Posted on 10/10/2010 5:38:21 AM PDT by Willie Green
If politicians in states such as California, Florida, Ohio, and Wisconsin can’t stomach the idea of a high-speed rail system, the Obama administration should redirect billions of federal dollars to where they belonged in the first place: the busy Northeastern corridor, where population density and public appreciation for train travel both run high.
When the administration handed out $8 billion in rail grants, New England came up mostly short, landing a mere 2 percent of the money. Yet many of the big winners in this competition hardly seem grateful. As The New York Times reported last week, Republican candidates for governor in a number of states are campaigning against the rail projects their states received gobs of federal money to build. The money isn’t enough, these candidates argue, to cover the whole cost of the rail projects...
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
If these silly sockpuppets succeed in cutting the economic jugular vein of their own states, I would prefer to see the money get reallocated to a Maglev project... either in Pittsburgh or Atlanta/Chattanooga.
During this period of economic difficulty, we need to be implementing infrastructure projects that will make our economy more competitive in the 21st Century. Not obstructing them.
It nauseates me that the GOP is on the wrong side of this issue.
The problem with socialism is eventually you run out of other people’s money.
We’re broke Willie. You pay for your own train addiction.
Intracity travel was solved long ago in this country with the invention of the airplane.
You got that right.
The initial investment is that first snort of crack.
The ongoing maintenance/operating costs are the addiction that drains your wallet.
I'll drive myself thank you very much
Most Americans that favor rail are hoping it will get some of the cars off the road so their drive to work isn’t so crowded.
yes but its too bad, that it is to the point where I would rather drive cross country than put up with all the BS we must go through at airports these days.
Repeal Mavis Bacon and we’d get more for our money. But then the democrats might not be interested in this project either then.
oops. It’s Davis Bacon.
Mavis Beacon is a computer based typing tutor. Davis Bacon is a federal law that requires the federales to pay top dollar for construction projects.
Since he has stated his Democratic leanings (he claims that it is over a non existing racial issue), I refuse to respond to him on these threads, Wisconsin, with the exception of a small minority in the Milwaukee - Madison corridor overwhelmingly is against this train.
By economic jugular vein, do you mean federal grants to build transportation that requires decades of commitment, from gov't employees, maintenance staff and law enforcement all for a product that will never, and never has paid for itself?
That's why I refuse to fly anywhere, if I can't drive there, I ain't going. And, I would never take a train anywhere beyond a short commute into the city (and even then I prefer to drive and deal with traffic most of the time). These freakin' long distance train projects are just pork being used to build commie people herders, I hope they all FAIL MISERABLY.
I'm not convinced that "high-speed rail" will do that.
If there are all these people who are clamoring to ride the train, then let the train companies build the thing, and let them collect the fares.
Watch this response ~ Hey Willie, I used to carry a Post Office Department "Travel Commission". It directed common carriers that carried mail to let me on board free of charge. I could, and did, ride the rails wherever they went. For a while I also had an "Air Travel Commission". I could just hop on a plane and go wherever.
Lot of fun.
BTW, I once rode on the FRONT platform of an AMTRAK train. You go through the yards at Baltimore, Philadelphia and other places along the route from DC to NYC you get one heck of a thrill out there ~ just beyond the door ~ wind blowing at 75 MPH, and at that time, MUCH HIGHER.
6 inches clearance!!!
With that pass I could go up to the engine on any train ~ and did so.
When it comes to rail travel, ain't no thang!
I believe it’s ‘Davis-Bacon’ FRiend. :) Your point is well-taken. It was also passed under Roosevelt, if memory serves, so no wonder Democrats are so studiously silent about it. One more thing that Obama is not admitting is framing his whole thought process.
He’s a collectivist who worships at the alter of Central Planning.
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