Calif High Speed Rail project derailed

[daveman]

Misguided proponents of the free market think private enterprise is going to build new airports, create fast rail and cross this nation with adequate highways.

And, they're going to make that multi-billiion dollar long term investment any day now!

Ummm...you know who builds that stuff, right?

Hint: It's not government employees, genius. It's private enterprise. Government's just paying the bill.

Why not give jobs to private enterprise? That's what builds a strong economy.

Yes. But not through any demonstrably-failed stimulus programs -- because the money runs out.

The best solution is to get government out of the way of business. Then businesses will expand, unemployment will go down, and the economy will take off

 

[Political Junky]

Ummm...you know who builds that stuff, right?

Hint: It's not government employees, genius. It's private enterprise. Government's just paying the bill.

Why not give jobs to private enterprise? That's what builds a strong economy.

Yes. But not through any demonstrably-failed stimulus programs -- because the money runs out.

The best solution is to get government out of the way of business. Then businesses will expand, unemployment will go down, and the economy will take off

We got our highway system from government, under GOP's Eisenhower.
We got the Golden Gate Bridge and Hoover Dam the same way under Democrat FDR.

 

[WillReadmore]

Ummm...you know who builds that stuff, right?

Hint: It's not government employees, genius. It's private enterprise. Government's just paying the bill.

Why not give jobs to private enterprise? That's what builds a strong economy.

Yes. But not through any demonstrably-failed stimulus programs -- because the money runs out.

The best solution is to get government out of the way of business. Then businesses will expand, unemployment will go down, and the economy will take off

The issue here is one of what it takes for business to be successful.

Transportation is one of those requirements - one of a number I mentioned earlier.

Transportation requires government involvement. Fast rail, more airports, etc., are NOT going to be provided by private enterprise working on its own. The projects are capital intensive, require rights of way and the payout period is longer than US corporations tend to be able to sustain given our incredibly short term business focus, especially here in the US.

Allowing this infrastructure to degrade (through its growing inadequacy) is one of the ways that government gets in the way of business.

 

[daveman]

Why not give jobs to private enterprise? That's what builds a strong economy.

Yes. But not through any demonstrably-failed stimulus programs -- because the money runs out.

The best solution is to get government out of the way of business. Then businesses will expand, unemployment will go down, and the economy will take off

We got our highway system from government, under GOP's Eisenhower.
We got the Golden Gate Bridge and Hoover Dam the same way under Democrat FDR.

The highway system benefits everyone nationwide.

CA's high-speed rail system -- that they can't build anyway -- benefits only CA.

 

[percysunshine]

I wonder how much healthcare for the needy California could have bought with those billions.....

I guess the poor who need healthcare don't kick back the money to campaign funds quite as fast.

 

[daveman]

Why not give jobs to private enterprise? That's what builds a strong economy.

Yes. But not through any demonstrably-failed stimulus programs -- because the money runs out.

The best solution is to get government out of the way of business. Then businesses will expand, unemployment will go down, and the economy will take off

The issue here is one of what it takes for business to be successful.

Transportation is one of those requirements - one of a number I mentioned earlier.

Transportation requires government involvement. Fast rail, more airports, etc., are NOT going to be provided by private enterprise working on its own. The projects are capital intensive, require rights of way and the payout period is longer than US corporations tend to be able to sustain given our incredibly short term business focus, especially here in the US.

Allowing this infrastructure to degrade (through its growing inadequacy) is one of the ways that government gets in the way of business.

Then let the CA state legislature find a way to pay for CA's train set. The Federal government has no business paying for it.

 

[WillReadmore]

Then let the CA state legislature find a way to pay for CA's train set. The Federal government has no business paying for it.

Federal involvement can make sense when projects benefit the nation but are too expensive for one state to handle on its own.

Transportation is one area where we see that happen.

 

[daveman]

Then let the CA state legislature find a way to pay for CA's train set. The Federal government has no business paying for it.

Federal involvement can make sense when projects benefit the nation but are too expensive for one state to handle on its own.

Transportation is one area where we see that happen.

How does a project that benefits only one state benefit the entire nation?

 

[percysunshine]

Pssst...Will. This is a trick question.

 

[Doubletap]

I'd love to see a road like this built, so long as it's privately funded & run.

 

[percysunshine]

I'd love to see a road like this built, so long as it's privately funded & run.

Or a bridge.

 

[WillReadmore]

How does a project that benefits only one state benefit the entire nation?

The national GDP is a combination of that of the individual states.

Federal spending on transportation projects is frequently inside single states.

 

[R.C. Christian]

High speed rail to where? For whom? It serves no practical purpose except to decrease the time people are on a train glued to Facebook so that they can get to someplace else to glue their sheep noses onto a smart phone.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

I'd love to see a road like this built, so long as it's privately funded & run.

Or a bridge.

I can show you a bridge that was built using private funds that is still run, and maintained, by a private company.

 

[R.C. Christian]

People need to slow the hell down. I don't even drive my fast cars anymore.

 

[MeBelle]

Funny! This was a topic @ Thanksgiving dinner yesterday, along with BART and ACA!

 

[R.C. Christian]

funny! This was a topic @ thanksgiving dinner yesterday, along with bart and aca!

wat?

 

[percysunshine]

How does a project that benefits only one state benefit the entire nation?

The national GDP is a combination of that of the individual states.

Federal spending on transportation projects is frequently inside single states.

The national GDP is a combination of the GDP of individual states. Are you implying that this multi-billion dollar waste of money is being paid for by someone from Vermont?

Federal spending on most all projects, defense, healthcare, transportation...etc occurs within a specific state. That does not answer the question. For this specific project, what is the identifiable benefit to any of the other states or the nation as a whole?

 

[MeBelle]

I'd love to see a road like this built, so long as it's privately funded & run.

Or a bridge.

I can show you a bridge that was built using private funds that is still run, and maintained, by a private company.

And built under budget even!!!

 

[MeBelle]

funny! This was a topic @ thanksgiving dinner yesterday, along with bart and aca!

wat?

The bullet train! And B.A.R.T and ACA.

Team Obama: Thanksgiving dinner the perfect time to promote ObamaCare | Fox News