Many thought the quadrupling of high-speed rail money in the stimulus bill at the last moment came from Harry Reid and his desire for a Las Vegas - LA high-speed train. Nope, all the rail money came from a desire by President Obama to make rail modernization a “signature issue” of his administration
Railroads made Chicago, and now a Chicago-rich White House wants to return the favor: remaking rail with a huge new federal investment in high-speed passenger trains.
The $787.2 billion economic recovery bill — to be signed by President Barack Obama on Tuesday — dedicates $8 billion to high-speed rail, most of which was added in the final closed-door bargaining at the instigation of White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel.
It’s a sum that far surpasses anything before attempted in the United States — and more is coming. Administration officials told Politico that when Obama outlines his 2010 budget next week, it will ask for $1 billion more for high-speed rail in each of the next five years. […]
As a candidate for president, Obama spoke of high-speed rail as part of his vision of “rebuilding America.” Campaigning in Indiana, he talked of revitalizing the Midwest by connecting cities with faster rail service to relieve congestion and improve energy conservation.
“The time is right now for us to start thinking about high-speed rail as an alternative to air transportation connecting all these cities,” he said. “And think about what a great project that would be in terms of rebuilding America.” […]
Last week, Emanuel greatly upped the ante, asking House-Senate negotiators for $10 bill
Having LaHood from Peoria in the administration may bring some money to the CREATE plan. Combined with the CN/EJ&E purchase, get out your cameras to document the current setup.
Say what you want about the stimulus bill and other “rescue” funding by the feds, but I personally applaud this one. It’s about time we (our nation) became as supportive of rail transportation as the Europeans and other world markets as well.
While it may be nice to see investment in rail, none of the money has been spent yet and no one, i repeat no one has said anything about where the money will be spent. If like other government programs this begins and ends the same way, a lot if not a majority of the money will be spent on useless over budget projects. The government has a long history of sqaundering the taxpayers money, i.e. your money, building monuments to the elected leadership that have a little or no value to the public, and sending most of your money to big money donors, who are the same ones who put this country in this financial crisis.
I for one do not, and will never support the governtment sending this type of money to the very same people who put us in the mess we are now. No one has even been investigated for the finanacial crisis, no one has paid a price for the financial crisis, unless you realize that the American taxpayer once again will be footing the bill, and your children and grand children will see the largest rise in government spending ever. Comittments from the federal government to the bailout are some where in the neighborhood of 9.7 trillion dollars. GDP for a full year of American production is a little over 14 trillion dollars.
This bill is reported to save 4 million jobs, spending over 300,000 dollars per job to do that! This is nothing but pet projects looking for a crisis. Obama said we must not let perfection be the enemy of getting the job done, I ask you, if you told your boss this after sending out a product that was less then perfect, would you still have a job.
It’s very apparent to me that something different needs to be done than what has been being done. In 2001, the Feds had a surplus budget and GWB took over the Presidency with a Republican controlled Senate. I figured with Conservatives in control, we’d finally make progress on the National Debt, which stood at 4.5 Trillion. But GWB and the Republican Congress spent like drunken sailors while trying to stimulate the economy with tax breaks aimed largely towards the rich. We now have a National Debt just short of 10 Trillion. The Bush tax cuts are still in effect. 500,000 are losing jobs monthly. I’m certain that those not employed will appreciate tax cuts to those still working. But tax cutting and tax back checks have done nothing to stop this crisis. So what’s left is spending programs. If spending is all that’s left, why not railroad infrastructure? The Feds almost never spend transportation money on railroads. Here’s the biggest proposal for rails in decades. Let’s take it. Yes, there needs to be an accounting for how we got here. People and companies need investigation. Let’s stop the bleeding and then worry about the accounting. And, then, people should go to jail.
My objection is to the big picture of what this spending spree is going to do to our economy, and I won’t allow my personal interest in railroads to cloud that larger issue. Indeed, what this does to the economy could harm the rail industry far more than the 8, 20, or whatever billion dollars they receive as stimulus.
However, I am not convinced that this stimulus plan is going to happen. Too many people are seeing it as economic alchemy—turning smoke and mirrors into gold. It is like an economic perpetual motion machine.
Moreover, just the job of dishing out the money will be one of the largest public works projects in our history. It will get so bogged down in process that it cannot possibly move fast enough to get ahead of the rapidly growing backlash that threatens to overturn it. Every business in the country will aggressively pursue the public funds. They have to because they cannot risk the potential disadvantage of not getting public funds when their competitors do get them. How big of a battle can ensue over dividing up a trillion dollars? </
Lets look at history: Before the US even was Ben Franklin started post office service and the Post roads were built speeding our horse back riders as well as mail. Then after the US became - the ocean shipping companys were encouraged to get speedier ships (clipper ships). Then soon after the Canals were started but the problem of getting over the Eastern mountains was a problem (Erie canal route an exception). The canals allowed moving bulk goods easier and cheaper. Then the idea of connecting the country (California’s early gold find ) placed Lincoln in the position to start planning for the UP - CP connection. The land grant system provided some capital to encourage the building of the RRs. Again the passenger and freight traffic speeded up and cheaper. Remember there was a lot of consolidation and building of RRs in the south after the Civil war.
The start of the US road system and the federal support in the 1920s brought about the slow decline of the RRs both passenger and freight. Cheaper and faster! The building of the waterway systems in the 1930s and 1940s ( rivers and intercoastal waterways) and enabled bulk goods to move cheaply (?). Eisenhour saw the deplorable conditions in his treck across US and when he became president pushed for the Interstate highway system. At the same time the airline industry matured and much support was given to enabling people to travel quickly on long distance travel. More decline of the RRs.Now reality has set in and the population density calls for HSR and more freight capacity as the other overloaded systems need relief.
The conclusion is that all the modes of transportation are needed in this country and more importantly a co-ordinated transportation system (singular). Co-codination? right now there is no direct rail connection to the cruise industry. Air - Rail? Newark airport to AMTRAK, Providence in the future; Commuter rail - Air? SFO, PHL, Miami somewhat good will be getting better.
The railroads and many others have been playing defense for a very long time in a loosing game. A Staggers Act and some favorable economics have combined to give them some relief. The facts however are against the idea of the old fashioned individual private and non-governmental methods of Jim Hill (Great Northern) and company. The concentrations of capital combined with cheap land and open spaces are not near what they were in the first golden age of railroading (1870 to 1889).
The nation is different, more diverse and complicated than it was between that time after the great War Between Brothers and the early 20th century. In truth what the administration is hinting at is a lot deeper and broad in its scope. The idea of high speed rail involves more than just rails, infrastructure i
The end of Capitalism is the battle cry I have heard from every road contractor, developer, text book publisher, Electric, Gas and Water Utility, Trucking Company, Barge Operator, and Railroader. There is not a single one of the afore mentioned that has not at one time or another received aid, comfort or protection from the Federal and State and Local Government
The end of Capitalism is the battle cry I have heard from every road contractor, developer, text book publisher, Electric, Gas and Water Utility, Trucking Company, Barge Operator, and Railroader. There is not a single one of the afore mentioned that has not at one time or another received aid, comfort or protection from the Federal and State and Local Governments of the country; as well as taxpayer money through subsidies, construction contracts, grants, loans, rebates, or tax credits for their activities.
In short don’t be a hypocrite. Uncle Sam (Sugar) has a way of getting rid of these obligations, often at a loss for the public good or sale to the highest low bidder. The opportunities for growth in
The end of Capitalism is the battle cry I have heard from every road contractor, developer, text book publisher, Electric, Gas and Water Utility, Trucking Company, Barge Operator, and Railroader. There is not a single one of the afore mentioned that has not at one time or another received aid, comfort or protection from the Federal and State and Local Governments of the country; as well as taxpayer money through subsidies, construction contracts, grants, loans, rebates, or tax credits for their activities.
In short don’t be a hypocrite. Uncle Sam (Sugar) has a way of getting rid of these obligations, often at a loss for the public good or sale to the highest low bidder. T