California's Prop 1A --- Impending Doom

[garbon]

QUESTION:  Why are the unwashed masses voting on these items?

We're California; we care.

[Caliga]

QUESTION:  Why are the unwashed masses voting on these items?

We're California; we care.

TEH PEOPLE can't be trusted to make wise financial decisions.... a fact which Congress seems to realize and be trying to address right now. 

[garbon]

TEH PEOPLE can't be trusted to make wise financial decisions.... a fact which Congress seems to realize and be trying to address right now. 

Nor can the people we elect.

[Caliga]

Nor can the people we elect.

Notice I said "trying" 

[garbon]

Notice I said "trying" 

By "people" I was thinking of California government officials.  The ones who were giving themselves raises while our state operated for months with no budget.

[KRonn]

Yeah, interesting article on the contrast of rails of old, and now. I'm very surprised that it takes longer to travel the same routes, but then, the rails aren't so prioritized for passenger traffic like they once were. But that's also probably part of a larger problem of getting more people to take trains instead of autos for longer journeys, or to use trains instead of air travel.

Yeah, they're not prioritized at all.  Personal anecdotal example: I used to take MBTA commuter rail from Southboro to Yawkey/Back Bay station.  We ALWAYS had to wait on CSX freight trains.  Yep, it's really more important that those cars full of high fructose corn syrup get to the Breyers plant in Framingham on time than all of these paying commuters get to work on time!

[Ed Anger]

Speaking of Cali, how is Bakersfield?

[garbon]

[alfred russel]

Yeah, interesting article on the contrast of rails of old, and now. I'm very surprised that it takes longer to travel the same routes, but then, the rails aren't so prioritized for passenger traffic like they once were. But that's also probably part of a larger problem of getting more people to take trains instead of autos for longer journeys, or to use trains instead of air travel.

Yeah, they're not prioritized at all.  Personal anecdotal example: I used to take MBTA commuter rail from Southboro to Yawkey/Back Bay station.  We ALWAYS had to wait on CSX freight trains.  Yep, it's really more important that those cars full of high fructose corn syrup get to the Breyers plant in Framingham on time than all of these paying commuters get to work on time!

Which seems fair to me: the CSX trains are actually paying their own way, but your fare is only a partial payment (assuming it is like most of the passenger rail travel in the country).

[Caliga]

your fare is only a partial payment (assuming it is like most of the passenger rail travel in the country).

[alfred russel]

your fare is only a partial payment (assuming it is like most of the passenger rail travel in the country).

Passenger rail is heavily subsidized.

[Caliga]

Passenger rail is heavily subsidized.

By what?  Taxes.  Who pays taxes?  Me.

[alfred russel]

Passenger rail is heavily subsidized.

By what?  Taxes.  Who pays taxes?  Me.

As well as the 95% of other taxpayers that don't ride the train.

[Neil]

Speaking of Rail, I thought this was a very interesting article.

It proceeds from an incorrect assumption:  That technology has regressed.  Then, the article goes on to say that locomotives are faster than ever, and it's a combination of bureaucracy, advancing technology and lack of interest that have flattened the trains.

[saskganesh]

also increased freight and reduced track.

I think we should forget about trains for passenger travel, concentrate on freight, decrease the amount of semis on cross country trips and bring back Superbus.