hey I got a great idea

[spence]

Originally Posted by RIJIMMY

Right! Its only mandatory that I PAY FOR IT !!!!!!!!!!!

Good point...

RIJIMMY, you're officially banned from driving on any of MY roads. I also assume you're going to opt out of Medicare when you retire.

-spence

[Raven]

RI JIMMY ?
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.keep them great ideas coming

[RIJIMMY]

Originally Posted by spence

Good point...

RIJIMMY, you're officially banned from driving on any of MY roads. I also assume you're going to opt out of Medicare when you retire.

-spence

I mean I'm paying for a "new" high speed rail which will provide VERY little impact to the problems O is trying to address. It wont be mandatory, but it wont be successful either.

Instead of trying to attack me, please tell me how a multi-billion dollar investment in rail is the way to go? Its a waste of money that could be better spent elsewhere. What happened to the "Manhattan like-Project" to find a solution to oil? I'd support billions for that. TO me, I thought that was the big "change" we'd get from Obama. Not some re-hashed attempt to revitalize a dying industry.
Its weak and a waste of money, please convince me otherwise.

[Mike P]

Sooner or later, you have to spend money on infrastructure. The federal interstate highway system was begun 50 years ago, and parts of the major N/S and E/W routes are almost that old. Pretty soon we're going to be dropping a bridge a week into major rivers across the country if we don't start throwing money into it. Or developing an alternative. As much as it will cost to build high speed rail links between major cities, it will cost 10 times as much to rebuild the entire Eisenhower Interstate system, and 100 times as much to build its replacement.

Have you drven over the Braga Bridge lately??--tell me that your knuckles don't get a little white when you look up, see all that rust on the superstructure and grab the wheel a little tighter. Trucks with more than two axles can't cross a bridge on the major N/S Interstate route between Boston and NY, as we speak.

There aren't any easy answers. Train travel between cities is going to look mighty attractive come the day that we spend as much money per gallon on gas as the Europeans do, or we piss off the wrong sheik and have to spend 2 hours in line on odd/even days waiting to get enough fuel to get to Grandma's for Thanksgiving.

The big problem is, we ignored it for too long. We should have been looking for solutions like this 36 years ago when our dependence on foreign oil was brought to light by the first embargo.

[justplugit]

Originally Posted by Mike P

There aren't any easy answers. Train travel between cities is going to look mighty attractive come the day that we spend as much money per gallon on gas as the Europeans do, or we piss off the wrong sheik and have to spend 2 hours in line on odd/even days waiting to get enough fuel to get to Grandma's for Thanksgiving.

The big problem is, we ignored it for too long. We should have been looking for solutions like this 36 years ago when our dependence on foreign oil was brought to light by the first embargo.

For sure. Typical, wait till it's too late and too expensive.

ex. What happened to all the talk of drilling, or not, when gas was $4 a gallon.
Now that it's under $2 ,talk has ceased until it goes up to $5 in the future and
no cheap alternative energy sources have been developed.
Imho drilling for domestic oil has to be ,at least in the 10year plan, if there is such a thing.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by justplugit

For sure. Typical, wait till it's too late and too expensive.

ex. What happened to all the talk of drilling, or not, when gas was $4 a gallon.
Now that it's under $2 ,talk has ceased until it goes up to $5 in the future and
no cheap alternative energy sources have been developed.
Imho drilling for domestic oil has to be ,at least in the 10year plan, if there is such a thing.

If I remember correctly, offshore drilling and drilling in Alaska is not financially beneficial until oil is over $60 a barrel.

People are stupid. They focus on what's happening this second. This country doesn't hold the capability of thinking about tomorrow.

[Cpt. Crunch]

Originally Posted by JohnnyD

If I remember correctly, offshore drilling and drilling in Alaska is not financially beneficial until oil is over $60 a barrel.

People are stupid. The focus on what's happening this second. This country doesn't hold the capability of thinking about tomorrow.

and most are conservatives.

[fishbones]

Originally Posted by Cpt. Crunch

and most are conservatives.

So, you're clearly the exception that prove's the rule.

[justplugit]

Originally Posted by JohnnyD

The focus on what's happening this second. This country doesn't hold the capability of thinking about tomorrow.

Yup, you got that right JD.
Politicians will only act when there is an emergency/perceived emergency,
or when something is popular with people and it will bring them VOTES.

People that don't understand that are not facing reality,
in addition most people are so busy working to make a living they don't have the time to keep up and digest what is really going on.
Politcians depend on that.

It's not about what's best, it's about VOTES.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by justplugit

It's not about what's best, it's about VOTES.

This is my principal issue with politics and why I'm a fan of politicians like Ron Paul - he doesn't mind pissing some people off.

While the man may be a bit wacky, I appreciate that he goes against the grain. Of course he has to pay attention to what his constituents desire, but he actually tries to look towards the future.

One of the reasons we are in the mess we are in is due to a major shortcoming with politicians:

They are reactive, as opposed to proactive.