âI- Thank you, Mr. President, that means a lot to hear, coming from you,â Charlie said in response to the compliment. It meant a lot that the President believed them to be intelligent, even if he followed the complement up with a bookend about idealism. And yes, Charlie knew that he was an idealist - especially by todayâs standards, but they also knew that this bill was⌠wellâŚ. rational.Â
âBut thatâs the thing,â Charlie says, noting the question of where the funding was coming from. âThe BUILD Program, which is what states are currently using to help subsidize these projects anyway, already has a budget of 2 billion dollars of funding that weâve deemed discretionary. This money only gets divided up between the states that apply for it. Which means some states could be getting away with just⌠not applying for it at all. And even if that 2 billion is divided evenly, it still gives 40 million dollars to each state to invest in, or to begin to invest in eco-friendly transportation. It isnât like governments arenât already investing in these kinds of methods of transportations, either. Before I was elected, a lot of my work in DC was as a liaison for numerous states in regards to writing BUILD grants with engineers and officials. The problem isnât with the desire to do it, itâs the fact that itâs considered discretionaryâŚâ Charlie trails. He knows the bill seems much more ambitious than it is, but they wonder if people are only concerned because they donât know that the money already exists in a different way.Â
âForgive me for being blunt,â they said, taking a small breath, âbut if we donât make changes, weâre going to be running into a whole new set of problems in the next ten years. Iâve done the research personally, and there isnât a solution where this country comes out on top without some major and immediate changes. Iâd argue that even this is a small step - I mean, the least we can do is begin to reallocate the funding thatâs already there. Even if the bill passes with the amendment that we just re-allocate the BUILD funds, that sets a precedent that investing in eco-conscious transportation is important and necessary. And weâve thought about the logistics. About how this could take away from states who might need more funding vs less funding, but as long as a ratio basis is put into place, where states who need the funds are receiving adequate amounts, then I think this is a completely feasible bill - Congress just has to look at it the right way,â Charlie shrugged. The bill wasnât really about the funding, was what Charlie was really trying to say - the bill was about how the country views climate change initiatives. And that included Berkeley.
âI mean, I wouldnât ever be risking penning a bill I didnât believe in. But Iâm also Manhattan. My projected vote percentage is near 80%, weâve been democratic for the last hundred years and my constituents want to see meaningful action. Still, thereâs a reason Iâm fighting climate change right now and not trying to pass major legislation on trans rightsâŚâ Charlie said. The implication was there, re-allocating funds that already existed was easier than trying to convince half of congress and the country that they should pass major legislation in support of a community they wanted to believe didnât exist.Â
âI understand,â Julian says â somewhat meaning it. At the very least, he hopes to be. âI know we must make changes now, to make things better in the future. Itâs what my presidency, should I be re-elected, is all about. And I agree with you Charlie, one-hundred-percent. But Iâm just trying to think, how do we get the rest of them to think this way also?âÂ
While Julian might view it an specific way, there were many other angles in which such an initiative could be regarded from. That was something that escaped his grip entirely. His voters, as well as Wrightâs, as well as everyone elseâs. It isnât a one-blanket demographic. âIâm just saying, Charlie, thereâs a need to know where these funds will be coming from â where theyâreâll be a deduction from. Most likely, your voters will agree; but it needs to be disclosed. And, depending on your goal, I do believe a higher budget will be needed, if you want all of it to come into effect as soon as possible. The faster you want it, the harder it will be to achieve.âÂ
âWhether itâs climate change or trans rights, you know I stand with you, Charlie.â Julian offers, sympathetic in the way he nods. âBut from an administrative point of view, Iâm simply trying to see how well this can do in the polls â realistically.â He adds: âSometimes, we have to sacrifice a thing or two, to get the bigger picture out there, beyond the smaller scale and flaws on the canvas. To get the public on your side, is an entirely new deal altogether.âÂ