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Old 10-15-2013, 01:06 PM
 
Location: Cranston
2,040 posts, read 3,984,459 times
Reputation: 429

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You said after they cut welfare, cut it again - which would imply it has not been done before. You can't cut your way to prosperity. Anyone who suggests otherwise is peddling in ideology. Cuts,at most, should only be part of the equation. On their own they are not only usually useless, but can even be counterproductive by engaging a vicious circle of austerity. Less revenue is collected because more people are out of work, therefore more cuts are made to alleviate this but it only perpetuates the cycle.

I highly recommend the book Economix...a very user friendly guide (with pictures!) to catch folks up on Econ 101.

Economix: How Our Economy Works (and Doesn't Work), in Words and Pictures: Michael Goodwin, David Bach, Joel Bakan, Dan Burr: 9780810988392: Amazon.com: Books
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Old 10-15-2013, 03:51 PM
 
Location: chepachet
1,549 posts, read 3,042,227 times
Reputation: 788
Quote:
Originally Posted by massnative71 View Post
Sure a few of the exits/intersections could use some improvements. The road overall (especially north of 295) just doesn't have the traffic volume to justify spending money on major expansion. There are much greater needs elsewhere in the state. And face it, that part of RI doesn't have the same political pull as some other areas. It is at the back of the line.
No political pull is correct. But, 146's traffic has greatly increased over the last 5-10 years. Massachusetts made their 146 a 4 lane divided highway about 15-20 years ago. Before that it was a two lane highway. The Manville (not Mansfield) traffic light backs traffic up for a mile during commute times 3-6 pm. Also the Mass Pike connection has allowed more truck usage along the highway. You are correct about expansion, but this is about safety.
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Old 10-15-2013, 07:46 PM
 
Location: New Britain, CT
1,572 posts, read 1,545,994 times
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A $4 toll, divided by about 43 miles = 9.3 cents a mile (from Hopkinton to Pawtucket). What is the mileage for I-295 and I-195? (Haven't been on very much of those two roads.)
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Old 10-16-2013, 12:08 AM
 
23,198 posts, read 18,339,978 times
Reputation: 10692
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rnrboy View Post
You said after they cut welfare, cut it again - which would imply it has not been done before. You can't cut your way to prosperity. Anyone who suggests otherwise is peddling in ideology. Cuts,at most, should only be part of the equation. On their own they are not only usually useless, but can even be counterproductive by engaging a vicious circle of austerity. Less revenue is collected because more people are out of work, therefore more cuts are made to alleviate this but it only perpetuates the cycle.

I highly recommend the book Economix...a very user friendly guide (with pictures!) to catch folks up on Econ 101.

Economix: How Our Economy Works (and Doesn't Work), in Words and Pictures: Michael Goodwin, David Bach, Joel Bakan, Dan Burr: 9780810988392: Amazon.com: Books
It's not that black and white. I haven't read the book, but my guess is that it does not advocate for WASTEFUL spending. Just like there is good government/bad government there is also good spending/bad spending. The key is to tax enough (but not too much) and make the tax dollar go as far as it can while being the most effective. This is where I feel RI does a very bad job of (higher than average taxes for lower than average return in almost every category of government).

Quote:
Originally Posted by mr2448
No political pull is correct. But, 146's traffic has greatly increased over the last 5-10 years. Massachusetts made their 146 a 4 lane divided highway about 15-20 years ago. Before that it was a two lane highway. The Manville (not Mansfield) traffic light backs traffic up for a mile during commute times 3-6 pm. Also the Mass Pike connection has allowed more truck usage along the highway. You are correct about expansion, but this is about safety.
The congestion at that intersection could easily be resolved by creating grade separation (flyovers eliminating the lights). Should have been done long ago, as well as redoing some of the older exits like lengthening the entrance ramps and having ample acceleration lanes. Little patches like that are all that's needed, not creating a new big new toll road from Slatersville to Providence. It would mostly be punishing the residents and businesses of Northern RI and the Blackstone Valley in MA, and dumping more congestion onto roads like the Douglas Pike. Want extortion of the tourists, keep the tolls where they are on the bridge.

And when I suggested that they use the gas tax revenue for it's original intention, I wasn't even thinking of the local auto taxes. When you add those in, very little of the money motorists pay is going back to the roads. To suggest that they are mooches is laughable. They are subsidizing RIPTA like a spoiled child, most of who's passengers pay virtually nothing back into the system.


Again tolls are inefficient, regressive and should be a thing of the past. The trend towards toll roads again is taking a step back. Had we not looted the Federal Highway Fund, the conversation wouldn't be needed in the first place.

Last edited by massnative71; 10-16-2013 at 12:26 AM..
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Old 10-16-2013, 02:25 PM
 
Location: Cranston
2,040 posts, read 3,984,459 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by massnative71 View Post
It's not that black and white. I haven't read the book, but my guess is that it does not advocate for WASTEFUL spending. Just like there is good government/bad government there is also good spending/bad spending. The key is to tax enough (but not too much) and make the tax dollar go as far as it can while being the most effective. This is where I feel RI does a very bad job of (higher than average taxes for lower than average return in almost every category of government).
OK, but you didn't say any of that. You said we need to "cut welfare"....and I was just pointing out that we already did that, and it doesn't actually fix anything unless decreasing revenues and starving citizens is your solitary goal. (Speaking strictly economically here.) Of course you've also espoused that New Yorkers and people from Connecticut gravitate here for our generous welfare, which is flat out false - since they actually have more substantial social programs than we do.

In terms of lower than average returns you'd have to post data on that. (And please, not data more than three or four years old.) All the date I've seen consistently puts us in intermediate to positive territory in most categories, nationally.
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Old 10-16-2013, 02:38 PM
 
Location: Henderson, NV
5,314 posts, read 7,757,560 times
Reputation: 3568
I could have sworn I read that public transportation is approaching the level of automobile transportation with regard to harm on the environment. This is due to the average bus only transporting 9 people at a time instead of the 60 as intended. I just tried looking for the article again, and couldn't find it. Anybody recall anything like that?
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Old 10-16-2013, 02:56 PM
 
Location: Cranston
2,040 posts, read 3,984,459 times
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High speed rail is where it's at. The entire US is in the dark ages compared to Europe, Japan, even China on this.
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Old 10-16-2013, 03:03 PM
 
Location: College Hill
2,903 posts, read 3,436,943 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Raiderman View Post
I could have sworn I read that public transportation is approaching the level of automobile transportation with regard to harm on the environment. This is due to the average bus only transporting 9 people at a time instead of the 60 as intended. I just tried looking for the article again, and couldn't find it. Anybody recall anything like that?
You might want to read this article from the FTA. I tried to copy and paste salient portions but it's a pdf file. BTW, the passenger load to emit less CO2 for a bus is 7, not 9, and I know of no regular bus that seats sixty people -- the largest capacity is 40 seated using the 40" Gillig BRT.
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Old 10-16-2013, 03:05 PM
 
Location: Rhode Island
688 posts, read 2,129,600 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Raiderman View Post
I could have sworn I read that public transportation is approaching the level of automobile transportation with regard to harm on the environment. This is due to the average bus only transporting 9 people at a time instead of the 60 as intended. I just tried looking for the article again, and couldn't find it. Anybody recall anything like that?
It would follow from your claim that in order for public transportation to be more environmentally friendly more people should use public transport to ensure transit runs at capacity. If transit doesn't run at capacity more people need to be persuaded to use it.

However, I cordially invite you to take any commuter train from Providence to Boston, for example, in the morning and evening hours and see for yourself that these trains run at capacity.
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Old 10-16-2013, 03:08 PM
 
Location: Rhode Island
688 posts, read 2,129,600 times
Reputation: 332
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rnrboy View Post
High speed rail is where it's at. The entire US is in the dark ages compared to Europe, Japan, even China on this.
I would qualify that statement a little and say that rail is where it's at.
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