Posted on 08/18/2010 7:49:38 AM PDT by Willie Green
High speed rail remains a sort of punching bag when it comes to rhetoric about government spending and Americas unstoppable devotion to the automobile. Im not one to get too political about sustainability since I think it should be a non-political common sense issue. But sometimes I have to let things fly. Even in an era of deep deficit, some government spending is a good thing, and High Speed Rail happens to be high on that list.
First, lets run down a few of the reasons why:
High Speed Rail is the most important US infrastructure project since the interstate highway system. You can read some more of my ramblings on the topic here, but the key points are these:
Unfortunately, theres almost no way a real high speed network will be built in the United States without direct government funding. The reason is simple its very expensive to get started, and requires all kinds of political cooperation from the federal to the local level. There is, however, a plausible argument that NOT building high speed rail (and related non car infrastructural improvements) would actually be more expensive in the long term widening a freeway (something I compare to an obese person loosening his belt) is astronomically expensive, as is expanding airports. Plus, freeways and airports offer none of the additional benefits that high speed rail provides.
If youre still not convinced, perhaps a trip to Europe or China would convince you.
Meanwhile in Wisconsin:
Earlier this year, the Obama administration announced funding for a first batch of high speed rail service on several key routes in the US. Many of these will radiate from Chicago the continents transportation hub. The very first line will ultimately connect Chicago to Minneapolis via Milwaukee and Madison. Phase one will be an extension of the existing Chicago/Milwaukee line to Madison a project that is fully funded by $810Million in stimulus money. Its a gift horse if there ever was one to the people of Wisconsin.
Now, with the mid term election creeping into view, Republican gubernatorial challenger Scott Walker has pledged I kid you not to return the $810M in stimulus money to Washington and halt construction of the train.
His argument? That the state will ultimately be forced to pay for upkeep of an empty train.
My argument? Although maintenance costs are not trivial, they are peanuts compared to maintaining highways. And given that this is only phase one of a much larger system, its a small, timely investment in something that will pay off in spades later on.
Walkers abominable No Train campaign (web design by a 5 year old, evidently) is a dirt cheap political stunt to shock people who are scared of anything new and who have been led to believe that anything without four wheels and a v8 engine is a communist plot into voting for him. This is despite the fact that the proposed train would create jobs and stimulate new business in his own state. Its a real shame that any politician, Democrat or Republican would stoop to such a level, but such is the reality of the anti-obama moment.
Why the heck does this matter to me?
If the Wisconsin segment of High Speed Rail is allowed to be turned into a political casualty, rest assured your state is next. This even goes for California where local squabbles, lawsuits, and similar political climate already threaten to push costs into the stratosphere.
Republicans and Democrats alike should favor High Speed Rail as a job creating investment in a cleaner, greener country.
Please visit the Midwest High Speed Rail website and spread the word to friends and colleagues in the area.
It's the people who run high-speed rail.
Metropolitan Transportation Districts are considered by blacks to be reparations, and they believe they are entitled to run them while paying themselves exorbitant salaries and laying track for political/reparations purposes rather than laying track where the most people will benefit from it.
All MSDs are cesspools of theft and corruption.
That's the problem, Willie.
You're one of those people planning on lining your pockets, aren't ya?
Can you take your vehicle with you?
It would be cool to take the train if you could take your car with you- why don’t trains do this now?
And I dont mean this new expensive high-speed terrorist magnet
“You can read some more of my ramblings on the topic here,”
The guy admits he’s a total idiot!!!!
Lets see...expanding highways is expensive...good thing it is paid for with fuel taxes.
Not true. Lawmakers don't increase fuel tax or tolls to keep up with the rising costs of highway maintenance.
So user fees barely pay for half of our highway budgets. Highways are being subsidized by other funds.
“Answer: SKYPE... “
What kind of transportation is that?
There, fixed it. So-called "high speed" rail is a giant step back to 1850. We need more highways and cheaper gasoline, or something to replace it. And the government needs to get the heck out of the whole thing. Even the railroads of the 1800's were designed and built by private companies. The government-sponsored lines quickly turned into boondoggles.
Political Opposition to High Speed Rail is Beyond Stupidity
There, fixed it. So-called "high speed" rail is a giant step back to 1850. We need more highways and cheaper gasoline, or something to replace it. And the government needs to get the heck out of the whole thing. Even the railroads of the 1800's were designed and built by private companies. The government-sponsored lines quickly turned into boondoggles.
Two words
EMINENT DOMAIN
Second the amount of capital needed for any such system would be huge. Would private investors be willing to foot the cost or would this be a "let the government buy it" project? If the government is footing any part of the bill, then how will they get paid back and will this project require continuing government subsidies to operate? I fear that these high speed rail systems will just be another government funded boondoggle that will get built and operate only with the taxpayers paying for it.
A few issues with the writer’s premise:
Comfortable and convenient are opinons. To me, my car is much more convenient and the fact that I can stop anytime I want for food or other breaks negates (in my opinion) the comforts of the train.
It is only faster than a flight if you are going a short distance, but if TSA ever started monitoring trains, that would change.
Rail stimulating massive economic development is not a fact. It is possible, but it is also possible that development wont happen near stations. It is purely a hope that this will happen.
Riding trains will not cut down on obesity unless everyone has to walk a mile from where they are to the train station, which will cut into the convenience factor above. Plus, the cutting of obseity arguement is dependent on the economic development argument, so now we have a wish based on a hope.
The only freeways Ive seen congested are the ones right by the big cities, which would still be congested if people rode the train from Houston to Dallas. The congestion happens when they get out of the train and get a car.
People love it is another opinion.
Other than that, great article.
Metropolitan Transportation Districts are considered by blacks to be reparations,
I'm going to request to the moderators that they NOT remove your reply, nor am I gonna wildly pound the abuse button and demand that you be banned. I prefer to think that most of us are reasonable adults here, and can behave as such if we put our minds to it.
But I think it's important for both you and other FReepers to really stop and consider just how ignorant and racist that statement actually is.
Transit Authorities are "black reparations"???
Good grief... that's the same ignorant stupidity alluded to by Walker campaign spokesbimbo Jill Bader
Whenever you see a statement like this, political opposition is not only smart, but necessary.
Anytime taxpayer funding (aka government funding) is involved, deep scrutiny is waranted. It may come to pass that a high speed rail is sensible for a given specific situation. But to make a blanket statement that resembles 'any opposition to any high speed rail is stupid' is meant to ridicule those who want responsible government spending.
Willie Green, you ought to be ashamed for posting this garbage on this particular website.
Hit the abuse button. Prove me right.
You bet its cleaner...a heck of a lot cleaner than sticking a .45 in my face and cleaning out my wallet the old-fashioned way would be.
Hit the abuse button. Prove me right.
No. You put your own ignorance on display for everybody to see.
That proves MY point, not yours.
Not just the building. Even if the tracks were free, a la GM debt, no passenger train exists anywhere that doesn't receive tax subsidies for OPERATING costs of union employees, featherbedding admin, political hires. ( Think your local county,state hack municipality..whatever )
Ok, Nick, we'll pretend for a moment that you aren't stupid. America is broke. So, where are the federal funds coming from to build a high speed rail line?? China?? I don't think so.
Secondly, who's gonna run it?? UP, SoPac, CSX, or AmTrak?? We know the answer and it ain't pretty.
If America's passenger rail system still had some sort of relevancy outside of the northeast corridor, it MIGHT be worth investigating. But, America doesn't. And, America has vast, wide open spaces out west that will cost a lot of money to develop a high speed rail system for.
I dearly love train travel but, passenger train travel will have to remain part of America's romantic past. It's day has come and gone and there is no likelihood of it coming again unless zero crams it down America's throat, just as he has done with every bill he has pushed through the Congress.
Of course, 25,000 people do not travel to and fro each day. Assuming a generous 4 round trips a day on the train, government could essentially subisdize air travel between SFO and LAX for approximately 150 years.
(S)
but how will Reid and pelosi sell those land parcels they bought in other names?
how will they sell the construction project in exchange for “contributions”?
This is not about a train(s) these are all about corruption.
(/s)
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