[CedarDave]

...except in the 3 or 4 areas in the nation where gross population density is high enough to support them on a break-even or near-break-even basis.

I'd even take 50-70 percent farebox if necessary to cut congestion or avoid federal air quality sanctions. In this case 10% or less farebox?? Where is the sanity?? The pro-commuter rail bureaucrats in ABQ/SF took advantage of the Obama surge in NM to win approval of yet another tax to fund it.

[okie01]

On the basis of this one article, I'd judge that Gene Grant is even dumber than Bill Richardson.

[SAJ]

Nothing new here, mate. I'm in StL, MO -- our infamous MetroKlunk, aka 'MetroLink', has been ripping us off for years. Doubtless our good FReeper colleague Xenalyte can tell you some (cough) wonderful stories about Houston's light-rail fiasco, too -- she calls it the ''Wham-Bam Tram'' for reasons which I'm sure she'll explain fully if you ask, and the fiscal folly in Houston, I'm sure, is every bit as outrageous as it is here.

''Light rail'', and other such bureaudork schemes, are world-without-end black holes for the taxpayer in almost ALL areas, serving only to create jobs for morons (including my cousin's wife's sister's husband, who defends his cushy job to the death, the little weasel) and more 'turf' for bureaudorks.