California High Speed Rail Thread

[Obadno]

Can you freaks take a second to remember how bills are passed in the united states? ??


Srsly stop and use your brain to stop raging about Trump for a second.

To pass a bill the House, Senate must agree and then the President must sign.

What other combination is there going ot be a chance to pass a federal infrastructure bill.

Currently, You have a house that would vote for it, and a President that would sign it. All you would need to do is compromise with the Senate GOP. A much easier task than any other potential especially with a GOP president.

lets consider the alternatives other than the very unlikely possibility of a super majority house and senate and President all controlled by the DNC.

-Gop House, Gop Senate, GOP president

No go, the congress wont propose a bill even if Trump would be willing to sign it, a normal GOP president wouldn't

-Democrat House, Senate and GOP president

A GOP president would not sign a bill, if Trump he likely wouldn't do to political posturing. Good luck getting enough votes to overturn a veto

- Split house/senate with a DNC president.

Dead in the water, GOP would kill it in congress

-GOP house senate wit DNC president

No bill would be presented for the DNC president to pass.

You idiots are so locked into meaningless Turmp bullshit that you cant even take a second to give one single issue a moment of analysis.

If you want an infrastructure bill anytime soon, the house should work with Trump to get the GOP senate to compromise. Its literally the best potentially opportunity for the foreseeable future. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to consider what it takes to pass a bill.

I look forward to a few more nonsensical posts about how I am some sort of "brainwashed trump supporter" for simply stating the reality.

[SFBruin]

Can we please talk about the actual project and not about politics?

[jmecklenborg]

Originally Posted by Obadno

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to consider what it takes to pass a bill.

Republicans have been intentionally starving public works for decades to set the stage for privatization of...everything. They'd sell off the interstate highways to their Wall St. buddies if given the chance.

[Busy Bee]

Along with their souls if they haven't already.

[badrunner]

Originally Posted by SFBruin

Can we please talk about the actual project and not about politics?

No, apparently we needed a civics lesson from a simpleton

[SFBruin]

Since I am a little behind on this project and am trying to get a better sense of local projects in general: Has there been a study of the financial viability of a San Jose to Anaheim segment without a connection to San Francisco?

I am wondering if that could be financially viable as a standalone segment for some years while the details and financing of the portion from San Jose to San Francisco are worked out.

[electricron]

Originally Posted by SFBruin

Since I am a little behind on this project and am trying to get a better sense of local projects in general: Has there been a study of the financial viability of a San Jose to Anaheim segment without a connection to San Francisco?

I am wondering if that could be financially viable as a standalone segment for some years while the details and financing of the portion from San Jose to San Francisco are worked out.

They are building the SJ to SF section already with the electrification of the CalTrains line, and the building of the new train station in SF. The latest DEIS preferred alternate does not include adding third passing tracks. So that leaves how they will improve the station in SJ and where to build layover and maintenance facilities. As far as the mainline between SF and SJ is concerned, it is being refurbished as much as it will be right now.

[SFBruin]

Originally Posted by electricron

They are building the SJ to SF section already with the electrification of the CalTrains line, and the building of the new train station in SF. The latest DEIS preferred alternate does not include adding third passing tracks. So that leaves how they will improve the station in SJ and where to build layover and maintenance facilities. As far as the mainline between SF and SJ is concerned, it is being refurbished as much as it will be right now.

Got it, thank you.

[sammyg]

Originally Posted by SFBruin

Can we please talk about the actual project and not about politics?

There used to be a separate thread for these political arguments, what happened to it?

[SFBruin]

Originally Posted by sammyg

There used to be a separate thread for these political arguments, what happened to it?

Yeah, sorry for being all preachy about everything. I come to this thread in part to escape politics, and I get annoyed when it is here front and center.

I guess I should just ignore it. I'll try to do that from here on out.

Having separate threads is a good idea, though.

[DePaul Bunyan]

Originally Posted by jmecklenborg

Republicans have been intentionally starving public works for decades to set the stage for privatization of...everything. They'd sell off the interstate highways to their Wall St. buddies if given the chance.

Democrats do this constantly in Chicago and other parts of Illinois...

[mousquet]

Obviously, the private sector can take over things as soon as they turn out profitable.
I don't see any problem about that and always found this traditional political conflict between private and public sectors completely idiotic when both have actually always backed each other.
It's a strange and dumb thing that people would put themselves into rivalries when in real life, they need each other.

The public sector is here to back things that are only indirectly profitable to society, which is yet typically the case of mass transit. It may not always be profitable to corporations/agencies running it and require some effort from taxpayers, it nonetheless remains a significant strategic advantage from a macroeconomic standpoint.

All economists, whether rather liberal, social democratic or conservative constantly insist on private investments and projects we get here in Greater Paris thanks to our advanced transit infrastructures, which makes of us one of the world's wealthiest and better educated metro areas. Same goes to London.

That's clearly the reason why private businesses should not complain too much when they have to fund public transit. Because they actually grow wealthier and more influential from it.

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by badrunner

No, apparently we needed a civics lesson from a simpleton

If you represent a normal Californian no wonder the ill conceived rail project failed spectacularly

[SFBruin]

Originally Posted by mousquet

That's clearly the reason why private businesses should not complain too much when they have to fund public transit. Because they actually grow wealthier and more influential from it.

That makes sense.

[Busy Bee]

Originally Posted by DePaul Bunyan

Democrats do this constantly in Chicago and other parts of Illinois...

Outside of the parking meter debacle or toying with tollway privatization, which robbing-peter-to-pay-paul ventures, I'm not sure what you mean about starving PT. Care to elaborate?

[badrunner]

This Obadno guy is fuming

[badrunner]

Toll roads are un-American and anti-freedom. There will be riots if they ever privatize the highways and leave us with a Randian system of privately owned infrastructure. The ancap libertarian types who promote these things are con artists who know full well nobody is stupid enough to actually implement these policies. They do however profit off those who are stupid enough to believe them.

[electricron]

Originally Posted by badrunner

Toll roads are un-American and anti-freedom. There will be riots if they ever privatize the highways and leave us with a Randian system of privately owned infrastructure. The ancap libertarian types who promote these things are con artists who know full well nobody is stupid enough to actually implement these policies. They do however profit off those who are stupid enough to believe them.

Wiki link for list of toll bridges in the USA, 138 in total:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List...#United_States
Wiki link for list of toll roads in USA, 133 in total:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List..._United_States
Another 32 highways used to be toll roads.
List of toll tunnels in the USA, 15 in total:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List..._United_States

List of States with either a toll bridge, toll roads, or toll tunnels:
Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia.
35 of the 50 States toll something! How unAmerican to have so many! Where are the riots???

[badrunner]

Reading is fundamental

[Busy Bee]

Toll roads/bridges/tunnels are not "un-American" in the slightest. I actually think there should be more auto infrastructure with user fees. What I am deeply uncomfortable with though is the concept of toll roads being owned/operated by foreign entities(gov's, corp's etc) or really private corporations in general. Public accessible transport infrastucture where private vehicles would access for any reason should be ultimately owned by the people, i.e. the State.