Originally Posted By Sport Goofy << I think you need look no futher than the Las Vegas monorail project. Last I heard that was falling well short of all projected attendance and revenue figures and who is left holding the bag? >> Hardly a good example. Compromised from the beginning by a poor route that doesn't really address the traffic needs along the strip and doesn't ferry passengers from the airport. If you want a mass transit system to succeed, it has to be located where the masses are traveling. << Amtrak has lost money for...well...ever. I don't like to use Wikipedia as a source but if documentation there is to be believed then Amtrak will be looking for congressional subsidies to the tune of $1 billion a year for at least the next 10 years. >> Amtrak loses money because the politics of Congress force it to operate rail lines between small cities and sparsely populated corridors. The same Congressmen who are eager to criticize Amtrak for its reliance on government subsidies are the same Congressmen who would throw a fit if Amtrak abandoned stations and rail service in their middle of nowhere districts. Amtrak is profitable in the densely populated Northeast corridor. Unfortunately, any money that is made there has to be diverted to suppot rail lines in the middle of America where no one is traveling. That being said, like the Postal Service, you have to have government supported entities that provide services to the entire country and not just where the money is. Otherwise, rural parts of this country would probably still not have phone service, roads, or any number of modern amenities since corporate America isn't going to be benevolent enough lose money on a few people scattered in towns and cities across this country when they can make oodles off of denser populations.
Originally Posted By leobloom Unfreakingbelievable. Well, we elected a crook (and by "we" I mean the elderly and Teabaggers). What did we expect? Rick Scott's the worst thing to hit Florida since Hurricane Andrew.
Originally Posted By Manfried If the businesses want the high speed rail, then they should pay for it, not us taxpayers. Hooray for the governor.
Originally Posted By Longhorn12 >If the businesses want the high speed rail, then they should pay for it, not us taxpayers. Hooray for the governor.< Yeah! We should make the businesses pay for roads to! Because we have to use them to go buy their product. Oh and they should pay for schools! Because they use them to get "educated" laborers! Oh and they should pay for Police! Because they stop people from robbing them. See where this goes?
Originally Posted By Longhorn12 Since we have no edit *Edit* I'm tired and cranky and tired of writing essays. Please excuse my ranting.
Originally Posted By bayrr326 The thing is is that Florida's HSR was ready to go. The right of way was already purchased. Manufacturer's were willing to cover any cost overruns. And they were going to open factory's here to manufacture the trains and equipment. It will cost this state thousands of jobs. Not just for the rail but other high tech companies who might change there mind about coming here.
Originally Posted By Manfried Sorry folks, but right now the country cannot afford boondoggles that would be full of overruns, and all of these would be full of overruns. I think we should have high speed rail too. But this one was primarily going to service the theme parks and resorts and airport. In other words big businesses looking for a freebie. On this one item I say no. And please do not play the tie it all in one group game like a certain poster did just a couple up. You know my argument is logical in this instance. If the rail makes sense, then why does government have to pay for it? TANSTAAFL. Look that one up some time.
Originally Posted By The_Curlew He's not the only idiot republican gov. to reject federal money because of possible cost overruns. We got Christie up here in NJ, who shut down a commuter tunnel for the same lame reason.
Originally Posted By Manfried It is not a lame reason. Look at the Boston dig. It went on and on and on.
Originally Posted By Manfried Frankly, Walt Disney was a Republican and generally eschewed government whenever he could. Now the Disney Company is behaving like so many other big corporations, wanting government aid whenever they can get it.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros Here's a pretty good article explaining some of the problems with the high-speed rail project in California. By no means does it include everything, but it's a general overview of the issues: <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/13/AR2011021302203.html?nav=hcmoduletmv" target="_blank">http://www.washingtonpost.com/...oduletmv</a> And as a clarification, the California project won't connect directly to either Disneyland or the Anaheim Convention Center. It will stop at the new ARTIC (Anaheim Regional Transit Intermodal Center) station near Angels Stadium, where the current Metrolink station is. From there, riders can take the ARC fixed guideway system over to DLR and the Convention Center. Here's some more information about it: <a href="http://www.anaheimfixedguideway.com/" target="_blank">http://www.anaheimfixedguideway.com/</a> And for what it's worth, I hear that California may be trying to take some/all of the funds that Florida has just given up. It will be interesting to see how this all works out.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>Rick Scott's the worst thing to hit Florida since Hurricane Andrew.<<< Yep. I miss Crist, can you believe it? And I didn't know you were a Floridian...
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>It is not a lame reason. Look at the Boston dig. It went on and on and on.<<< And once it was done, it made transportation MUCH easier. I was astounded at how easy it made things when I was up there.
Originally Posted By Mr X The Japanese government paid for the lions share of their high speed efforts back in the day, and at a time when everyone thought they could ill afford it. Some thought it might even bring down the country. Turns out that was one of the major factors leading to their economic miracle of the 70's and 80's. And, today the system is the envy of the world. Sometimes it takes guts and determination and a willingness to take some big risks. FDR did something like that with the New Deal, and he's widely considered one of the greatest Presidents' we've ever had (extremist right wingers notwithstanding lol). Just sayin.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***>>>It is not a lame reason. Look at the Boston dig. It went on and on and on.<<< And once it was done, it made transportation MUCH easier. I was astounded at how easy it made things when I was up there*** The Big Dig was a boondoggle, no doubt. But *something* had to be done. And things are much better now because of it.
Originally Posted By Bob Paris 1 " I don't like to use Wikipedia as a source" Why not? Sorry but this strikes me as some kind of 'cyclopedia snobbery. It's like people that say the same thing about IMDB. I have tested them for VERY obscure film references I know to be true and they are spot on every time!
Originally Posted By Bob Paris 1 ">>Forward thinking was sacrificed throughout this nation in the last election,<< Make that 2nd and 3rd last election!" THAT was MY thought as well. Not to get all "World Events" and all but your country took a MASSIVE, GIGANTIC beating in terms of its international reputation and, to use a business term "brand positioning" thanks to a certain Alfred E Newman lookalike president.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo >>>thanks to a certain Alfred E Newman lookalike president.<<< ROTFLMFAO!
