"That train is dead."

Again, thank a rethug. :mad:

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_11/026518.php

SO MUCH FOR HIGH-SPEED RAIL.... Following up on an item from a month ago, it'd be an understatement to say the United States has an infrastructure problem. We're currently "saddled with a rapidly decaying and woefully underfunded transportation system," which undermines our economy and weakens our position against global competitors.

A bipartisan investigation recently found that U.S. investment in preservation and development of transportation infrastructure "lags so far behind that of China, Russia and European nations that it will lead to 'a steady erosion of the social and economic foundations for American prosperity in the long run.'"

That's the bad news. The good news is, President Obama seems deeply interested in making infrastructure investments a real priority, and approves of the kind of policies the bipartisan panel of experts endorsed, including "continued development of high-speed rail systems better integrated with freight rail transportation, and expansion of intermodal policies rather than reliance on highways alone to move goods and people."

So, there's reason for optimism, right? Sure, we have a serious national problem, but we know how to fix it, and we have a White House that wants to do the right thing. Especially when it comes to high-speed rail, which has broad national appeal, the president has already begun making key investments.

Brad Johnson reminds us that Republican governors have a very different idea.



I'd just add that, though it hasn't come up this week, Florida Gov.-elect Rick Scott (R) also intends to kill the rail project linking Orlando and Tampa.

We are, by the way, talking about projects that create jobs, spur economic development, relieve traffic congestion, and help the environment, all while offering the promise of transforming American transportation in the 21st century.

Republicans don't care.

The Republican line used to be that they can keep the trains running on time. The new line is that they can't keep the trains running at all.

—Steve Benen

money that NJ turned down.

Short-sighted hardly even begins to describe the repukes in this case.

The regional paper has had several opinion pieces hoping that it can be done some other way - like as part of Amtrack. It also makes it clear that Christie likely did this so he would not have to raise gas taxes (low compare to the nation) in the next few years as he can use the NJ portion of that money on that.

They have pointed out that many other projects - already funded - extending commuter rail further west are now in limbo because they depended on that tunnel being built.

This leads to bipolar reporting on Christie - some articles speaking of him considering running in 2016 - others speaking of him losing $400 million in education funding that would have won if they submitted the proposal Corzine's people wrote rather than botching it when they redid some parts. On the train, they are writing of the fact that this will lead to the NY Long island suburbs growing at NJ communities' expense, because commuting from there will be easier.

That and he attacked teachers when speaking to teens - not cool. http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/11/njea_head_avoids_criticizing_g.html

Even earlier this year, there was some buyers' remorse when he actually recommended that many school budgets be voted down. I live in a Republican town that has a very good school system. The school board wisely put out what they would have to cut to do what Christie wanted- including any courtesy busing, any subsidies to sports, AP classes etc - the budget passed easily. My husband and I went to a community progressive dinner party a few weeks before the vote. That upcoming vote was topic number one - and almost everyone was livid. Yet the town had overwhelmingly voted for Christie.

With both education and the tunnel, there is a big conflict between cutting spending and quality of life. The big Republican counties are among the richest in the nation and they have always in the past voted for a high quality of life - not lower taxes. (Though there is a constant complaint that taxes are too high.) My guess is that there will be a major increase in people angry with Corzine if he continues on this course.

The repukes and libertarians, who are always screaming for lower taxes, live in this bizarro world where they think they can cut taxes, but keep their quality of life the same. If you cut taxes, that means less money to spend on things like school, roads, street lights,policemen,etc etc etc. They are completely out of touch with reality. The tbaggers are in a real rude awakening when the rubber hits the road and the heroes they elected have to deal with the realities of DC. It will be interesting to see just how much they can actually "cut govt spending" and still keep all those folks happy that are on Medicare and SS.

At least the Dems/Liberals/Progressives, for the most part, are willing to pay for the quality of life they want for themselves..and would like to extend to everyone.

I had heard that Cristi was under the delusion that he could keep the money that NJ had gotten for the tunnel, and spend it on road and highway expenditures. I think he is also suffering from that bizarro world mental disability.

You are completely right about them being deluded - and you can already see it when they say they want "across the board cuts" - except for entitlements and the military .. oh and veterans and .....

I think Christie knew he lost that federal money, but the state of NJ would not have to pay the millions they committed - that was the money he thought he could use to pay for basic road improvements. The problem is that without the tunnel, you can't expand public transportation and the roads get worse than they are.

these projects. This is still their biggest market, until China can be cloned into a super-dense version of the United States of Petroleum.

Say goodbye thousands upon thousands of rail transportation jobs in NJ, WI, OH, and, quite possibly, FL.

And, Rep Mica in FL will now head the Transportation Committee, and he wants to redirect rail transportation funds as he see fit. This will have a big impact on our High Spped Rail project in CA.

Sabotaging the economic recovery is one of the Repub's primary goals.

Can't have an economically healthy electorate going into the 2012 elections, ya know. :sarcasm:

Geez.

The Hiawatha route now runs several trains each day both ways, 90 minutes from downtown to downtown with stops at the Milwaukee airport and two other places. Many people commute to Chicago. It is one of the only routes that actually makes a profit, I believe. Walker said during the campaign that no matter how much the current governor had already put into the plan, he would end it when he takes office. We'll see. He's stuck between the rock of the promise he made to supporters and the hard place that he can't use the money for roads and would lose it, and jobs, to other states if he rejects it. He's been stupid for years as the county exec, so it's not a big surprise.

I drove it friday and monday. Barely any traffic. Buses available; 25 bucks each way, 2.5 hours. :shrug:

It's about facilitating commerce and transporting goods between major population centers. Oh, and it will also open up commerce with smaller towns all along the rail lines, particularly in and around rail stops.

Oh, and it also cuts into our use of oil and reduce demand.

And another thing, it'll create thousands upon thousands of jobs. You know, for construction workers, surveyors, engineers, architects, environmentalists, geologists, heavy machinery manufacturers, steelworkers, manufacturers of all aspects of rail cars and components, urban planners, IT, administrative staff (legal, payroll, secretaries, accountants, etc), small business owners all along the rail lines... The list goes on and on and on.

Hmmmm, less demand for oil and a thriving and economically sound middle class sounds good to me. Not so much to the Republicans, though.

Too bad the republicans will now do all that they can to end these projects.

Elections have consequences.

Sid

We have Democrats in office, up and down the coast, we have plans ready, we ride trains and we can make good and quick use of any funds they don't want in Tea States.

Rep Mica will be the new head of the Transportation Committee, and he will need to answer to his party first. Me thinks the repubs will do all to undermine the projects countrywide.

let the rest of the country wallow in decaying 1950's infrastructure if that is what they want.

In four years, I bet they'll be sorry who they voted for.

Just saying

My little city had trains going east-west and north-south, each more than once a day. Now if I want to go west from my big city there's only one train per day. The little city (which has grown considerably) is 70 miles from the nearest passenger station now.

... I will be happy for my state if we get high speed rail linking all of NY's major cities.

We'll gladly take any extra rail $$$$$