Comments on: Amtrak Shrugged

By: the highwayman

the highwayman — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 20:56:03 +0000

Roads pay their own way the same way that sidewalks, parks, schools, police, fire departments and mass transit pay their own way via property taxes.

I don’t object to using property taxes to construct and maintain railroads as well.

By: metrosucks

metrosucks — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 07:51:37 +0000

Roads pay their own way. Rail doesn’t. That’s the difference for dense idiots like you.

By: prk166

prk166 — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 01:57:20 +0000

But then how does the Swedish parliament carry out the oh so important task of naming Swedish post offices after some politically popular person?

By: the highwayman

the highwayman — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 01:52:57 +0000

Roads don’t exist on a profit or loss basis.

Railroads should not have to exist profit or loss basis as well.

By: Frank

Frank — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 01:16:48 +0000

Not quote mining, just quoting your incoherent babbling. Hey, I saw on another website that you and your wife are thinking of leaving the USnA for Europe. Let me know if you need help packing your bags! Once you get there, you’ll see Europeans are not so enamored with state railways. If you want to go to the most fiscally sound country, you should pick Bulgaria. I have to warn you, though, their trains are horrible (feces on the toilet seats), but the buses are quite nice. Let me know if you need any help. I <3 Planner Dan

By: metrosucks

metrosucks — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 22:50:43 +0000

Oh, by level playing field, you mean 50% of the money should go to the modality (rail) that carries 1% of the people, right?

By: the highwayman

the highwayman — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 21:33:23 +0000

You don’t want a level playing field between road and rail.

By: the highwayman

the highwayman — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 21:21:57 +0000

Frank, politics trumps economics all the time or else you’d be paying $2 for every mile you drive.

By: metrosucks

metrosucks — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 18:57:00 +0000

In Portland, I tend to go more with blaming Metro & Portland planners. Why? Because METRO isn’t stacked top to bottom with elected politicians; it’s full of know-it-all technocrats (like danny boy) playing around with other people’s money and wreaking havoc.

By: Iced Borscht

Iced Borscht — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 16:18:23 +0000

People love to criticize planners, but politicians are the real culprit

In general, I agree with this statement. Planners here in Portland are not exactly omni-benevolent saints though (and yes, I realize they are not New World Order ghouls either), so cleanly defining it this way is not 100% accurate.