Nothing new in New Mexico.
Posted on 01/24/2006 2:56:59 PM PST by CedarDave
(Albuquerque, NM) – “I can assure you we will not meet our costs,” said State Transportation Secretary Rhonda Faught to the Senate Corporations and Transportation Committee. “I do not know of a single (train) system in the world that makes money.” [ABQjournal, “Train Will Lose Millions,” 1/24/06].
On Monday, planners for Governor Bill Richardson’s Rail Runner Express commuter train told lawmakers that the first year of fare revenues will amount to only ten percent of the train service’s $10 million annual operating cost.
Instead federal funding, and possibly taxpayers, will foot much of the bill – even as state Education Secretary Veronica Garcia is publicly saying: “I’m very disappointed [in Governor Richardson’s “Year of the Child” failures]. I feel I’m going to be hamstrung to provide the kind of support to schools they need.” [ABQjournal, “‘Year of Child’ Budget Trimmed”, 1/24/06].
Further troubling questions about Governor Richardson’s Rail Runner Express Train include:
* Has there been an environmental risk assessment? Purchasing the rail line may well transfer all environmental liability to the state in perpetuity. Should there be any environmental clean up requirements, either now or in the future, the responsibility will be on the state, on the taxpayer, on you and me, not Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF).
* Under the purchase agreement, is it true that BNSF freight trains will have priority on the tracks over the commuter train? This could limit the number of runs per day to two North and two South.
* Is it true that all the property on which the rail lines run is on the tax roles? If so, when the state purchases these rail lines, the property will be taken off each county and city that the line runs through.
* Because New Mexico is a self-insured entity, will the state be picking up any injury claims that result from riding the trains? Even though it takes specially trained engineers to run the engine on commuter trains, it turns out there are more whiplash incidents from the start up of trains than even cars.
* Has the state done a feasibility study on the commuter train? Our sources say it hasn’t. Which is outrageous.
* If the state has put together a business plan, then when will it be made public? It would seem only proper that New Mexicans would have a right to assess the plan before it goes through, no?
We have to ask: Is Richardson truly fiscally responsible? Why is he so personally enthusiastic about this increasingly questionable use of public funds?
Nothing new in New Mexico.
As everyone knows, all train systems are extremely profitable - they allow legislators to profit from the purchase of votes from those with a hand out and have the tax payer foot the bill. This is the magic of socialism: free votes for those on the bandwagon.
You got that right. It will also be big money to "friendly" contractors who will get the work orders. Kind of like how we handle our maintenance contracts for our public schools.
I'd like to see the math. I wonder if union rules play much of a part in making passenger rail a money loser.
PING!
So, why have trains if they are a losing proposition?
New Mexico- a giant train market.
Yes Billy (Richardson) the Kid Rides again.
I get headaches trying to follow liberal "logic."
"Fireman."
"You mean, you shovel the coal into the boiler?"
"Yep."
"But it is a diesel-electric.."
"Yep. Union rules - train can't move without a fireman."
Pause.
"Have you ever seen a coal shovel?"
"Nope."
just think what Presidente Richardson could do for the economic health of the nation....
I feel sorry for the horse.
Subsidized commuter rail makes sense in areas where you have a large central business district and a large population concentrated in a particular area with a need to travel to that area on a daily basis. It also makes sense for linear metropolitian areas, again with a large population, where the central business district and suburban living areas are some distance away. Finally, it makes sense if you have an unused or lightly used existing rail line which you can convert to commuter use for a relatively minor cost compared to building new highway infrastructure at a premimium.
In Albuquerque you have some of these already -- a linear metropolitian area (along the Rio Grande) and a little used rail line. But what you don't have is a large central business district, clogged highways, or large suburban population along the line. Passengers going to the downtown ABQ station must somehow travel to other parts of the city for their workplace.
Oh, BTW, 10% fare recovery would get the proposal laughed out of most all cities, especially if a voter approved bond issue was required.
It is a well known (and relatively new) phemomenon of nature that the "Bugs and Bunny" crowd, the greenies and other assorted idiots argue with a straight face that if Federal or State dollars pay for a money pit, there are "no cost" attached...
Make the federal government pay for all of it, then it won't cost the taxpayers anything. It would all be free money.
IDIOTS!
From where & whom do they think the federal government gets "its" money?
Where does the "free" money for the Interstate come from?
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