by Mark Donovan
The President laughed lightly at Chung Lee’s question. “Mr. Lee, it really isn’t about whether or not man is the main contributor of global climate change or global warming. Or even whether or not it is a new phenomenon. The fact of the matter is, it is an issue, whether artificial or not, that people can easily be manipulated into believing and understanding. Quite frankly, it’s today’s new religion. Governments, media, and business leaders like us, have effectively been able to use the global climate change meme for accomplishing numerous positive initiatives around the world that have helped poor and not so poor people alike. Regardless of whether or not global warming is something new or mostly a manmade event is irrelevant. It is the vehicle for affecting positive change in our world, such as in what I am proposing with the Transportation Movement Act and the United States adoption of a mass public transportation system.”
Chung Lee nodded in agreement at the President’s summary. “Alright, I just wanted to be sure we were not all buying into the same stuff we are selling.”
The four men laughed at Chung’s suggestion before the President continued on with his introduction in a more subtle tone.
“Though addressing global warming is a major benefit of the Transportation Movement Act, it is ultimately not the chief purpose of the legislation,” said the President.
Lee and Barbas sat silent as the President paused for effect, with Barbas already knowing in advance what he was about to say.
“The Transportation Movement Act also offers an even larger benefit to the world. It is the vehicle for providing reparations to the rest of the world for all the wrongs that the United States has inflicted on it for over a century. Not just for the terrible pollution that it has produced, and the negative effects of it on the billions of lives that it has impacted. But for also its predatory and dictatorial actions and policies that it has effectively foisted on countries and their people throughout the world. Be it via its military and economic actions, its land grabs during the establishment of the country, slavery, or its overall insensitivity to other countries’ sovereign rights, as it simply exploited and took from them what it wanted when it needed it.”
Barbas and Hardy nodded their heads in full agreement as the President spoke. Chung Lee simply listened in silent and confused disbelief, as he wondered to himself how the American people could have been so duped into electing a man to represent them that had so much disdain for them and his country. Could they have been so truly uninformed on voting for this man, or did the majority of the American public really think like him.
“With the passage of the Transportation Movement Act, and in particular the mileage tax, we will be able to generate the revenues to not only eventually complete the national MAGLEV rail system, but to also spread a significant amount of the United States wealth to other countries and their people around the world.”
“Isn’t the mileage tax that you mention a temporary tax?” asked Lee. “How long do you really think you can open up the United States citizens’ bank accounts to the rest of the world?”
Ken Hardy looked at Chung Lee and smiled before saying, “Most newly proposed taxes are pitched as temporary, or as a very small percentage of income or cost of goods. I think I would not be going too far out on a limb to say that the mileage tax will be temporary as long as there are still automobiles on our roads and/or there are people who still desire to commute by non-public transit means. If the Transportation Movement Act passes, I think you won’t see it repealed in our lifetimes. Even the opposition party members who are currently opposed to the TMA legislation wouldn’t want to see that cash stream ever disappear once it’s created.”
“You mean when the Transportation Movement Act passes,” corrected the President.
The four men laughed at the Chief of Staff’s faux pas and the President’s correction of it.
“Yes, the passage of it,” responded Hardy laughing.
“How confident are you that your Congress will pass this legislation?” asked Lee. “The recent video releases of your Vice President and Mr. Barbas here must have compromised its ability to be passed.”
“Yes, the release of the videos has been an unfortunate series of events. However, we’re still confident that we’ll have the necessary votes in both the House and the Senate to ensure the TMA’s passage.”
“And what happens when the American public begins to fully understand the siphoning off of the mileage tax revenue to other nations,” pressed Lee. “You don’t think the opposition party will push for its repeal?”
“The American public won’t ever see the siphoning off of the mileage tax revenue, as you so aptly put it," responded the President. "That simple factoid will be lost in the budgetary minutia of running and managing such a massive national program. Yes, there will be the opponents of the TMA that will try to bring it to the surface, but our friends here in the media,” as he looked over at Barbas, “will continue to support us. They’ll make sure the opponents of the TMA are reduced to looking like ridiculous and sniveling children that are simply jealous of the good work we’re doing for the country.”
“And even if the American public does find out that the mileage tax revenue is also funding international projects, they won’t care,” chimed in Ken Hardy. “They’re too busy with their day to day lives trying to find work and make ends meet. Also, as the President just stated, the national press has our backs. By the time they get done countering any negatives on the mileage tax, the American public will be asking to have even more of the funds go to global initiatives. Joe and Jane Q. American public are saps for a good cause, when pitched the right way, even if it means they have to suffer a bit more.”
“What about the labor unions in this country?” questioned Lee again. “What will their reaction be when they find out that the construction of the MAGLEV vehicles and tracks are being manufactured out of the United States? I would think they’d act violently to the news.”
“No they won’t,” responded the President. “There will be plenty of work for them. Yes, Barbas and his partner Jason Evans at DGK International will fabricate the guideways and provide the magnetics, but we’ll employ American labor to install them. Similarly, Yeh Electric Train will build the locomotives and passenger cars, but it will be America workers that operate them.”
“As you can see it’s a win-win for all,” chimed in the Chief of Staff. “The TMA gets our country’s people back to work, we help out our international partners, and we clean up the environment in the process. Who can legitimately complain about it?”
“So when do you think you’ll get this bill up for a vote in Congress?” asked Barbas.
“As you know, the bill has already been submitted to the House of Representatives. The Speaker of the House has promised me he’ll have it on the floor of the House in a couple of weeks for an up or down vote. Once it passes the House we’ll have it over at the Senate the following day. They’ll probably want to debate it for a week themselves before they finally vote on it. I’ll sign it into law the day after the Senate approves it.”
“And once it’s the law of the land, how soon do you anticipate having your team formally ink the business terms with Yeh Electric Train and DGK International?” asked Barbas.
“Within a couple of weeks,” responded Ken Hardy. “Since both the MAGLEV vehicles and tracks are the physical pillars of the TMA, we’ll want your firms onboard early to help with the property site assessments and planning stages.”
“As soon as I sign the bill into law I’ll have my Secretary of Commerce and her team out to meet with each of your companies to begin detailed contract negotiations.”
While Chung Lee listened to the other men talk he couldn’t help but think to himself of the irony of the situation and his country’s good turn of fortune. Today the United States was about to purchase Chinese engineered locomotive technology developed by a highly educated Chinese labor force, and use poorly educated and unskilled American labor to build their new national
rail system. In the 19th century it was the reverse. United States entrepreneurs and factories designed and built the locomotives, and unskilled Chinese immigrant laborers were used in the construction of railways that crisscrossed the United States as part of the Transcontinental railroad system.
One of the flaws of capitalism and a totally free society he mused to himself. Where the unbridled energy of one generation creates so much unchecked wealth that it breeds a new generation of purposeless and slothful offspring. The Chinese system of capitalism is the best form of capitalism he said to himself, a proverb that he constantly heard throughout his career at Yeh Electric Train. A strong and centrally managed government, yet with limited regulation, has enabled China’s economy to flourish. While during the same time the economies of Europe and the United States, with their weak and less centrally controlled government, yet high regulatory control, have nearly collapsed.
“So gentlemen do you have any additional questions for me?” asked the President who was anxious to bring an end to the meeting and go out to the driving range and hit a bucket of balls.
“Yes, I have one remaining question,” responded Chung Lee. “What are you doing in terms of your security breaches and the prevention of additional surveillance videos from being released? As you can imagine, if word leaked out about our meeting today it would be very damaging to me and my country.”
“I can assure you Mr. Lee that we are all over sealing our security leaks and taking out the perpetrators of the video releases. Though we have not caught them yet, we have a pretty good idea who they are and roughly where they’re operating out of.”
“I hope so, as my government will have major issues with Yeh Electric Train contracting with the United States if the security issues are not resolved. The last thing our government wants is to be in the middle of a civil uprising in your country. Moreover, Yeh Electric Train has highly confidential intellectual property associated with our locomotive technology that we don’t want falling into our U.S. based competitors’ hands.”
“I understand and I can assure you we have the situation under control,” responded Ken Hardy as he lightly wiped his nagging watering right eye with a napkin. “Though as the President just said we haven’t captured the terrorist group yet, I can assure you it is imminent. Also, one of the reasons we decided to meet here today at Camp David was to provide an extra layer of privacy and confidentiality for our talks.”
Chung nodded in appreciation for the President and the Chief of Staff’s responses to his question. “Good, I’m glad to hear you have this issue nearly resolved. I am very much looking forward to working with you and your country.”
The four men stood up and shook hands on their future partnership. As they were shaking hands Barbas noticed Hardy wiping his eye once again with the napkin. “I have the same issue with my eye as well,” as he pointed to Hardy wiping his eye.
“Yes, it’s been an ongoing issue for a number of weeks now. I think I better get it checked out soon. Hopefully I’m not going blind he joked.” The four men laughed.
“I’ve been meaning to visit my eye doctor as well. If I get to my doctor first, I’ll let you know what he tells me. It’s probably just spring season allergies,” said Barbas laughing.
“Well I look forward to hearing back from you on that topic,” said Hardy chuckling in return.
A couple of Camp David staff members walked into the lodge conference room area and began to escort the four men out to the helicopter pad area where the driving range was located.
“Gentlemen, I’ve arranged for us to hit a few bucket of balls until lunch is served,” said the President. “After lunch my helicopter will take the two of you to Reagan International Airport so that you can catch your afternoon flights.”
Chapter 86 (March 31, Sunday 3:30pm Mountain Daylight Savings Time)
The video ran for nearly half an hour. During its run the video was periodically paused so that Dana’s synthesized voice could provide editorial clarification or accentuate points that the President had made. As the video played out, people all around the country sat glued in front of their televisions, computers, and radios and watched and listened to the President and the other men talk. They listened to their own President, and his Chief of Staff, speak disparagingly about the American public that he supposedly represented, calling them saps. How the Transportation Movement Act was more about providing reparations to the rest of the planet for the past sins of the United States, than it was about providing public transportation. That the mileage tax was a permanent tax, that in major part, would be used to fund the President’s initiatives abroad. That offshore companies in China and Europe would get the lion’s share of the MAGLEV construction contracts. And that finally, the President would use his media allies to hide and mask all of these facts to the public.
Within that thirty minute timeframe, all of the hope and promise, and goodwill that the majority of the American public had given the President over the years, had eroded away to nothing. They had just witnessed their President, and his Chief of Staff, commit treason in front of them. They no longer wanted the President impeached. They wanted him hanged, along with his side kick.
As the video ended and networks returned to their normal broadcasts, news anchors tried to make sense of the video that had just played out in front of them on their own stations, while the public in masses erupted violently into the streets.
Just as the video began to play out to the American public, Alex and Basil had completed their search around the Cut Bank Airport. In the process, they had discovered a Cessna Citation parked inside one of the hangars while looking through a small window on the side of the hangar. They had broken into the hangar and had discovered that it was the one owned and operated by NSurv. However, they left all of the contents in the aircraft where it was. For now, they were focused on finding Dave Henson and his team.
Basil knocked on the door to the adjacent hangar that had the old beat up pickup truck parked outside next to it. After several repeated hard knocks on the door it finally opened. Ed Clemons was standing in front of the two men.
“Hello, what can I do for you?” asked Ed Clemons suspiciously.
“We’d like to talk to you if you don’t mind,” said Basil, as he maneuvered around Ed and pushed his way through the door entrance and into the hangar. Alex followed in quick pursuit.
“Hey, I didn’t invite the two of you into my hangar.”
“We realize that,” responded Basil. “But we have a few questions to ask of you and we wanted to ask them in the privacy of your hangar.”
“What kind of questions?” asked Ed Clemons angrily.
“Well first of all who owns the hangar next to you with the Cessna Citation in it?”
“I don’t know,” responded Ed sharply.
“Come on old man,” retorted Alex. “An aircraft like that is stored in a hangar next to yours and you don’t know who owns it. Do you take us as fools?”
“Hey, I mind my own business. I don’t ask a lot of questions. I’ve seen a lot of aircraft come and go out of this airport over the years, and I don’t make an effort to find out who owns each plane.”
“But I think you might know the person who owns this one,” replied Basil as he picked up a rubber mallet off the tool bench.
“The other day there was a man visiting you here. Who was he?” asked Basil as he swung the rubber mallet with one hand into his other.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yes you do. We saw a man drive away in a car which had been parked outside of this hangar,” responded Alex.
Ed looked nervously at the other man holding the mallet. “Yes, I do remember. It was one of my local buddies stopping by to say hello.”
“What is his name?” pressed Basil as he continued to swing the rubber mallet.
“Don Garrish.”
“So it was just a local guy named Don Garrish stopping by to pay you a visit,” repeated Basil.
/> Basil and Alex looked at each other and then back at Ed.
“What is your name?” asked Basil.
“Ed, Ed Clemons.”
“Well Ed, my colleague and I don’t believe you’re being straight with us. I don’t think the name of the man that visited you the other day was a Don Garrish and I think you know who owns that hangar and aircraft next to you.”
“Well you’re wrong.”
“Does the name Dave Henson sound familiar to you?” asked Basil.
Attempting to look as calm as possible Ed responded, “No. I am not familiar with the name.”
“Well Ed, I think you’re lying. That hangar and plane next door are owned by a Mr. Dave Henson from NSurv Incorporated. I think you do know him and you’re protecting him.”
“Ed, please tell us where we can find Mr. Henson and we’ll walk out of here peacefully,” said Alex almost pleadingly as he looked over at Basil.
“Ed, I’m going to give you one more chance to be straight with us. If you refuse to cooperate with me, I’m going to have to give you a little tough love,” said Basil.
“Go to hell,” responded Ed as he spat in the man’s face. “Tough love my ass, I’ll give you some tough love.”
Ed attempted to throw a punch at the man holding the rubber mallet. As he did, Basil ducked and swung the mallet up into Ed’s face breaking his nose. Blood spattered on the aircraft’s fuselage next to them as Ed fell to the floor.
“Ed, you shouldn’t have done that,” said Basil. “Now I know you’re holding back information so you better tell me all you know now or it’s going to get much worse for you.”
Ed looked up at the two men, his head in a fog and his nose bleeding profusely. He had lived a long life and served his country in the military. He was not going to die sniveling to a couple of foreign punks, and he wasn’t going to be a traitor to his old friend.