Um, I've got a bigger beef than wasting gas--we are not paying Duffy to take very lucrative paid vacations while he is supposed to be at work. Remember when Transpo Sec Pete Buttigieg caught shit for taking time off to take care of his sick baby? That's called medical leave. Duffy's is called absent-without-leave. DOGE him!
My wife and I are just back from a 4,237-mile cross country road trip (Seattle, WA to home in Vermont, via the desert Southwest). The thing we noticed most about America today is that ALL of the interstate highways we traveled are in terrible shape -- literally falling apart. The trip beat our vehicle to near death the roads were so rough. If Mr Duffy was doing his job, he'd report this sad state of affairs to Congress and demand funds be devoted to improve our highway system. I suspect Mr Duffy is indifferent to the conditions that regular citizens have to live with every day, so I don't expect any help from him -- he's just another trump toady...
Biden and Mayor Pete had a huge bill funded for infrastructure repairs. If memory serves me right, the orange jesus canceled it and is using money elsewhere (his own pockets, most likely).
Dear Arky Blue - Your memory serves you well; that is exactly what happened to Biden's infrastructure bill. And just as Duffy will never really experience our dilapidated highway system (to appreciate what needs to be done), neither will Borgum (Sec'y Interior?) experience the wonders of our national parks to understand what we regular folks appreciate about un-touched, natural places. This entire administration has no connection with the realities of their ordinary constituents (who pay their salaries), and they have no qualifications for their positions. We can -- and should -- do better!
The Interstate Highway System was the product of the Eisenhower administration. Its original intent was to support National Security by a system of highways that made transportation of military equipment and personnel easier than by US highways that went through towns and cities, even if at the outskirts of city traffic. Easing travel by American citizens made it easier to fund. In 1969, I traveled to San Francisco for my internship in Clinical Psychology at Letterman Army Hospital as a newly commissioned officer. A large part of my trip was on Route 66, scenic, but by necessity, not for scenery. In 1962 I had a summer job with the State Highway Department as part of a survey team surveying for I-20.Valuable experience, but I am not part of the road trip.
I, too, am a product of the Eisenhower years, and until this recent road trip, I was a big fan of the interstate highway system. It really is a game-changer for travelers and commercial interests. My gripes now are based on the deficiencies of current politics. For all his faults, Biden recognized the importance of government doing things that benefit the citizens who pay the taxes that SHOULD be used to maintain and improve our infrastructure. The current admin is not a bit interested in making life better for regular folks. I don't want to get started on that, but it is, in fact, the case that Biden's infrastructure legislation was actually doing good things for The People -- until Trump, et al, shut it down. They'd rather spend that money on the defense budget. Their priorities could not be further from that which government is supposed to do -- help the people.
To be clear, Duffy didn’t take a free trip. He and his family took a taxpayer-funded vacation and now will most likely make more money (at least I’m sure that was the plan) from his little production.
The production was actually funded by some of the companies he's supposed to be regulating, which is even worse from an ethical standpoint than being taxpayer-funded. (And yes he did this while on government payroll, so you could argue his time was funded by taxpayers)
And "Crash" Duffy and his motley brood were subsidized by Toyota who paid their costs. I liked it better when the cabinet members worked for the American people and not for the corporations.
Let’s see. Hegseth is a talk show host and drunk. Patel is just an alcoholic. Jeannie Pirro was on FOX . Trump was a reality tv show host.
I see a pattern here. Also with the chronic sick racism.
This guy might want to realize that many, many Americans are not able to just pick up and drive all over the country while they still get paid. And have all the perks of free amusement parks and restaurants and whatever, sponsored by corporations that he is supposed to be overseeing.
Most Americans get 10 vacation days.
This guy gets weeks, all paid his $175,000. Salary.
What a "let them eat cake" operation. What it is not is a second take on The National Lampoon Vacation movie with the Griswold family. The price of gas alone (passing $5.00/gallon with no end in sight) will put the brakes on many a vacation, as the kitchen-table economy hits the wall. Nothing is going down, from food to rent. Healthcare and insurance take another couple of bites. Sean Duffy is intent upon rubbing salt in the wound. Like the rest of this administration, he should go. We're tired of paying for something for nothing.
These white supremacists take their duty to produce white kids very seriously, don't they? This guy has 9, Musk what 14 or 15 and so on. I guess that's why Musk is so interested in Mars. Earth sure isn't going to be able to support their brood.
Sean Duffy seems to be auditioning for a series of reality shows with his brood. Geez... This cabinet regime keeps on trying to emulate Trump hoping they will capture entertainment appeal big bucks. Not! During these times, Americans are more interested in Duffy leading to solve the many issues of his department. If you want popularity, do your job, Duffy, or leave it!
Gosh, Secretary Duffiest. Can you think of any concerns in this country that the Dept of Transportation might need to address in order to best serve the American people? How about the aging infrastructure which includes thousand of bridges? What about air traffic control? How about the price of gasoline, the limited availability of charging stations for EV's , regulation of driverless cars? So many things you could be working on instead of ripping us off. I hope you are donating your salary, paid by the American public while you engage in a Trumpenstein like vanity project.
Sean Duffy is not the wholesome guy he claims to be. Thanks for this piece, Meredith. I didn’t think he was even when he would show up on Fox News. Same for Pete Hegseth. Fox News has a penchant for hiring phony people. Duffy hasn’t taken any leadership on improving or resolving the dangers that occur at Reagan airport either.
Could not be less interested in this empty shirt of a reality “persona” and his equally vapid wife. What I care about is his violation of all kinds of ethics rules - and perhaps actual laws- in his financing of this tone deaf “project.” Only the “best people” indeed.
Um, I've got a bigger beef than wasting gas--we are not paying Duffy to take very lucrative paid vacations while he is supposed to be at work. Remember when Transpo Sec Pete Buttigieg caught shit for taking time off to take care of his sick baby? That's called medical leave. Duffy's is called absent-without-leave. DOGE him!
Drinking and being AWOL from work seem to be the mantra of this administration. All while we are stuck paying for their fun and games.
My wife and I are just back from a 4,237-mile cross country road trip (Seattle, WA to home in Vermont, via the desert Southwest). The thing we noticed most about America today is that ALL of the interstate highways we traveled are in terrible shape -- literally falling apart. The trip beat our vehicle to near death the roads were so rough. If Mr Duffy was doing his job, he'd report this sad state of affairs to Congress and demand funds be devoted to improve our highway system. I suspect Mr Duffy is indifferent to the conditions that regular citizens have to live with every day, so I don't expect any help from him -- he's just another trump toady...
Biden and Mayor Pete had a huge bill funded for infrastructure repairs. If memory serves me right, the orange jesus canceled it and is using money elsewhere (his own pockets, most likely).
Dear Arky Blue - Your memory serves you well; that is exactly what happened to Biden's infrastructure bill. And just as Duffy will never really experience our dilapidated highway system (to appreciate what needs to be done), neither will Borgum (Sec'y Interior?) experience the wonders of our national parks to understand what we regular folks appreciate about un-touched, natural places. This entire administration has no connection with the realities of their ordinary constituents (who pay their salaries), and they have no qualifications for their positions. We can -- and should -- do better!
" interstate highways we traveled are in terrible shape -- literally falling apart"
Guess what happens when Trump and the MAGA Republicans suspend the Federal Gas Tax?
No money for road repairs. It's gonna get worse.
The Interstate Highway System was the product of the Eisenhower administration. Its original intent was to support National Security by a system of highways that made transportation of military equipment and personnel easier than by US highways that went through towns and cities, even if at the outskirts of city traffic. Easing travel by American citizens made it easier to fund. In 1969, I traveled to San Francisco for my internship in Clinical Psychology at Letterman Army Hospital as a newly commissioned officer. A large part of my trip was on Route 66, scenic, but by necessity, not for scenery. In 1962 I had a summer job with the State Highway Department as part of a survey team surveying for I-20.Valuable experience, but I am not part of the road trip.
I, too, am a product of the Eisenhower years, and until this recent road trip, I was a big fan of the interstate highway system. It really is a game-changer for travelers and commercial interests. My gripes now are based on the deficiencies of current politics. For all his faults, Biden recognized the importance of government doing things that benefit the citizens who pay the taxes that SHOULD be used to maintain and improve our infrastructure. The current admin is not a bit interested in making life better for regular folks. I don't want to get started on that, but it is, in fact, the case that Biden's infrastructure legislation was actually doing good things for The People -- until Trump, et al, shut it down. They'd rather spend that money on the defense budget. Their priorities could not be further from that which government is supposed to do -- help the people.
To be clear, Duffy didn’t take a free trip. He and his family took a taxpayer-funded vacation and now will most likely make more money (at least I’m sure that was the plan) from his little production.
The production was actually funded by some of the companies he's supposed to be regulating, which is even worse from an ethical standpoint than being taxpayer-funded. (And yes he did this while on government payroll, so you could argue his time was funded by taxpayers)
And "Crash" Duffy and his motley brood were subsidized by Toyota who paid their costs. I liked it better when the cabinet members worked for the American people and not for the corporations.
Let’s see. Hegseth is a talk show host and drunk. Patel is just an alcoholic. Jeannie Pirro was on FOX . Trump was a reality tv show host.
I see a pattern here. Also with the chronic sick racism.
This guy might want to realize that many, many Americans are not able to just pick up and drive all over the country while they still get paid. And have all the perks of free amusement parks and restaurants and whatever, sponsored by corporations that he is supposed to be overseeing.
Most Americans get 10 vacation days.
This guy gets weeks, all paid his $175,000. Salary.
Must be nice to be a racist freeloader.
What a "let them eat cake" operation. What it is not is a second take on The National Lampoon Vacation movie with the Griswold family. The price of gas alone (passing $5.00/gallon with no end in sight) will put the brakes on many a vacation, as the kitchen-table economy hits the wall. Nothing is going down, from food to rent. Healthcare and insurance take another couple of bites. Sean Duffy is intent upon rubbing salt in the wound. Like the rest of this administration, he should go. We're tired of paying for something for nothing.
These white supremacists take their duty to produce white kids very seriously, don't they? This guy has 9, Musk what 14 or 15 and so on. I guess that's why Musk is so interested in Mars. Earth sure isn't going to be able to support their brood.
Sean Duffy seems to be auditioning for a series of reality shows with his brood. Geez... This cabinet regime keeps on trying to emulate Trump hoping they will capture entertainment appeal big bucks. Not! During these times, Americans are more interested in Duffy leading to solve the many issues of his department. If you want popularity, do your job, Duffy, or leave it!
Gosh, Secretary Duffiest. Can you think of any concerns in this country that the Dept of Transportation might need to address in order to best serve the American people? How about the aging infrastructure which includes thousand of bridges? What about air traffic control? How about the price of gasoline, the limited availability of charging stations for EV's , regulation of driverless cars? So many things you could be working on instead of ripping us off. I hope you are donating your salary, paid by the American public while you engage in a Trumpenstein like vanity project.
Sean Duffy is not the wholesome guy he claims to be. Thanks for this piece, Meredith. I didn’t think he was even when he would show up on Fox News. Same for Pete Hegseth. Fox News has a penchant for hiring phony people. Duffy hasn’t taken any leadership on improving or resolving the dangers that occur at Reagan airport either.
Lock him up.
If Sean "Crash" Duffy wants a new gig on TV, none of us are going to miss the loser when he leaves.
How about a role as a guard on Orange Is The New Black?
Could not be less interested in this empty shirt of a reality “persona” and his equally vapid wife. What I care about is his violation of all kinds of ethics rules - and perhaps actual laws- in his financing of this tone deaf “project.” Only the “best people” indeed.