Monday, May 9, 2011

Trains For Some, Idiot Governors for Others

It's good to see that even though some people are too stupid to have nice things given to them, the money will go to use somewhere.
WASHINGTON -- Amtrak and rail projects in 15 states are being awarded the $2 billion that Florida lost after the governor canceled plans for high-speed train service, the Department of Transportation said Monday.

The largest share of the money – nearly $800 million – will be used to upgrade train speeds from 135 mph to 160 mph on critical segments of the heavily traveled Northeast corridor, the department said in a statement..

Another $404 million will go to expand high-speed rail service in the Midwest, including newly constructed segments of 110-mph track between Detroit and Chicago that are expected to save passengers 30 minutes in travel time.

Nearly $340 million will go toward state-of-the-art locomotives and rail cars for California and the Midwest. California will also get another $300 million toward trains that will travel up to 220 mph between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

"These projects will put thousands of Americans to work, save hundreds of thousands of hours for American travelers every year, and boost U.S. manufacturing by investing hundreds of millions of dollars in next-generation, American-made locomotives and rail cars," Vice President Joseph Biden said in a statement.

President Barack Obama has sought to make creation a national network of high-speed trains a signature project of his administration. He has said he wants to make fast trains accessible to 80 percent of Americans within 25 years.
I gotta say, I think I generally understand the modern day Republican mindset (make the poor suffer, every benefit possible for rich people), but I will never understand their hatred of trains. I get it that poor and middle class scum are more likely to ride trains, but that means there's more room on the road for rich people!

Seriously don't get it. Who could hate trains?

6 comments:

  1. Yaaaay 160 MPH!

    It's possible that Florida is the worst state.

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  2. Hey I thought you guys might find this interesting: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/08/us-security-trains-idUSTRE7472CF20110508. A no ride list in light of Bin Laden's alleged terrorist plot against trains.

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  3. That fucking terrifies me.

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  4. And, you know, not cause of the potential terrorism.

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  5. I'm glad you clarified. Seriously, I figured you train people might have a thing or two to say about all this. I leave it in your capable hands. But pretty soon you won't be able to travel at all except by car. Good thing gas costs are at an all time low...wait that's not right.

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  6. So our choices are: would you rather pay more for gas and ultimately die slowly in a green-house effected hellscape or die quickly by a terrorist bombing of a railway or cruise ship? Although, the later does sound the best for going out in a blaze of glory I think we would all agree in the first scenario we would collectively be taking a lot more people with us in addition to damning many future generations if not mankind completely. Still...a tough call.

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