Ohio and Wisconsin opt out of high speed rail, New York asks for their money

[^_^ 5,021]

ALBANY -- Gov.-elect Andrew Cuomo and U.S. Rep. Louis Slaughter both want New York state to get the high-speed rail funding that newly elected governors in Ohio and Wisconsin apparently are spurning.

More than $1.2 billion may be up for grabs, now that Gov.-elect John Kasich in Ohio has said the state's high-speed rail project to connect Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati "is dead," while Gov.-elect Scott Walker is opposed to the high-speed rail line that would connect Madison with Milwaukee.

"To date, New York has received only a small fraction of federal money for high speed rail," Cuomo wrote to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, "but we want to make it a success now, and my administration will aggressively pursue all funding opportunities to make high speed rail a reality."

Slaughter, a Rochester-area Democrat, delivered a similar message to Deputy Transportation Secretary John Porcari.

"If other states don't want their high-speed rail money, New York will take it because we understand that high-speed rail is an essential element to our transportation system, and a good rail system is an important element in our national security," Slaughter said.

Bruce Becker, president of the Empire State Passengers Association, welcomed the move.

"My guess will be the New York wouldn't be the only state seeking that money if it becomes available," he said. "Obviously, we're very pleased with the governor-elect's support of high speed rail and we applaud his understanding of the need for the project."

Not everyone in Wisconsin wants to scrap the high-speed link between the state's capital and largest cities.

The Capital Times of Madison, which endorsed Walker, criticized his stance.

"To opt out of the project would be like Wisconsin opting out of the interstate highway system in the 1950s," the newspaper wrote in an editorial Friday.

http://www.timesunion.com/business/article/Show-us-their-money-Cuomo-says-800759.php

[easyukraine 1]

I wonder how much more i have to pay in taxes for this #######.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

It's not their money.

[scandal 951]

The Capital Times of Madison, which endorsed Walker, criticized his stance.

"To opt out of the project would be like Wisconsin opting out of the interstate highway system in the 1950s," the newspaper wrote in an editorial Friday.

Oh, they'll learn. All these back-to-basic small-government types will learn. Only question is will it be the easy way or the hard way.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

China has a way better high speed train.

[mawilson 2,133]

I wonder how much more i have to pay in taxes for this #######.

A lot! Suckas!

[Danno 1,228]

One must keep in mind, these transportation grants, huge as they are don't cover the massive costs of building or maintaining these projects.

Even to build a lite-rail line costs a fortune.

Usually the experts are hired, they give ball park numbers of the cost, but from what I have read, these projections are almost always way under budget... but it's how you start the momentum at city hall.

The city invests more in the planning and promotions and before you know it you have huge amounts of bond money spent on a transportation project which reduces road traffic by a few percentage points... meanwhile the cost of the project has perhaps doubled in cost. Had this same amount been spent on adding a simple lane or two a much greater relief to traffic flow would be realized.

Obviously in dense areas, with limited options these projects are logical and cost effective, in mid sized cites, it's not always the case.... unless your utopian goal is really to force people away from urban sprawl(bad towards more compact and more green living (good).

[Heracles 417]

Pleeeeease, Ohio has such a booming industry and state that "it don't need no socialist unconstitutional big-gov rail".

Just ask the new speaker of the house, Canadian or Australians states have squat over his home state of Ohio. Sydney, Vancouver, Melbourne? Pleeeeease, aint got ###### over Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus.

[AKteacher 103]

Easy

[AKteacher 103]

If the anti-"socialists" had their way in the 1950's, we would have no interstate highway system today. Most of our large dams and other big infrastructure projects would never have been built either. One big reason why countries like China are now surpassing the US is because government takes the lead in a big way and builds large infrastructure projects (like it used to do in the US). Then private enterprise can do the rest. The narrow-minded people who can't see beyond their own short-term selfish interests would rather pay a bit less taxes now and let us slip into 3rd world status, while they sit in their mobile homes being brainwashed by the FOX News echo chamber. Wake up people!

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

If the anti-"socialists" had their way in the 1950's, we would have no interstate highway system today. Most of our large dams and other big infrastructure projects would never have been built either. One big reason why countries like China are now surpassing the US is because government takes the lead in a big way and builds large infrastructure projects (like it used to do in the US). Then private enterprise can do the rest. The narrow-minded people who can't see beyond their own short-term selfish interests would rather pay a bit less taxes now and let us slip into 3rd world status, while they sit in their mobile homes being brainwashed by the FOX News echo chamber. Wake up people!

Yes. That is what we need: More bridges to nowhere, and airports for every little remote village and town.

[AKteacher 103]

Yes. That is what we need: More bridges to nowhere, and airports for every little remote village and town.

Typical reply of the brainwashed: All infrastructure projects are "bridges to nowhere" and just a waste of money. Sure, blame it all on government, while types like yourselves whine about paying taxes. The political system is deadlocked by obstructionist behavior and slogans like "no new taxes" only result in more government borrowing (which certainly means higher taxes in the future), while our infrastructure is crumbling and other countries are surpassing us. Just more short-term thinking.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Typical reply of the brainwashed:

That's ripe, teach!

[Heracles 417]

Yes. That is what we need: More bridges to nowhere, and airports for every little remote village and town.

The biggest advocate of this failed project was a republican.

[Heracles 417]

Typical reply of the brainwashed: All infrastructure projects are "bridges to nowhere" and just a waste of money. Sure, blame it all on government, while types like yourselves whine about paying taxes. The political system is deadlocked by obstructionist behavior and slogans like "no new taxes" only result in more government borrowing (which certainly means higher taxes in the future), while our infrastructure is crumbling and other countries are surpassing us. Just more short-term thinking.

It's disgraceful that these so-called patriots are the biggest anti-[red, white and blue] of them all. They'd rather go through a holocaust than invest in their country or on its people. No problem with paying for a trillion dollar security force [defense] though, apparently this is a good investment of tax. Even if it means borrowing hundreds of billions from China, to protect from China.

While every emerging country is spending big to build themselves up, the US wastes it on military contractors, yet another war that cannot be won and allowing the few wealthy to own and hold the majority of the country's wealth. The rest of you are apparently all just lazy.

Many on the right claim, lets return to the good-old days and I agree. I myself like the pre-80's era, when the wealthy paid a tax rate of close to 90%.

Edited November 7, 2010 by Heracles