Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, earlier there was an interesting discussion on the floor and an amendment that was offered but subsequently withdrawn by the gentleman from Georgia. I listened carefully to his comments, and I respect his concerns, but I feel that he is absolutely taking the wrong approach, and his region of Atlanta is a good reason why. The region of Atlanta has been characterized by some as the urban area whose growth has been the most rapid in the history of human settlement. A more than 25 percent increase in population has occurred since 1990. The city's region in that time frame has grown north to south from 65 miles to 110 miles. And, frankly, the results have been devastating. The average Atlanta commuter drives 36.5 miles a day, the longest work-trip commute in the world. And this has had serious problems in terms of air pollution, to the point that the Federal transportation authorities have withheld resources from the Atlanta metropolitan area due to its inability or unwillingness to meet air quality standards. This has had business implications. The Hewlett-Packard Company decided not to expand its Atlanta facilities. The city lost its 1997 top rank as the city's best real estate market and is now number 15 among 18 cities that are monitored. It has health implications.”