social security issue and commented on Bush’s failed privatization schemes and McCain’s promises to resuscitate them. “The Bush Presidency has been all for the rich and the Republican Party. Remember if they get their way and privatize social security, your mother-in-law will have to move in with you after the stock market crashes!!!”