Comments on: Governor Bobby Jindal, Flip-Flopper Extraordinaire

By: Alon Levy

Alon Levy — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:08:31 +0000

Jeff, the only good ROW from NOLA to Houston is I-10, which passes through BR. It’s the larger HSR system to the north that would miss BR, which is not on the I-55 or City of New Orleans corridor.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:46:15 +0000

Someone needs to help NOLA leave the state of Louisiana. Barring that, we need the feds to help meet us more than halfway, because you see what we get with LA’s elected leadership.

BTW, the proposed corridor between BR and NOLA is actually awful, as far as transit planning goes. BR shouldn’t even be on an HSR line–it should go directly from NOLA to Houston, with BR as a spur (and only if an Illinois-Central line ever comes into existence should it be on any larger HSR route).

Jindal continues to put his own aspiration ahead of the needs of the citizens of LA, especially, New Orleanians.

By: EngineerScotty

EngineerScotty — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:52:16 +0000

Keep in mind that the Evil Eleven is now down to the Terrible Ten, with the resignation of Governor Palin (who makes a lot of noise but is currently not in a position of any real authority), and if and when Sanford resigns, we’ll be down to the Naughty Nine.

By: Adam

Adam — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 01:14:59 +0000

A lot of Republicans in the house see the value of HSR, so at least that’s good. The thing is the Republican leadership is so fixated on opposition for opposition’s sake that they’re lost in a time warp. With your report, the Fearsome Four (Mark Sanford, Rick Perry, Sarah Palin, and Jindal) join with the Sad Seven (the seven senators you mentioned as regressive in transportation reform) to form the Evil Eleven. I might want to add Michelle Bachmann and numerous other congresspeople (I’d like a list of congresspeople that really need to go as well).

By: Glen

Glen — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 22:02:53 +0000

This point is why we need 2009 transportation bill passed and with reforms so that HSR is given equal treatment as
a choice for each state to pursue if they so choose..if not they can use that money elswhere ,,but dont block HSR for some Red/Blue game

By: Woody

Woody — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 18:25:24 +0000

The New Orleans-Baton Rouge line certainly makes sense for some level of passenger rail. Baton Rouge has grown much larger since Katrina, and most of those newcomers keep their emotional, familial, cultural, and business ties to N’awlins. That new line would contribute to the renewal of New Orleans. It could help tourism in New Orleans and especially in Baton Rouge.

In addition, the new route could feed traffic to whatever becomes of the Sunset Limited routes to Houston and Mobile and points beyond, as well as supporting the Crescent and the City of New Orleans.

Perhaps best of all, the N.O.-B.R. line could be the first leg of a line extending on to Alexandria-Shreveport-Longview-Dallas-Fort Worth, and possibly beyond to Abilene-Odessa-El Paso-L.A.

Such a line would benefit all of Louisiana and much of Texas. Shreveport’s riverboat casinos could really gain from a rail connection to the huge Dallas-Ft Worth market. The stretch from Longview to Dallas already served by the Texas Eagle could grow into a popular corridor when service grows beyond once-a-day frequency. Dallas could become something of a rail hub with connections to the Texas Eagle and the Heartland Flyer meeting east-west routes reaching to L.A. and Orlando.

But poor Bobby Jindal doesn’t dare be For any government action that could benefit his state or region, because he is trapped in the Party of No.

By: jon

jon — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 18:01:07 +0000

this is just like palin refusing a portion of stimulus that was then overturned as soon as she when awol

sorry scotty but thats not saying much

hsr will be hard to do without it coming across as something only for blue states. and louisiana’s line was one of the better red state lines.

By: EngineerScotty

EngineerScotty — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:40:28 +0000

HSR development is probably much more politically doable than health care reform, in any case.

By: Loren Petrich

Loren Petrich — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:27:34 +0000

So there’s a risk that the teabaggers will get manipulated into directing their attentions at high-speed-rail plans.

Obama wants to help get non-NEC HSR started, but he also wants healthcare reform, and he’s been directing much of his efforts toward that. Success in healthcare reform would help improve his political position, at least if it was not a Pyrrhic victory for him. It would also make the teabaggers seem less-than-effective.

But even if he’s less-than-successful, he may still turn to HSR as a way of making his mark, though it will be more of a struggle for him.