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RE: (erielack) NJ/PA - Environmental Assessment for Lackawanna Cutoff now ava...
Greg
Re highway subsidies
I have never been able to vote for a highway up or down but rail transit has to jump that hoop in various communities. The Road Gang will continue trying to ensure that our choice is the Highway or No Way. With an increasingly graying population I think the "freedom" of driving will be a bitter freedom.
MJC
> Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:40:15 -0400
> From: botvinesq_@_optonline.net
> Subject: RE: (erielack) NJ/PA - Environmental Assessment for Lackawanna Cutoff now ava...
> To: erielack_@_lists.railfan.net
>
> Do we really have to get into name-calling here just because some people
> are not advocating for long-distance "commuter" lines? The fact is that the
> highways get more subsidies because the people have asked for them. They
> have asked for them because they like the freedom of driving their cars
> wherever and whenever they like. When the price of gas goes through the
> $4.00 roof and beyond (like the environmentalists and the Obama
> administration want) then people will want / be forced to ride public
> transportation. (Unless, of course, a viable and cheap alternative fueling
> system is developed).
>
>
> Greg Botvinik
> Highland Park, NJ
> botvinesq_@_optonline.net
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jim Guthrie [mailto:jguthrie_@_pipeline.com]
> Sent: Friday, June 19, 2009 2:30 PM
> To: EL Mail List
> Subject: Re: (erielack) NJ/PA - Environmental Assessment for Lackawanna
> Cutoff now ava...
>
> Henry writes:
>
> >I have never been a big fan of train rider welfare.
>
> Highway engineers figure the subsidy from general taxation for motorists
> runs around 44-46%; rail advocates figure it at 56-60%; the strong
> libertarian anti-gummint, anti-tax folk figure it at 88%.
>
> What makes automobile drivers so special that they receive substatial
> subsidies, but you think rail riders don't?
>
> BTW -- as to Jerome's screed, it has always been my understanding that #1-2
> actually more than covered its marginal costs right up until the end, an
> that EL management was actually surprised when the ICC examiner accepted
> their petition for discontinuance. The N&W wanted all passenger service off
> the books no matter what the circumstances. I realize full costs would nto
> be covered but railroading has always been a business of marginal costs not
> full costs anyway.
>
> Cheers,
> Jim Guthrie
> ELHS $1296
>
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>
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