Texas Bullet Trains (Houston, Dallas, Jacksonville: hotel, neighborhood, to buy)

[Merovee]

I love it when someone attempts to make it a this-or-that situation. We have to pick between a national rail system or better schools? A tough choice. What shall I pick?

Really a national rail system will lead to worse schools?

I thought the conservative push to privatize schools was going to do that?

Wait charter schools are not doing that well? And when we privatize something the quality goes down because the board just worries about increasing profits for stockholders?

I did not know that as well.

Maybe the actual choice is a national rail system or more tax breaks for the rich?

[majormadmax]

Yeah, because our national and even state economic situation doesn't require us to prioritize our wants!

Honestly, folks can dream all they want about high-speed trains in this country; but with a few exceptions most areas will never see it. Why? Well, Amtrack for one. It is a perfect example of what a low priority rail travel is here.

Secondly, there are a lot more practical solutions to the growing traffic problems than trains. Does anyone even believe that we'll suddenly have a working rail system in place overnight? I am sure they expect to use the existing track, but that is dedicated to the movement of freight and there are some serious consequences of interfering with that!

My point, which was clear, is that our taxes need to be spent on more reasonable issues such as education. I never said it was a "this or that," I said there are more important things of a higher priority than the wild dreams of a few individuals which most likely will be a huge money pit that we all will have to pay for. Trust me, if there was a way to profit from such an endeavor, someone would be investing in it.

Not surprisingly, no one is...

[Merovee]

I have no doubt we will see it in the future, consensus or not. What we won't see is double the amount of cars on the road in 2050.

And it does take someone on top to make decisions, which they seem to already be doing, because we cannot rely one everyone being able to understand the need for it and the need to move away from cars. Someone has to lead the people who don't know better.

Not every service the government can provide has to be profitable. Schools are not. Policing is not. Neither are the roads we use now. Not profitable in a dollars or sense way but each of those do profit society as this will too.

I have no doubt many, especially fiscal conservatives, will oppose this. Yet they oppose so many other things that we already have.

[Merovee]

LaHood has said the federal government's strategy is to build a national high-speed rail network over 25 years at a cost of $500 billion.

Fla. may get more money for bullet train - Florida - MiamiHerald.com (http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/10/30/1899144/fla-may-get-more-money-for-bullet.html - broken link)

According the the above article Florida is well on the way in building part of theirs. It also seems

The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded funds Thursday to 54 high-speed rail projects in 23 states. The Federal Railroad Administration received 132 applications from 32 states.

http://www.coosavalleynews.com/np87957.htm

It seems the money we received was because our state applied for it. I wonder how Gov. Perry feels about this? I think maybe he already approves but maybe not. In either case the governor of New Jersey has declined the funds for his state.

Against the backdrop of these enduring legacies, Gov. Chris Christie’s decision to terminate America’s largest transportation project was particularly disappointing. Unfortunately, his choice comes with profound consequences for New Jersey, the New York metropolitan region and our nation as a whole.


Tens of thousands of jobs that the tunnel would have created will be lost. Future New Jerseyans will face shrinking property values, suffocating road traffic, interminable train delays and increasing air pollution. A $3.358 billion federal investment in the region’s economic future will move elsewhere.


Especially during this time of economic hardship, we owe it to our friends and neighbors to rebuild our infrastructure — and to spur economic development, bolster competitiveness and strengthen millions of American families and businesses. We owe it to future generations to build more, not fewer, projects like the ARC tunnel.

LaHood on ARC: One derailment won't stop progress | NJ.com

[DarkWolf]

Originally Posted by Merovee

Fla. may get more money for bullet train - Florida - MiamiHerald.com (http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/10/30/1899144/fla-may-get-more-money-for-bullet.html - broken link)

According the the above article Florida is well on the way in building part of theirs. It also seems



STATE

It seems the money we received was because our state applied for it. I wonder how Gov. Perry feels about this? I think maybe he already approves but maybe not. In either case the governor of New Jersey has declined the funds for his state.

LaHood on ARC: One derailment won't stop progress | NJ.com

Well i supported the Governor as did the rest of the Rail community , here. I told my Republican friend to urge the Governor to kill the project due to the half planned current plan. The Original plan was good and cheap , it was just 2 New Tunnels. But then the New ridiculous Station was added and they acted like 6 New Tracks would cut it. It was 2 deep , and had no planned connections to the current and future Penn station. So Christie was right in killing then plan , he said he hopes to work with Amtrak on there plan which is better and gets more bang for your $$$. My friend said Christie won't kill anymore projects , which means 10-15 new Rail lines will be restored this decade.

[HeadedWest]

Originally Posted by Merovee

Someone has to lead the people who don't know better.

Sort of conflicts with the founding principles of the country, doesn't it?

[poptones]

Wow, you really think so? Have you ever read anything Jefferson, Franklin, or Adams wrote? Washington?

A representative democracy is all about having a class of leaders to represent the will and best interests of the people.

[HeadedWest]

Originally Posted by poptones

Wow, you really think so? Have you ever read anything Jefferson, Franklin, or Adams wrote? Washington?

A representative democracy is all about having a class of leaders to represent the will and best interests of the people.

Even when the people don't want what they are selling?

[poptones]

Depends. What people? The issue of slavery in this country was decided by a civil war. Should we have a revolution every time some fringe party gets upset?

Nine men decided the issue of abortion in this country. Congress often passes laws that eventually do not pass constitutional muster. We are not ruled by the mob of uneducated masses, we are ruled first by a constitution that protects the right of the minority.

[Dopo]

I always wonder why if it is so expensive for one person to travel by train
I see dozens of cargo trains travel by my house (NE San Antonio) every single day.

I understand a passenger train stops more, but I bet there's a huge difference on the cost for a passenger train (full of people) and a cargo train (full of cows).

Does anybody know how much it cost to transport a container by train?