The Peaceful Transition of Power?

Derek Hunter for Townhall

Let’s hop in the way-back machine for a minute, shall we? We don’t need to go far … just a few months back to be exact.

It was a different time. Hairstyles were different. Fashion was different. Kids were listening to a different type of music their parents couldn’t understand. It was a crazy time. It also was a time marked by the Democratic Party insisting that what made this country great was the “peaceful transition of power.”

Like I said, it was a different time.

It was Oct. 19 when Donald Trump would not give in to Chris Wallace, the moderator of the final presidential debate, on the question of whether he would accept the results of the election. In the few remaining weeks of the campaign, that became one of the most talked about moments of the entire years-long ordeal. Little did we know that moment would come into play more than a month after all the votes were counted.

Hillary Clinton wasn’t asked the question herself, but she never stopped feigning outrage from that moment forward at the concept. Not to the concept of her team committing the very offense which so horrified her, but to the idea there was any circumstance under which the oafish Trump would not bow down and admit her superiority to the world.

Of course, it was Hillary who, on election night, refused to concede to the clear victor. Few could blame her for needing a couple of hours to soak in the fact that she’d duffed a tap-in putt on the 18th hole in The Masters and would not be sliding into the Green Jacket. When your dream slips away for a second and final time, it’s understandable composure would elude you.

Pulling herself together, she did admit defeat the next morning, but she and her team don’t seem to have accepted it.

In the ensuing weeks there has been nary a Clinton campaign veteran who hasn’t made a grousing public statement or bitter, unfounded accusation about how a “rigged election” denied the queen her throne.

FBI Director James Comey’s two letters cost her votes; sexism denied Clinton the White House; the Russians interfered with the election. You name, they’ve blamed it.

In all those accusations was an undercurrent of not only denying Donald Trump won but denying his coming presidency its legitimacy. Rooted in all of it, especially the Russian “hacking” story, is a hint of the idea that were it not for nefarious forces, Hillary would be president.

The FBI and sexism charges held no water, one having been of her own doing and the other overplayed by her campaign. So those unwilling to accept the constitutional order of things hung their hats on Russia.

The bitter grumblings were just that, grumblings of losers. But when those grumblings came from the mouth of the CIA director, another level was achieved.

Director John Brennan, who ironically voted for the Communist Party candidate for president in 1980, was now pointing an official finger at the Kremlin for interfering with the election.

Awards Will Enable Two Communities To Deploy Hundreds Of Air Quality Sensors And Make The Data Public.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has selected the City of Baltimore and the Lafayette, Louisiana, Consolidated Government as awardees of the Smart City Air Challenge. The challenge encourages communities to install hundreds of air quality sensors and share the data with the public. The agency also has recognized four projects for honorable mention: New York, New York; Mesa County, Colorado; Raleigh, North Carolina and Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota.

“I firmly believe that data can make a positive difference in human health and environmental protection,” said Ann Dunkin, EPA’s Chief Information Officer. “We are looking forward to working with these Smart City Air Challenge awardees and honorable mention communities to share knowledge about collecting, storing and managing large amounts of data.”

The projects were evaluated on four criteria: data management, data use, sensor procurement and deployment and project sustainability. The two awardees will receive $40,000 each to deploy air sensors, share data with the public and develop data management best practices. After a year of implementing the projects, both communities will be eligible to receive up to an additional $10,000 based on their accomplishments and collaboration.

The following two projects were selected as awardee recipients:
•           An Air Quality Sensor Network for Greater Baltimore: This Baltimore, Maryland, project incorporates plans to engage several partners and neighborhoods to deploy a network of sensors in a phased approach, leveraging a scalable cloud platform for data management. They plan to assemble commercially-available components to build their sensor system and distribute the data on a City of Baltimore website.

•           Lafayette Engagement and Research Network (LEaRN): This Lafayette, Louisiana, project proposes a partnership between collegiate, local government and non-governmental organizations to deploy a network of sensors. The project has a strong data management plan that will use a scalable cloud platform. They plan to use commercially-available sensors for the project and share the data with the public in a variety of ways.

EPA is recognizing these four projects for honorable mention because of their innovation and potential:

•           Healthy Mesa County & Mesa County Health Department: Smart City Air Challenge Solution: Mesa, Colorado

•           Air Quality Crowdsourcing Data in Minneapolis/St. Paul: Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota

•           New York City Air Casting Project: EPA Smart City Air Challenge Solution: New York, New York

•           Citizen science with Ground-Level Ozone Wearables Sensors (GLOWS) for real-time pollution maps across the Research Triangle: Research Triangle, North Carolina

Residents of Southwestern Indiana will be heartened to learn considerable progress is being made to modernize Evansville Regional Airport Terminal. This week the Indiana Economic Development Corporation approved Regional Cities Initiative funding to support the renovation project. The state will be funding $5 million of the $12.36 million project.

The 30-year-old terminal will undergo much-needed infrastructure updates. These updates are needed in order for our airport to remain the region’s air gateway. The functional improvements include reconfiguring the TSA security gates, increasing the utilization of jet ways and updating terminal restrooms, restaurants and parking. For many visitors to our region, the airport is the first impression they have of Southwest Indiana. These upgrades will provide the modern amenities professional air travelers and businesses expect and be a better reflection of the progress and economic development that is happening in Southwest Indiana.

The new terminal will also help Evansville area businesses market their products and services, as well as attract and retain new talent for our workforce.

I am also working on legislation to assist regional and smaller general aviation airports. These facilities are an integral part of our nation’s air transportation system. The legislative proposal would create a source of ongoing funds for airport projects throughout the state by dedicating revenue from the current Indiana sales tax on aircraft and the state excise tax on retail aviation fuel to a specific fund.

Our airport serves as a vital asset to all of Southwest Indiana, not just Vanderburgh County. It is in the entire state’s interest to find a user-based funding mechanism to support its smaller, but vital airports. I plan to introduce this bill during the upcoming legislative session, which starts Jan. 4 and would appreciate citizen input and feedback on the issue.