Posted on 02/20/2011 3:21:28 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Listen up FReepers from all states. "High-Speed Rail" is a national problem (left to your children and grandchildren to support) not just a problem for Florida and a few other states. Liberals have all of us mapped out and in their sights.
This HUGE new government bureaucracy is getting ready to leave the station! And they will never pull the plug on this money pit. We will be told to subsidize it forever. Environmentalists, along with the msm and coordinating liberal groups, will have done their work and it will be "vital national emergency" to have and to keep rail vs cars.
A quick aside: How many unions will be interwoven into High-Speed Rail? Those same union bosses orchestrating the Madison march on the state capital (and their handmaidens hiding out in a resort in Illinois), who back each other up in “solidarity” in Wisconsin (Ohio) today will march in “solidarity” tomorrow over any plans to de-fund High-Speed Rail that WILL be coming to your state, YOU too will be asked to "contribute" your FAIR SHARE for the "health and prosperity" of the state and the country and Mother Earth.
Read this then watch the video linked below, that clearly explains the High-Speed Rail scam being shoved down Floridians throats (It's an information ammunition clip).
You easily can substitute other government programs in your mind as you listen and watch about the scam that will pick taxpayers pockets to pay vendors (big and small) who will buy politicians through campaign cash "kick-backs" and keep them in office as reliable votes for more funding when those pesky cost overruns appear and they never have a "profitable" bottom line.
And as the number of pockets being filled grows, the miles of track for this gravy train will grow. A Nationwide Network of High-Speed Rail Corridors are being set up to keep the fat cats and their politicians happy and prosperous on our confiscated dollars (and we're not talking ticket prices here). The rail lines shown in that link will "of course" have to be connected.
Instead of building a High-Speed Rail system, this scam has been designed as a reliable, high speed transfer of tax payer money into politically connected pockets (everyone will "enjoy" the China and Buffet tie-ins and go, “Ah-ha! So that's it! Of course!"). And *think* how many JOBS they will tell us this will create....how High-Speed Rail is where the "working Americans" can find stable, reliable employment with good benefits -- more government workers!! (They just have to keep people unemployed and they will have to take these government and union jobs).
I guess when you have big players like China and Buffet (along with tens of thousands of others eye-balling that fat tit), you don't mind making up cartoon numbers and bottom lines to sell it to the suckers who will foot the bill for their profits. The video exposes the numbers and the lies.
Floridians should email this video to their congressman. The pol recipient needs to know that you have watched it with great alarm and anger and you have sent it to everyone in Florida you know and have asked them to send it to everyone they know, etc. [All FReepers need to distribute this information -- get it out to citizens and voters in all states.]
The video runs about 10 minutes but it packs a HUGE [[PUNCH]] because it explains things CLEARLY.
***((VIDEO)) New Tax Funded Ball and Chain ((VIDEO))***
And it isn't going to stop in Florida. The High-Speed Rail scam has planted seeds in many major cities. So click on the video link and watch what is set to happen in your state (It's probably already started with small inner city lines that keep expanding).
Politicians are watching tapped-out voters RISE UP IN ANGER.
They are nervous about informed citizens going to the polls and turning them out of office.
It's time to kick out any politician that backs High-Speed rail.
Here is one who already got the message.
Haridopolos flip-flops, sides with Gov. Rick Scott on rejecting rail dollars
Steel Workers Union, Communications Workers, IBEW, AFL-CIO, Teamsters (well .. someone has to haul in the supplies), & since the GO-bama-ment is going to run it the SEIU/AFSME. That's my stating list.
Terrific LINKS and information.
I have to take off for the day.
Thank you for getting all this information out there Matchett-PI!
[CLICK] "We have been making history all week and into the weekend. On Saturday, union members and our many friends turned out all over the state to protest the refusal by key Wisconsin leaders to act like leaders." ~~~~~~~~~~
[Feb 22, 2011] "In a show of solidarity, AFSCME and SEIU members are again scheduled to wear "Together We Can!" sticker buttons at work that day. The stickers feature that slogan along with a green (AFSCME) and purple (SEIU) "unity fist bump" logo. Union members also wore the stickers on Feb. 10, which was the opening day of bargaining." [Oregon] State's economic proposals coming Feb. 22; wear your stickers!
[CLICK] Facebook UNION RALLY FOR WISCONSIN
Cincinatus’ Wife wrote: “Terrific LINKS and information.”
Thank you. Here’s where Florida FReepers and TEA party movement groups will be on Monday evening (tomorrow):
*** Governors Saving America Rally ***
We here in Orlando are going to join Tampa in putting on a rally Monday evening! We are Calling it the “Governors Saving America Rally”, to support Rick Scott and show solidarity with Wisconsin’s Governor.
We are gathering outside Sen. Bill Nelson’s office near downtown at Lake Eo la at 5:30PM.
Show Your Support For Rick Scott’s Courage To Stop The Insanity!
In a world that seems to have gone mad, We the People are standing with the Governors of America who are making the difficult decisions to save this country from financial disaster.
Doing Nothing Is No Longer An Option!
Show up HERE on Monday:
Monday, February 21st - 5:30 - 7PM
Outside Bill Nelson’s Office
Landmark Two
225 East Robinson Street, Ste 410
Orlando, Florida 32801
NOTE: I think we also need to organize rallys in front of Paula Dockery’s and John Mica’s offices. bttt
MORE (Especially see the letter from a TEA Party Movement group to his Senator at the end):
Even the Washington Post in a recent editorial on 2/14/2011 stated that high speed rail is a bad idea. Read it here:
High-speed rail is a fast track to government waste
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/13/AR2011021302203.html
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Florida Lawmakers Encouraging Reckless Spending on high speed rail
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2675687/posts
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Tallahassee (850) 487-5078
Statewide: 1-800-500-1239
Senate majority bashes Scott’s high-speed rail scuttling
by aaron deslatte on February, 17 2011
Orlando Sentinel
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/2011/02/veto-proof-senate-majority-bashes-scotts-high-speed-rail-scuttling.html
TALLAHASSEE A majority of the Floridaa Senate sent a letter to U.S. Secretary Ray LaHood Thursday, blasting Gov. Rick Scott’s decision to scuttle the state’s $2.7 billion high speed rail plan and pleading for more time.
“This project would create real jobs, cleaner and smarter transportation, and true economic development for Floridians,” said the letter signed by 26 senators, and led by Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland. “Politics should have no place in the future of Florida’s transportation, as evidenced by this letter of bipartisan support.”
Here’s the letter:
February 17, 2011
The Honorable Ray LaHood
U.S. Department of Transportation
200 New Jersey Ave, SE, Washington, DC 20590
Dear Secretary LaHood, In December of 2009, members of the Florida Legislature voted to create the Florida Rail Enterprise and the Florida Statewide Passenger Rail Commission. The enterprise could have the ability (pursuant to s. 341.822, Florida Statutes) to independently move forward with Florida’s plans for high speed rail. Please give us the time necessary to work with the enterprise prior to re allocating Florida’s funds to another state. This project would create real jobs, cleaner and smarter transportation, and true economic development for Floridians. The international consortiums who have been investing time and money while waiting for the chance to respond to a request for a proposal deserve that opportunity. Politics should have no place in the future of Florida’s transportation, as evidenced by this letter of bipartisan support.
Senator Anthony Hill, 1 District
Senator Greg Evers, 2nd District
Senator Stephen Wise, 5th District
Senator Bill Montford, 6th District
Senator Andy Gardiner, 9th District
Senator Mike Fasano, 11th District
Senator Dennis Jones, 13th District
Senator Paula Dockery, 15th District
Senator Jack Latvala, 16th District
Senator Arthenia Joyner, 18th District
Senator Gary Siplin, 19th District
Senator Mike Bennett, 21st District
Senator David Simmons, 22nd District
Senator Nancy Detert, 23rd District
Senator Thad Altman, 24th District
Senator Ellyn Bogdanoff, 25th District
Senator Lizbeth Benacquisto, 27th District
Senator Chris Smith, 29th District
Senator Maria Sachs, 30th District
Senator Eleanor Sobel, 31st District
Senator Jeremy Ring, 32nd District
Senator Nan Rich, 34th District
Senator Gwen Margolis, 35th District
Senator Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, 36th District
Senator Rene Garcia, 40th District
LET’S GET TO WORK !!!
They noted that politics should have no place in the future of Florida’s transportation, but they are doing exactly that with this political power play to quiet your voice and that of your elected Governor. Email them directly, and tell them that we can’t afford to play politics over High Speed Rail.
evers.greg.web@flsenate.gov, wise.stephen.web@flsenate.gov, gardiner.andy.web@flsenate.gov, fasano.mike.web@flsenate.gov, jones.dennis.web@flsenate.gov, dockery.paula.web@flsenate.gov, latvala.jack.web@flsenate.gov, bennett.mike.web@flsenate.gov, simmons.david.web@flsenate.gov, detert.nancy.web@flsenate.gov, altman.thad.web@flsenate.gov, bogdanoff.ellyn.web@flsenate.gov, benacquisto.lizbeth.web@flsenate.gov, portilla.miguel.web@flsenate.gov, garcia.rene.web@flsenate.gov, hill.tony.web@flsenate.gov , montford.bill.web@flsenate.gov, joyner.arthenia.web@flsenate.gov, siplin.gary.web@flsenate.gov, smith.chris.web@flsenate.gov, sachs.maria.web@flsenate.gov, sobel.eleanor.web@flsenate.gov, ring.jeremy.web@flsenate.gov, rich.nan.web@flsenate.gov, margolis.gwen.web@flsenate.gov
********************************
Below is a letter one of the TEA Party Movement leaders sent to his Senator. If you would like to send the letter, it is available below. Just make the changes where appropriate.
Mr. Gardiner, I was deeply disappointed to see your name on the Paula Dockery inspired letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. The actions by Republican officials in this state, best personified by this letter, toward Gov. Scott’s decision to reject the federal money for high speed rail is disgraceful.
As a member of the Republican Party myself, I am required to sign a ‘loyalty oath’ and I submit that these ongoing actions to undermine our Republican Governor would fail to meet the very expectations that I am held to. I have to ask, is this a matter of do what I say, not what I do?
I am also a recognized leader in the tea party movement and I can assure you that we are paying close attention to the actions of Republican officials in the wake of Scott’s decision.
The prevailing attitude within the movement is that our elected officials from the same side of the aisle are now trying to shove HSR down our throats just as the Democrat Party shoved healthcare reform down our throats. I assure you, this is not a perception that you want projected upon you.
Regardless of your position on HSR, the project was rejected through the Democratic process and these ongoing actions to circumvent the Governor smacks of Alcee Hastings’ comment, “rules, what rules, we make ‘em up as we go along”. Or worse, yet, Nancy Pelosi, “You go through the gate. If the gate’s closed, you go over the fence. If the fence is too high, we’ll pole-vault in. If that doesn’t work, we’ll parachute in.”
Hopefully you are picking up a theme here, which is that conservatives in this state are beginning to see similar elitist traits from those who were thought to be ‘friends’. You would be far better served to take a leadership role here and stand up for the interests of those you were elected to represent. The same folks who will ultimately bear the burden of the out of control national debt brought on by big spending politicians.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to a tea party meeting in your district to speak to a couple of hundred folks about the rail issue.
Thank You,
You realize that SEIU and AFSCME are both supported by the Workers of the World, the Wobblies.
Yeh, Memo to Barry: Americans are not homogeneous. They like their big gas guzzling SUV’s. They like to drive themselves in the privacy of their own vehicles without the government patting them down at both ends of the journey. They like to stop and buy a big juicy, fat laden burger and fries whenever the mood hits them. Maybe stop at Stuckey’s along the way for a pecan log and a rubber gator. I’m originally from Fla and thats just the way they roll down there. They don’t want no steekin high speed rail system.
Snippet of a GREAT letter!
Great stuff! Thanks!
Punch line at the end of the WaPo Editorial:
“Governing ought to be about making wise choices. What’s disheartening about the Obama administration’s embrace of high-speed rail is that it ignores history, evidence and logic. The case against it is overwhelming. The case in favor rests on fashionable platitudes. High-speed rail is not an “investment in the future”; it’s mostly a waste of money. Good government can’t solve all our problems, but it can at least not make them worse.”
[excerpt]....My train riding includes Amtrak, and Amtrak is a fun way to travel, as long as you don’t care when you leave or when you arrive. Since most travelers do care about those things, Amtrak does not have a large customer base and roars deeper into the red every year. It has escaped the ax time after time because of too many jobs involved, or too many riders dependent on the service (like, maybe, 12), or even perhaps a touch of nostalgia for the great age of rail travel. Nostalgia, I suspect, had something to do with the creation of Amtrak in the first place. No one yearns for the great age of covered wagon travel, but I guess there’s a limit.
High-speed rail would be Amtrak on steroids. Almost literally, for most plans call for upgrading parts of the existing system to run faster and more often. Vice President Joe Biden has been a cheerleader for years, and the president has apparently caught the bug: “Imagine, he said in a 2009 speech announcing his plan, “boarding a train in the center of a city. No racing to an airport and across a terminal, no delays, no sitting on the tarmac, no lost luggage, no taking off your shoes.” And imagine there’s no countries, or nothing to kill or die for, or—no wait, wrong pipe dream. The State of the Union speech devoted a paragraph to giving “80 percent of Americans access to high-speed rail . . . for some trips, it will be faster than flying—without the pat-down.” Good one, Mr. President. Though what makes anyone imagine that mass rail transit would escape the grope of the TSA?....
........A network of high-speed rail like Obama proposes (with lines fanning out from Chicago, up from Texas, and down both coastlines) ignores the most basic element of railroading: the track. Most track in the United States is rated for speeds no higher than 70 mph (or 80 max). To support speeds of 110 or more, it would have to be upgraded, at huge expense and inconvenience for the trains already running on it. Once upgraded, passenger trains would be given right-of-way over freight, as Amtrak trains already are, disrupting further the most economical and environmentally friendly transit system in the world and forcing common carriers to bear expenses that they would pass on to shippers. That would inevitably translate into higher utility and product costs for us. And if current Amtrak ridership is any indication, those extra passenger trains—whizzing by in a blur while valuable commodities simmer on a siding—would be mostly empty...[end excerpt]
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