Comments on: Senator Boxer is Right: There is No Consensus in Congress on Funding

By: Nathanael

Nathanael — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 10:00:49 +0000

Agreed with Sean. Can we abolish the US Senate yet?

By: Mason Hicks

Mason Hicks — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 02:50:11 +0000

Ironically, this delay could be even be helpful in one way. As you all are I’m sure aware, we, in Georgia are governed in the state by a posse of State Legislator’s fro the more rural areas of the state, who couldn’t care less about Atlanta’s traffic mess or the fact that we have the only rail-based transit system in the country which recieves no state support for operations. One Representative from South Georgia spelled it out this way; “I’m closer to Disney World” than I am to any MARTA train!” All this despite the statistical fact that the majority of Georgians now reside within the Metro Atlanta region.
Back to the point; Our state DOT has been sitting on $87,000,000.00 in Federal grant money to start our first commuter rail line towards the City of Macon, for over eight years now.We do not have trains running only for the failure of the state to commit USDOT has stated that all unused grant money out there will need to be return. This delay gives us one last possible opportunity to make this good, and get going down the rails. That is the one and only possible reason to be happy about the T-Bill’s being postponed.

By: Alon Levy

Alon Levy — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 10:31:34 +0000

No, the current disaster has already happened, twice – once in the Great Depression, and once in Japan in the 1990s. The problem is exactly the same, the political issues are similar, and even the original cause of the recession is the same.

By: Wad

Wad — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 06:53:23 +0000

Alon Levy wrote:

Only if you believe the Austrians, or some of the equilibrium theorists. Krugman and his ilk are a lot more afraid of deflation at this stage.

Or, the really scary thing is that we may see something unlike anything before that no economic school can adequately explain or remedy. That is what happened with the stagflation during the 1970s. This is what is probably happening right now with Bernanke in charge.

He is a scholar of the Great Depression, but he is working to prevent the last disaster and not the next one.

By: Tipsy

Tipsy — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:49:48 +0000

Well I didn’t expect them to assign a lot more fundings but still. This is kinda annoying although I can understand them with the recession and everything…

By: Alon Levy

Alon Levy — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:06:07 +0000

In about 18 months, Zimbabwean-style hyperinflation is bound to set in, rendering the whole debate pointless.

Only if you believe the Austrians, or some of the equilibrium theorists. Krugman and his ilk are a lot more afraid of deflation at this stage.

By: Jarrett at HumanTransit.org

Jarrett at HumanTransit.org — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 06:24:10 +0000

Lively comments!

I’m disappointed in Barbara Boxer too, but as a transit advocate I wouldn’t put our issues in front of heath care or even emissions trading (though I would fight hard to keep it linked to the latter).

Remember that most voters understand that health care and climate change are national issues, but most of them think that transportation is a local issue. All the outcomes of a transportation bill are going to be filtered through local government, so local politicians will get most of the credit. So it’s not surprising that this is hard, and Yonah’s reading of it seems pretty right-on to me.

By: Wad

Wad — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 05:26:33 +0000

In about 18 months, Zimbabwean-style hyperinflation is bound to set in, rendering the whole debate pointless.

By: Trey Joseph Wadsworth

Trey Joseph Wadsworth — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:03:53 +0000

Ditto on most of what has been said. I can’t wait to hear the floor speeches in the upcoming years when gas is back over $4 a gallon and the economy goes back down the toilet (if it gets any better anyway).

There is no use to the Democratic party if they can’t come together on anything bigger and better than the Lilly Ledbetter whatever her name was Act.

I am about to fully resign to my uber-pessimistic stance (that I put on hold for Obama + Co) that in order for anything to happen in the way of progress we really really need to fall right off the cliff fast and hard.

Where is Palin?

We need absolute failure in order to realize the way forward. In 2012 I’m voting for the stupidest person so it’ll make it hurt the most. Then maybe everyone will snap to once and for all.

As if over $4 a gallon gas wasn’t a clue in 2008. As if nearly 10% unemployment wasn’t a clue. As if Foreclosure Acres and Default Lakes (the development built recently near you) wasn’t a clue.

And we just give in. Really? That is what we are to do? Give in? Just say okay 18 months whatever? I’m not quite ready to give in and let our “ITS TOO HARD” legislators pass over this opportunity.

Pardon me for my hyperbole, I’m just fed up with the people that are supposed to be better than the folks that just got kicked out of power.

By: Daniel Krause

Daniel Krause — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:11:12 +0000

I still don’t understand where Boxer is coming from these days. We had to fighter her pro-highway amendments to the stimulus and now she is on opposite sides from Oberstar. While it is reasonable to ask from some extra time given the crazy agenda Congress has right now, not wanting to get reform done in the first two years of a popular presidency with majorities in both houses shows a lack of interest and comitment to reform.

I guess she doesn’t fully see the link between environment and alternative transportation.