Hasan Minhaj claims Koch brothers are blocking public transportation plans

Patrick Devine
Updated

While addressing public transportation on Netflix's Patriot Act on Sunday, Hasan Minhaj blasted Charles and David Koch for leading the opposition of public transportation expansion in cities across the country.

Minhaj suggests their opposition is financially motivated. "The Koch brothers are conservative billionaires who have a huge stake in pretty much anything that has to do with cars: oil, gas, asphalt, tires, seat belts. They own seat belts!" exclaimed Minhaj.

Minhaj accused the Koch brothers of using their right-wing political group called Americans for Prosperity to lead a grassroots effort to stop a Nashville bus transit expansion plan.

Minhaj also tied the Kochs to Wisconsin's long history of opposing public transportation. The Patriot Act host pointed to the Koch brothers’ close relationship with former governor Scott Walker. "He put the Milwaukee bus system in a death spiral. And killed high-speed rail projects, but when it came to spending on highways, he didn't bat an eye. As governor, he spent almost two billion on a single highway junction called the Zoo Interchange, which was the most expensive highway project in Wisconsin's history," Minhaj said of Walker.

Addressing the current attempt to stop Phoenix's light rail expansion, Minhaj cited specific language in Prop 105 that would make it impossible for Phoenix to expand, ever. "They're trying to make it illegal to build trains. That is some movie villain s***. It's like that children's book, The Little Engine That Could But Won't If It Knows What's Good for It," joked Minhaj.

And while Minhaj made it clear how vital public transportation is for so many citizens, he also explained the financial benefits to expanding public transit. "Every billion dollars spent on public transit generates over 21,000 jobs. That's more than highways, water, energy or defense. In fact, for every dollar we invest in public transit, we get $4 back in economic output," he added.

Patriot Act airs Sundays on Netflix.

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