Posted on 01/30/2011 8:04:48 AM PST by rabscuttle385
Key Republicans are embracing a major spending initiative outlined in President Obama's State of the Union address.
Two top members of the House Transportation Committee said they will push the president's initiative seeking to give 80 percent of Americans access to high-speed rail over te course of the next 25 years.
"I believe it's good for America to develop a high-speed rail corridor in the Northeast corridor," Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), the chairman of the railroad subcommittee, said according to the Connecticut Post. "It's a place we have to start, we have to accomplish it, because then I believe all of America, in the various corridors around the country, will want high-speed rail if they see success here."
Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.), the chairman of the whole committee, also said Friday he was "pleased that President Obama has helped to launch a system for improved passenger rail service for our nation."
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
Are they really THAT STUPID?
They are members of the Party of Government.
It’s stupid.
Rail is fine for cattle but people want the most expedient method of travel to get to their destination.
Some men you just can’t reach.
They need to be reminded about AMTRAK. Like a mantra. Like a never ending mantra.
I don’t fly. I like the train. Geeze, now I’m a Rino. I get so tired of not being allowed to be a REAL Republican because I don’t agree with every single thing certain FReepers have decided upon. I would love to see a good PRIVATE rail system, btw. But you don’t have to hate passenger trains to be a conservative.
That didn’t take long at all.
Noooo! Not one cent of my money to build these union job-factories/treasure chests!
“The pair warned Obama to seek more private investments in the project...”
There is not going to be private investment. Private investors are not that dumb. They know that it is IMPOSSIBLE to compete against private vehicle travel. That is even he case in Europe - where, despite their vaulted train system, try driving the motorways and look who’s there - regular people, just going on holiday (as they call it).
People are not going to take the train from Phili to Pittsburgh when it requires 9 hours (door to door), versus 5 hours to drive it. Not going to happen. And it WILL require 9 hours, because, by the time the environmentalists get done with things, the tracks will not be anywhere near straight and the idea of the train being high speed would have been dispensed with years earlier. Even airplanes have a difficult time competing against private travel, until you at least cross the 300 mile mark.
This kind of stuff, that has NO ECONOMIC JUSTIFICATION, just infuriates me, and really makes me wish that we would have our financial meltdown sooner, rather than later, just to put a stop to this.
Well everyone knows that one effect of a thriving economy is seeing lots of people building lots of things....you know, lots of activity buzzing around.
So obviuosly, if we can just create a lot of activity building these fast choo-choos and their tracks, the economy will be great !
First we’ll have lots of (union) folks working to lay the tracks, then building the train cars, then actually operating and maintaining the system !
And besides all the new train-related jobs, other workers will have wonderful fast trains ready to take us to our (currently non-existent) jobs!
But don’t worry...until more jobs finally appear, Americans will love riding the fast choo-choos just for the entertainment of it, don’t you know !
Atlas is shrugging. Railroads? Rand was prophetic. The lowest priority I have right now is a railroad or health insurance.
Nobody hates passenger trains, but they're not PRIVATE when taxpayers foot the bill.
Mica has been fighting for a federally funded rail project in Central Florida his entire career. I don’t think a little thing like the Tea Party is going to stop him.
Why not just go for high speed boats and cut channels across America too? The rail system in this country is not great, in fact, it barely gets freight there now. So, we are now going to load onto a high speed rail that will require laying more trackage while freight gets a back seat?
The average voter here is a dope too. I heard an exchange on the radio yesterday between some dim bulb who said she supported it because she would be able to do weekends in Miami and return to NYC. When the moderator said, at best and at top speed, it would take 12 hours by train verses 3 by air, she was undaunted. Furthermore, if any of these systems had to be supported entirely by the fare box, a trip would cost in the 100s of thousands to boot.
One line that is proposed is from San Diego to Sacramento. Anyone care to guess how much the public is looking for such a route? Maybe if it hooks up with the Tijuana Trolley it might be a benefit so those illegal aliens can get themselves to their political base, otherwise, another complete waste of money.
Nobody is protesting private rail, just government sponsored rail with money we ain't got to support a system only libtards in the east will be able to scam huge amounts of money from. And yes, only RINOs would support an Obama rip-off initiative, so if you want to self-identify yourself as a RINO because you support this monstrosity, well its your call.
We all would. But if there is no profit in it......etc., etc..
“Are they really THAT STUPID?”
Yes, I’m afraid they truly are.
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