$810 Million Officially Awarded for high-speed rail line to Milwaukee (Madison: excise tax, live)

[ccjarider]

Originally Posted by cry_havoc

I realize some people hate public transit because they see it as socialism, but what you all dont realize is roads cost money to build and maintain, and sprawl is much more expensive for the government, yet all these anti-government have no problem with it.

It is not Socialism, no one ever said that.

The gripe is that few outside of Madison types want it. There certainly would not be enough demand to justify it. Just look at most city busses. I recall buses in Milwaukee being almost empty most of the time. The same is true here in "enlightened" Portland OR where I live now. LIberals types love to shove this stuff down other's throats, but seldom live the lifestyle they advocate.

As far as the roads go, think outside the box and sell all roads to private entities. Drivers would then pay the owner for the priviledge of driving on them. They would still be widely popular and get more use than a train.

However "wise" building of roads is a much better use of the public's money than other expendures such as grants to research sex habits of goldfish or other such nonsense.

[cry_havoc]

Originally Posted by ccjarider

It is not Socialism, no one ever said that.

The gripe is that few outside of Madison types want it. There certainly would not be enough demand to justify it. Just look at most city busses. I recall buses in Milwaukee being almost empty most of the time. The same is true here in "enlightened" Portland OR where I live now. LIberals types love to shove this stuff down other's throats, but seldom live the lifestyle they advocate.

As far as the roads go, think outside the box and sell all roads to private entities. Drivers would then pay the owner for the priviledge of driving on them. They would still be widely popular and get more use than a train.

However "wise" building of roads is a much better use of the public's money than other expendures such as grants to research sex habits of goldfish or other such nonsense.

Same issue with a road. A road in Wisconsin is not going to serve everybody in the state. So lets say you live in a small town and it gets a new road, few outside your town would want it. Would there be enough demand to justify it?

In your case since you seem against all spending you are at least consistent in your beliefs. If someone was asked public transit but supported roads they are a hypocrite.

I think privatizing is a bad idea, and unfair, since the public built them with taxpayer money to be available to everyone.

[munna21977]

You say GREAT????? I say it is very inconvenient and expensive mode of transportation. What if people do not earn enough to pay for multiple cars, fuel prices, insurances, car repairs. They do not have other option of transportation but they have to spend more and more money, more debt and it is turning middle class and lower income people more poor. It is taking our country back. you mean to say that cities like New York are not great because they have smelly subways but a small town Texas is great because it has no mode of transportation???

Originally Posted by ccjarider

Allan,
You don't actually "worry" about this topic, do you?

So what if our country is based on private transportation. It is one of the things that makes this place GREAT!!!

I travel to Asia many times per year for business. Standing in a smelly overcrowded subway in Shanghai SUCKS. I kiss the ground everytime I get home.

With 24 hr news and political agenda bombardment, people easily get sucked into "problems" that need solving. Of course a politician will always offer a solution, paid for by the other guy, for a vote.

Most of the ime it is much ado about nothing. As is the case with this train thing.

[ccjarider]

Munna,

Do you really believe there are people going into "unavoidable" debt because they have to use private transportation? People are going poor because they own a car? Perhaps they are going poor becasue they buy too much car. That is a personal choice issue, not a societal issue.

Please elaborate how gov't building a train is "taking your country back".

I did not say NYC was not great. I said the USA is GREAT and your reply elaborates why. It is a diverse place, one size does not fit all. In NYC, subway train works - in a rural area it would be insane.

[Niceguy17]

Originally Posted by ccjarider

I did not say NYC was not great. I said the USA is GREAT and your reply elaborates why. It is a diverse place, one size does not fit all. In NYC, subway train works - in a rural area it would be insane.

Madison is the 81st largest city in the US, Milwaukee is 28th, Chicago is 3rd. How would you consider a train connecting the 3 cities rural?

[Kchomps]

Originally Posted by cry_havoc

Same issue with a road. A road in Wisconsin is not going to serve everybody in the state.

directly, all the time....you are correct.
But if it creates/maintains the economy of the area, then not only does everyone in that city/township/county/state benefit, but also the nation.
And how much money gets confiscated from the small towns and sent to madison to be laundered/skimmed, then only have a fraction returned to them....if they suck up enough to be deemed worthy of the few crumbs of their own damned money in the first place....

Economic activity not only creates money for the various levels of government (town/county/state/nation) in the form of tax revenues on many levels, but where do you think farmer jane's corn goes? And how does it get there?

Know anything about oshkosh trucks? They are worldwide. Know that a lot of their job shops are in smaller towns throughout WI? IIRC, there's a fab shop by the marina in kewaunee. STOughton truck trailers are nationwide. Know where they are made?

Ever wonder why a lot of smaller towns in WI have fab shops? Or plastics plants? Castings? Cheese?

[Kchomps]

Originally Posted by cry_havoc

I realize some people hate public transit

People that project strong emotions upon others really just admitted they have nothing more to discuss.

all these anti-government

Don't tell me, you're a leftist/democrat.

[ccjarider]

Originally Posted by Niceguy17

Madison is the 81st largest city in the US, Milwaukee is 28th, Chicago is 3rd. How would you consider a train connecting the 3 cities rural?

The "rural" comment was geared toward the small Texas town referenced in the previous posters comment.

[Kchomps]

Originally Posted by ccjarider

It is not Socialism, no one ever said that.

Don't you get it? It's the tactic of the leftists--define the other person in an effort to belittle/demean them.

It's all about "them" having a 'war on women', or 'against the children' or whatever other simplistic, truly meaningless slogans they live by and state.

hope....change....hope....change...

[ccjarider]

Originally Posted by Kchomps

Don't you get it? It's the tactic of the leftists--define the other person in an effort to belittle/demean them.

It's all about "them" having a 'war on women', or 'against the children' or whatever other simplistic, truly meaningless slogans they live by and state.

hope....change....hope....change...

Yes - I get it.

In a way, you have to give lefties credit; they don't let little things like facts or the laws of unintended consequences get in the way of their spirited support of stupidity!