Remember when the Biden administration promised us a whopping 500,000 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations by 2030? Fast forward to now, and the grand total stands at a magnificent seven. Yes, seven.
The culprit: DEI mandates
And guess what’s holding things up? The administration’s beloved diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) mandates. Who could have seen that coming? Just about everyone.
Buttigieg’s justifications.
In a valiant attempt to justify this monumental failure, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg chirped on CBS’s Face the Nation about the supposed complexity of this “new category of federal investment.”
He insisted it’s more than just “plunking a small device into the ground.” Sure, Pete, we get it. It’s complicated. But how complicated is it really? Internal memos from the Department of Transportation, obtained by the Washington Free Beacon, reveal that the real culprit is the White House’s DEI initiatives.
Internal struggles and frustrations.
“It’s a mess,” admitted a senior Department of Transportation staffer who, unsurprisingly, preferred to remain anonymous.
And apparently, President Biden is quite frustrated with the snail-paced progress of his infrastructure projects. CNN reported last December that a “close ally” of the White House disclosed Biden’s impatience, quoting the president’s desire to have this stuff done “now.”
But who’s to blame? That would be Biden and his Democrat friends. Yes, not long after he took office, Biden signed an executive order demanding that 40% of all federal climate and environmental programs should benefit “underserved communities.”
This also birthed the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, tasked with ensuring the “voices, perspectives, and lived realities” of these communities are heard. Translation: endless red tape and delays.
The grant application nightmare.
To get a grant, applicants must show how they’ll involve disadvantaged communities throughout a project’s lifecycle. What does that even mean? The Department of Transportation suggests “intentional outreach” which they define as things like “games and contests” and “neighborhood block parties.” Yes, obviously, those things are what’s missing from the EV charging station process.
Too much bureaucracy, very little action.
Jim Meigs, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, nailed it: these “public involvement” requirements are a bureaucratic nightmare, impossible to quantify, and open builders up to lawsuits. But hey…as long as there’s equity, who cares if nothing actually gets built?
Applicants are also required to submit reports, often hundreds of pages long, detailing their pursuit of “equity” at every step. This means delays and higher costs, as noted by a senior Department of Transportation official.
Projects must promote local inclusive economic development and entrepreneurship, like using minority-owned businesses and funding support services for underrepresented populations. Great in theory, but in practice? It’s a disaster.
The larger picture of Democratic ineptness.
These DEI regulations are entrenched in over 500 federal initiatives across 19 agencies. That’s why the Biden administration never actually accomplishes anything – they are just all smoke and mirrors.
So, what’s the real goal here? Reducing emissions or spreading taxpayer money to Democratic constituencies through minority-focused contracting and hiring? Hm… I think we know the answer to THAT question.
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