The key to Buffalo's future success: High Speed Rail

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

http://www.journal-register.com/local/loca..._026013523.html

 

This pork-barrel stuff is always so fun to read. Some excerpts:

 

"First up on the caucus’ to-do list: Making the pitch for development of high-speed rail from Buffalo to Albany. Meetings with key federal and state power brokers, to plant the seeds of possibility, already are under way."

 

'There is geothermal energy across the northern (part of the) state that we can tap into for high-speed rail. If we can tap into that green power, we’ll have a leg up in Congress. No other state can. ... Then, later, we hope to expand (service) to Montreal and Toronto. That takes in a large part of the population of North America."

 

"The value is you can do your business in Albany and be back home at night."

[KD in CA]

I seem to recall a brilliant Simpson's episode about a high speed rail-line, complete with all the necessary Music Man references.

 

Go Government!

[Cheeseburger_in_paradise]

http://www.journal-register.com/local/loca..._026013523.html

 

This pork-barrel stuff is always so fun to read. Some excerpts:

 

"First up on the caucus’ to-do list: Making the pitch for development of high-speed rail from Buffalo to Albany. Meetings with key federal and state power brokers, to plant the seeds of possibility, already are under way."

 

'There is geothermal energy across the northern (part of the) state that we can tap into for high-speed rail. If we can tap into that green power, we’ll have a leg up in Congress. No other state can. ... Then, later, we hope to expand (service) to Montreal and Toronto. That takes in a large part of the population of North America."

 

"The value is you can do your business in Albany and be back home at night."

 

That should also ease that bumper to bumper traffic on the Interstate.

[The Avenger]

Monorail! Monorail! Monorail!

[ExiledInIllinois]

Why is Albany the capital? You think they would have moved it to the middle of the state sometime ago? Like Iowa did with Iowa City (to Des Moines) or Illinois with Kaskaskia (Springfield)...

 

Why not Syracuse?

 

[Ramius]

I seem to recall a brilliant Simpson's episode about a high speed rail-line, complete with all the necessary Music Man references.

 

Go Government!

 

I thought the exact same thing when i read this crap.

[/dev/null]

I thought the exact same thing when i read this crap.

ditto

[Chef Jim]

In CA we're way ahead of you. We have this nice shiny website promoting it.

 

More government waste.

[DC Tom]

http://www.journal-register.com/local/loca..._026013523.html

 

This pork-barrel stuff is always so fun to read. Some excerpts:

 

"First up on the caucus’ to-do list: Making the pitch for development of high-speed rail from Buffalo to Albany. Meetings with key federal and state power brokers, to plant the seeds of possibility, already are under way."

 

'There is geothermal energy across the northern (part of the) state that we can tap into for high-speed rail. If we can tap into that green power, we’ll have a leg up in Congress. No other state can. ... Then, later, we hope to expand (service) to Montreal and Toronto. That takes in a large part of the population of North America."

 

"The value is you can do your business in Albany and be back home at night."

 

 

Geothermal?

 

High-speed trains...that are steam-powered?

 

That's vaguely ironical.

[Chump Change]

In CA we're way ahead of you. We have this nice shiny website promoting it.

 

More government waste.

 

Good luck keeping that on budget. Maybe we can import some Chinese, wait, nevermind...

 

The website says all the 'major' cities will be connected. San Francisco wasn't one of them on the little graphic thingy. I guess you're not moving to a major city.

[ExiledInIllinois]

Good luck keeping that on budget. Maybe we can import some Chinese, wait, nevermind...

 

The website says all the 'major' cities will be connected. San Francisco wasn't one of them on the little graphic thingy. I guess you're not moving to a major city.

 

 

Weren't all the major cities connected by inter-urban rail 60 years ago? Too bad BFLO tore up most of it's tracks.

[Chump Change]

Weren't all the major cities connected by inter-urban rail 60 years ago? Too bad BFLO tore up most of it's tracks.

 

You got me. I wasn't alive that long ago. I did hear Buffalo was once connected by some type of high speed waterway or canal to other parts of the state though.

[/dev/null]

You got me. I wasn't alive that long ago. I did hear Buffalo was once connected by some type of high speed waterway or canal to other parts of the state though.

 

I heard that song too

[stuckincincy]

http://www.journal-register.com/local/loca..._026013523.html

 

This pork-barrel stuff is always so fun to read. Some excerpts:

 

"First up on the caucus’ to-do list: Making the pitch for development of high-speed rail from Buffalo to Albany. Meetings with key federal and state power brokers, to plant the seeds of possibility, already are under way."

 

'There is geothermal energy across the northern (part of the) state that we can tap into for high-speed rail. If we can tap into that green power, we’ll have a leg up in Congress. No other state can. ... Then, later, we hope to expand (service) to Montreal and Toronto. That takes in a large part of the population of North America."

 

"The value is you can do your business in Albany and be back home at night."

 

We have the same crowd here in Cincinnati. Lately, they want trolleys to run from high crime district to high crime district across downtown.

 

Previously, they wanted rail transit to the suburbs. The fact that buses subsidized by taxpayers for years have routinely had abysamal ridership - I'm talking one or two riders per bus - doesn't faze them.

 

I have found that the movers/shakers of such, at least locally here in Cincinnati, have some common characteristics:

 

1. They are of old money. And have plenty of it, well-protected.

 

2. They live in old, very spiffy domiciles. Domestic staffs, guard dogs. You are not welcome to approach.

 

3. They always refer to themselves as a "man of vision, of progress, and want to improve the community. And tell us unwashed how we "but need to listen".

 

4. They love to say how they will lead the charge to get government (taxpayer) money. There is no parade too small for a "man of vision" to hop into the front of.

 

Sound familiar?

Edited January 26, 2009 by stuckincincy