Eternity RPC Board
05-23-2019, 07:57 PM
Paolo Tornetta - NL
My concern is that what we have is a $750 Billion daler pipe dream. There are too many variables not addressed, and yet we’re expected to throw this exorbitant amount at a lump of hope and a few maybes.
Now to be clear, high speed rail does make sense for connecting our dense urban communities, and would be a great driver in freeing people to live farther from these expensive work hubs. However, have the states, cities, counties, has anyone consulted on this project? Any feasibility studies, or polls on potential demand?
When Kohout came to this chamber with a multi-trillion daler bill, he did so after consulting state and local offices for their needs, and so the plan filled those real and demonstrable needs. These projects work best when there’s a proven need, yet this is not shown in either market or local petition. This hasn’t been newsworthy, or planned policy.
This entire bill is a long shot on goal by the government to put its name on a large-profile project simply to say it did “something”, a hallmark initiative to be remembered by. Where Kohout had infrastructure and healthcare and military modernizations, and Harrow had fundamental tax reform, and Morgen had...well...anyway, Madame President and her government seem to want to be immortalized in a national rail project.
If you want money for a rail study, you can have it. If states decide they want help funding such a plan, then we can give them help. But I’m not signing off on essentially a blank check from the taxpayer for a few “maybes.”
At least give me a plan to make a plan.
My concern is that what we have is a $750 Billion daler pipe dream. There are too many variables not addressed, and yet we’re expected to throw this exorbitant amount at a lump of hope and a few maybes.
Now to be clear, high speed rail does make sense for connecting our dense urban communities, and would be a great driver in freeing people to live farther from these expensive work hubs. However, have the states, cities, counties, has anyone consulted on this project? Any feasibility studies, or polls on potential demand?
When Kohout came to this chamber with a multi-trillion daler bill, he did so after consulting state and local offices for their needs, and so the plan filled those real and demonstrable needs. These projects work best when there’s a proven need, yet this is not shown in either market or local petition. This hasn’t been newsworthy, or planned policy.
This entire bill is a long shot on goal by the government to put its name on a large-profile project simply to say it did “something”, a hallmark initiative to be remembered by. Where Kohout had infrastructure and healthcare and military modernizations, and Harrow had fundamental tax reform, and Morgen had...well...anyway, Madame President and her government seem to want to be immortalized in a national rail project.
If you want money for a rail study, you can have it. If states decide they want help funding such a plan, then we can give them help. But I’m not signing off on essentially a blank check from the taxpayer for a few “maybes.”
At least give me a plan to make a plan.