Posted on 06/17/2011 6:31:05 PM PDT by ejdrapes
Tim Pawlenty Supported Obama Calls for High Speed Rail Tim Pawlenty supports high-speed rail? Funded by the federal government? He did in 2009. As you complete your strategic plan to improve and deploy high-speed passenger rail systems in the United States, as mandated in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), the letter from the governors reads, we are pleased to share with you the unique qualities of our regional initiative and the reasons we believe projects in these corridors should be given top priority for high-speed passenger rail funding. On top of that, Pawlenty claimed during a 2009 interview with Public International Radio he, along with the majority of Republicans, support a form of stimulus so long as it is focused on the right projects. To be fair, state governors at the time of the stimulus didn't feel they had a choice about receiving stimulus funds, however, for Pawlenty to support big government spending "on the right projects" still gives the federal government a big role in the economy and manipulatin of the market, which is concerning. Pawlenty is correct when he says the stimulus package wasn't focused on "shovel ready jobs" and funded ridiculous things like shrimp running on a treadmill, but waste of taxpayer money is inevitable when government has too much control of the economy.
Katie Pavlich
Posted at 11:32 AM ET, 6/17/2011Gov. Tim Pawlenty was one of eight Midwestern governors to urge Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to make the Midwestern Regional Rail Initiative (MWRRI) a top priority in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The act, which includes a last-minute $8 billion for high-speed rails, would create a high-speed passenger rail that links Minneapolis and Chicago; a trip by rail between the cities would take about five and half hours.
I support, and most Republicans support, a stimulus bill, we just think this one was a missed opportunity and misguided in the sense that it should have focused on bread-and-butter things that have proven to be stimulative, like tax cuts that put money in peoples pockets right away. Or bread-and-butter infrastructure projects like roads and bridges. This thing has wandered into a meandering financial buffet of spending across all kinds of categories, many of which are not stimulative.
Another RINO sticks his horn into the taxpayer wallets. High Speed Rail is a solution for which there is no problem - unless you consider the problem is government not spending enough of other peoples’ money.
Bye Bye Tim.
Perhaps that’s why he’s not more forceful in attacking Romney. Because he knows he’s not that conservative himself.
PAWLENTY FOR PRESIDENT, PAWLENTY FOR PRESIDENT!! /s (did I need that?)
It would be nice to have high speed rail, but these politicians can’t seem to grasp the fact that this country is broke. What part of “we can’t afford it” don’t they understand?
Help me out here, guys. Yesterday was “Bachmann is not conservative enough” day. Today, it’s Pawlenty. Any idea who’s on deck for tomorrow?
Pawlenty has never been my first choice. I’d take him over Mitt but that’s not saying much.
FR is in full campaign mode already.
No that is “ BUH BYE” ;-)
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I'll take "anyone not named Sarah Palin" for $500 Alex
Jon Huntsman is getting in next week. ;-)
What kinda gets lost in the mix is the fact that the "streamliners" were the first moves towards high speed railby the private railroad companies. Those trains are still among the fastest that ran in the world at their time, some of them maybe as fast as 120 mph. And guess what happened? Liberal politicians next decided to use tax dollars to support the infrastructure of the "competition" (highways, airports) while at the same time regulating out of existence the ability of the railroads to compete. Still going on, too, with new regulatory agencies like the FRA and STB (which replaced the bad-enough ICC); we're down to four giant railroad companies thanks to lib regulation, our intercity passenger service (apart from in the northeast, and that's tenuous) runs slower than ever at average speeds of 40 mph and lower (during the "streamliner" era, average speeds were at least 60 mph), the freight trains, while still profitable, are slower than they've ever been (only serving to ship Chinese-made goods in when not shipping our grain and strategically-important raw materials out), and even the "trust funds" (haha) to support the highways and airports are themselves broke.
It would be nice to have high speed rail, but these politicians cant seem to grasp the fact that this country is broke. What part of we cant afford it dont they understand?
MONORAIL!
MONORAIL!
MONORAIL!
NEXT!!!
THANK YOU
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