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Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Fortunately we don't have a Republican governor

Unlike Florida, where their Republican Governor Rick Scott declined taking $2.4 billion (yes, two point four BILLION DOLLARS) for his state, so they could start creating better light rail mass transit between their cities, our Democratic Governor Jay Nixon is going for it:

Gov.: Missouri To Apply For High-Speed Rail Funds

And thank goodness. 

Wouldn't it be nice to be able to go quickly and easily  across that state, maybe to Columbia or St. Louis?

Wouldn't it make sense, if, one day soon, we could go, again, quickly and easily, by train on up to Chicago, too?  It could take some pressure off our truly dangerous 4-lane freeway that is I-70?

Instead of running for president in 2012 like the Florida governor, ours is pushing for us, for Missouri, for the state, for the citizens.  

Jobs, better transportation and mass transit so maybe we also get off some Middle Eastern oil.  We get a trifecta of benefits from this, at minimum.  

Here's  hoping he's successful with it.   

If he's not, at least he tried.

2 comments:

Sevesteen said...

Wouldn't it have been better that the fed not take 2.4 billion from Florida in the first place, and let Florida decide how best to spend it? Or the 400 million for Ohio, or whatever Missouri is getting...and all the other states that are being offered subsidies?

As for declining money being a bad decision-if I were to offer $50,000 towards a limo, but you pay the rest including the driver's salary...would it make sense for you to accept?

Light rail is not as efficient as claimed. Utilization is over estimated, energy and pollution per passenger mile is underestimated. Plus there are fewer opportunities to improve efficiency compared to private cars.

Mo Rage said...

But light rail works in Denver, St. Louis, Los Angeles, Chicago, from Ft. Lauderdale to Miami and all over the Northeast corridor.

Besides, you're looking at the current situation. If you consider the increasing price of oil, at minimum, it's going to make more and more sense, financially.