Massachusetts has poured way more money into the welfare sinkholes of Montana and North Dakota over the last 20 years than we've gotten back for our highway projects. Even at the peak of Tip O'Neill's career, we were barely breaking even on federal taxes. Now it's closer to 78 cents on the dollar.
Running Amtrak through Montana is one of the most wasteful expenses in the federal budget.
"Massachusetts has poured way more money into the welfare sinkholes of Montana and North Dakota over the last 20 years than we've gotten back for our highway projects. Even at the peak of Tip O'Neill's career, we were barely breaking even on federal taxes. Now it's closer to 78 cents on the dollar."
Speaking of sinkholes....Does that include the $15 Billion Kerry and Kennedy obtained for underground ferry system known as the "Big Dig"?
You must be referring to the "Red Welfare State" story that was released by Democratic operatives just prior to the election. This was later thoroughly debunked as being due to 1) the progressive income tax structure [MA has a lot more millionaires than MT] and 2) the effect of defense spending [most of the nation's nuclear arsenal is in MT and ND].
Montana and North Dakota receive one train each way per day. That train makes money on solely-related costs, but thanks to Amtrak's bizarre accounting scheme, appears to lose money. That's because the western long distance trains are "taxed" a fee to connect to the Northeast Corridor -- without that fee, all but one make money. The NEC, in contrast, makes money on its operating costs, but DOES NOT make its cost of capital, which is paid for by ... the long distance western trains.
To replace the one train per day, the federal government would have to either 1) build a string of Class 1 airports along the northern tier, or 2) bring US 2 up to Interstate standards, both of which would cost billions and certainly not break even.