America's Coming High-Speed Rail Financial Disaster

The Heritage Foundation ^ | March 19, 2010 | Ronald Utt, Ph.D.

[myknowledge]

The United States was built with roads and highways in mind, enabling freedom of movement on wheels.

Barack Hussein Obama wants to embark on this fiscal folly of gargantuan proportions on a national HSR (high-speed rail) network.

The reason why Obama prefers railroads to highways is that they restrict freedom of movement, and dictators like Obama love to retain statist control over their subjects.

We'd rather kill the nationwide HSR program. It's one of Obama's most controversial fiscal follies.

[Travis McGee]

Why not just build pyramids?

[RatsDawg]

Who is John Galt?

[Leisler]

Why? Well you don’t have to maintain or really repair them for thousands of years, so there are no kick back, contractor, union jobs. Now a high speed train, over union build, contractor skimmed railroads....that will require repair and rebuild for as long as the money is there.

It is not the project, it is the call backs. That’s where the money is.

[Evil Slayer]

Why not just build pyramids?

LOL

I shouldn't laught. That's probably what Hussian will do next.

[dennisw]

I agree. We should be building a pyramid for our new boy Pharaoh Obama

[dennisw]

These new hi-speed trains will take people quicker to the jobs they don’t have

[Tarpon]

Pyramids would be nice. But can you ride them or sit on them?

Maybe that’s what ZERO was going to do in Indonesia, teach the Muslim junta(democracy) to build high speed rail, so the people could ride to their Cuban clone hospitals. “Peace jobs, and democracy” — It’s a line Stalin used when talking about his useful idiot voters, and all those useful idiots that supported communists the world over... Watch them showing up in Washington today, real useful idiots will be there. And think how appropriate it would be applied to Obama voters.

Of course Stalin had to kill off tens of millions of his useful idiots when they wouldn’t play the part anymore.

[x_plus_one]

In a small flat country the railbeds are manageable. Crossing the rockies, and running beds through earth quake zones is impossible on a modest budget. It will cost more per year to maintain (not build) precision tracks through earthquake zones west of the Mississippi than to send astronauts to mars.

A fool and his money are soon parted. Barak Hussein Obama is an affirmative action fool who was bought and paid for lock, stock and barrel by middle eastern interests.

[Recon Dad]

The suicide watch has begun here on Free Republic. Do you know the devastating effect this will have on Choo Choo Willie! On second thought anyone that agrees with this should get ready all sorts of names in cause of universal rail.
We who have the common sense God gave us, do our gizinta’s (as Jethro used to say) and we see a massive Federal Program, with Red Ink as far as mind could can dream!

Be prepared for the backlash.

[dirtboy]

. In the United States, passenger rail (Amtrak) is the most heavily subsidized of all passenger travel modes, requiring a federal subsidy of $237.53 per 1,000 passenger miles, compared to $4.23 for commercial aviation and $1.50 for intercity busses.[3] Rail subsidies in Europe are just as high, if not higher.

Smoke that.

[I_Like_Spam]

I just don’t see the advantage of a fixed track system- especially for a country that is as spread out as the United States.

Planes and busses and automobiles- when they encounter weather problems or mechanical problems- they can be re-routed and steered around. When travel preferences change, new stops can be established and old ones discontinued quickly.

I found the article interesting. I was under the impression that HSR was useful in Europe- due to their population density and other factors- but its even failing there. There is less cause to recommend it for this country.

[Recon Dad]

The world's passenger rail systems consist mostly of “ordinary” passenger rail, which operates at average speeds between 50 mph and 85 mph. Some systems include a few genuine HSR lines. In the United States, passenger rail (Amtrak) is the most heavily subsidized of all passenger travel modes, requiring a federal subsidy of $237.53 per 1,000 passenger miles, compared to $4.23 for commercial aviation and $1.50 for intercity busses.[3] Rail subsidies in Europe are just as high, if not higher.

In Ohio the liberals are touting the “3C” between the cities. They tell you that you will be whisked around the state at up to 70MPH, well maybe for part of your trip but the average speed is expected for the first years to be 39MPH. I don't know about you but stopping and starting my way from Cincinnati to the Mistake on the Lake at 39MPH would have me catatonic before I got to Dayton.

[Travis McGee]

Maybe a giant Obama Sphinx

[Reeses]

The reason why Obama prefers railroads to highways is that they restrict freedom of movement, and dictators like Obama love to retain statist control over their subjects.

To leftists private automobiles are symbols of the material rat race, with many people having nicer cars than others. It's not fair! On the public roadways it's not easy to put on a false front without paying the price. The root motivation of leftism is envy. It is about power over people, but mainly the power to stop people from getting wealthier, healthier, and wiser than others.

[servantboy777]

Houston metro can be on the consultation team....we've only had a few hundred injuries from metro train collisions.

Experience....is what they need.

[Right Wing Assault]

We should be building a pyramid for our new boy Pharaoh Obama

Too bad he's not already in his pyramid.

[Repeat Offender]

A fool and his money are soon parted. Barak Hussein Obama is an affirmative action fool who was bought and paid for lock, stock and barrel by middle eastern interests.

Except it ain't his money he's parting with. So who does that make the bigger fool, him or us? He don't care so long as he gets to build his little Handbasket Express.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

$50 million per mile.

[reefdiver]

I just love the Buffalo NY to Albany NY line.
Nothing in Buffalo, It’s only in the way of where your going.

Must be a payoff to that worthless pos brian higgins for his vote.