Do you think we are so pliable that you snap a picture of Obama carrying a book about Reagan and he begins talking in terms like he actually LIKES this country and now we're supposed to look past the demands for a railroad and more Volts to see that he actually LOVES this country and cares about its advancement in the world, especially since he's already bowed and scraped and bashed us around the world?
Mr. Obama.
You're not an optimist.
You don't think this country is exceptional.
You don't believe we can overcome obstacles.
You don't think it's morning in America.
You're no Reagan.
I would propose giving everyone who pays income tax next year one share of Amtrak stock. When someone gains control of 50%+1 of the stock they would get to run Amtrak and expand it as they saw fit. They would have to modify the union work rules but I'm sure it could be run at a profit in the Boston to Washington corridor. Hell they run a train from New York to Washington every half hour, or at least they did when I lived in NY. They could study the feasibility of short haul routes, for example a twice daily run from Cleveland to Cincinnati on the existing freight rails. If they should fail then the taxpayers would at least be off the hook for the subsidies.
ReplyDeleteThe plan for light rail in Ohio was ridiculous. As of now, there is no quick way to drive from Northwest Ohio to the capitol of Columbus, yet the light rail did not take that into effect when they planned it. We have long griped that Northwest Ohio has been pretty much ignored, probably because it's generally a liberal enclave so no one feels they need to patronize it. Liberal reporter Hallett did a pretty creditable job covering the problems here:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/editorials/stories/2010/02/07/jh07.ART_ART_02-07-10_G5_OCGGVK7.html?adsec=politics&sid=101