Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg earlier this week focused on alleged racial inequality in construction sites, noting the workers on infrastructure projects often look different from the people in the community in which they are working.
Buttigieg made the comments during an appearance at the National Association of Counties Conference on Monday.
“We have heard way too many stories from generations past of infrastructure where you got a neighborhood, often a neighborhood of color that finally sees the project come to them,” he explained.
“But everyone in the hard hats on that project looking like, you know, doing — doing the good paying jobs don’t look like they came from anywhere near the neighborhood,” added Buttigieg.
Buttigieg made no mention of the Ohio train derailment while speaking at a conference this morning but did find the time to say that there are too many white people who work construction. pic.twitter.com/q4WNcq10h9
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) February 13, 2023
RELATED: Tucker Carlson Mocks Pete Buttigieg Over Plan To Address ‘Racism’ In Highways
Something Slightly More Important
Hey, if Pete Buttigieg has so much time on his lands that he is lamenting work practices from ‘generations past’ – the DOT has required federal project funding go to at least 10% of minority-owned businesses since 1998 – that’s great.
It must really mean things are going well in the transportation sector and the Transportation Secretary’s attention can remain on the faux scourge of white construction workers.
Except … one problem.
There is a current ongoing environmental disaster taking place in East Palestine, Ohio where, earlier this month, a train derailment released toxic chemicals into the air, onto the ground, and into the water.
Residents in both Ohio and Pennsylvania were ordered to evacuate as nightmarish images emerged of the plume of smoke resulting from a controlled burn of the chemicals.
Hey paper straw people,
Where you at when the greatest ecological disaster in years occurs on US soil and is poisoning people, animals, and water supplies?!
Let’s put politics aside, join together, and save real lives here
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) February 13, 2023
The New York Times reports that “residents feared for their health” and “have complained of headaches and feeling sick since the derailment.”
People have been sharing images of dead animals online, claiming they are a result of the chemical release, though that has not been confirmed. Aquatic animals, however, are a whole different ball game.
“Residents said that fish and frogs were dying in local streams,” the Times writes, while the Ohio Department of Natural Resources has estimated that 3,500 fish of 12 different species have died thus far.
This is heartbreaking@JesseBWatters interviewed an Ohio resident w/2 young kids that lives near the train crash & he said he returned home after officials said it was “safe” but he gets headaches after 5 minutes of breathing the air
It is NOT safe
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) February 14, 2023
Pete Buttigieg Focused on ‘Racist’ Construction Projects
Ohio residents are fearing for their health and safety, animals are dropping dead, and we’re witnessing what might become the worst environmental disaster this country has seen in generations, but fear not – Pete Buttigieg is going to tackle racist construction sites.
FOX Business host Dagen McDowell blasted Buttigieg’s tone-deaf response to the ongoing crisis.
“Democrats, liberals and the left have repeatedly denigrated people like those who are now living in this Chernobyl that is East Palestine, Ohio, calling them deplorables bitterly clinging to their guns and Bibles, smelly Walmart shoppers,” she said.
“I can go down the list of ways that the left, and people quite frankly like Buttigieg and people who represent Biden and his administration, even Biden himself, have showed their disdain, disdain that runs deep and wide.”
Watch the latest video at <a href=”https://www.foxnews.com”>foxnews.com</a>
Buttigieg has been tweeting updates on the disaster but has lost confidence in even some normally friendly quarters for his overall inaction.
Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) called for a “Congressional inquiry and direct action from Pete Buttigieg to address this tragedy.”
“East Palestine railroad derailment will have a significant negative impact on the health and well-being of the residents for decades and there is almost zero national media attention,” she said.
Well, why would the media pay attention when the Transportation Secretary is discussing white construction workers?
East Palestine railroad derailment will have a significant negative impact on the health and wellbeing of the residents for decades and there is almost zero national media attention.
We need Congressional inquiry and direct action from @PeteButtigieg to address this tragedy. https://t.co/I42g4fXWsz
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) February 13, 2023
Fox News host Tucker Carlson mocked Mayor Pete, joking that “at gunpoint” Buttigieg “could not change a car tire” but somehow oversees our roads.
“[Buttigieg] seemed to have no idea that there was a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio,” Carlson knocked. “His real concern is that we have too many damn white construction workers in this country.”
Tucker: “[Pete Buttigieg] seemed to have no idea that there was a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. His real concern is that we have too many damn white construction workers in this country. Here’s a guy who at gunpoint could not change a car tire, oversees our roads.” pic.twitter.com/wlywocUBdb
— Kevin Tober (@KevinTober94) February 14, 2023
When you’re very clearly a diversity hire, diversity is the only thing on your mind.
This is the same man, after all, who vowed to tackle crumbling roadways in America by focusing on “racism physically built into some of our highways.”
Transportation @SecretaryPete: ” If an underpass was constructed such that a bus carrying mostly Black and Puerto Rican kids to a beach, […] in New York was designed too low for it to pass by, that that obviously reflects racism that went into those design choices.” pic.twitter.com/0XWkDZehYM
— The Hill (@thehill) November 8, 2021
The same man who addressed a supply chain crisis that lingers to this day by focusing on his own two-month paternity leave.
.@BretBaier: “You kept a low profile during the Southwest debacle…You were in Portugal during the rail strike crisis. You were on paternity leave during the 2021 supply chain crisis…how do you address that criticism?”
BUTTIGIEG: “It’s nonsense.” pic.twitter.com/tLGKrhzMEw
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) January 5, 2023
Republican Senator J.D. Vance hammered Buttigieg and the entire administration for continuing to focus almost exclusively on things that don’t matter.
“We are ruled by unserious people who are worried about fake problems instead of the real fact that our country is falling apart in some of the most important ways,” Vance fumed.
Perhaps the real reason Buttigieg isn’t concerned about the tragedy in East Palestine is the most obvious reason. The city is nearly 94% white.
As per usual, the ones most loudly proclaiming everything is racist are, in fact, the most glaringly racist people.
Would Buttigieg be doing more if this train derailed and spilled toxic chemicals in Detroit or Baltimore?
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The post A Train Derailed in Ohio Releasing Toxic Chemicals Into the Air, So Naturally Pete Buttigieg is Focused on White Construction Workers appeared first on The Political Insider.
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Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg earlier this week focused on alleged racial inequality in construction sites, noting the workers on infrastructure projects often look different from the people in the community in which they are working. Buttigieg made the comments during an appearance at the National Association of Counties Conference on Monday. “We have heard
The post A Train Derailed in Ohio Releasing Toxic Chemicals Into the Air, So Naturally Pete Buttigieg is Focused on White Construction Workers appeared first on The Political Insider.