Re: FRA study on the potential expansion of long-distance rail? Yep, choices does have consequences.
Author: BOB2-
Date: 01-29-2025 - 00:50
Mar a lago time Wrote:
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> another worthless government work Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Commenter Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > A new study looks at adding 15 additional
> > > long-distance routes to Amtrak, which would
> > > dramatically expand access.
> >
> > Your tax dollars hard at work, "studying" and
> > making pretty maps.
> >
> > I could have whipped this out in three minutes.
>
> > But since I am not affiliated with a major
> > political party, lobbying organization and
> > research university, and couldn't bill the
> federal
> > government a few million dollars, I was told to
> > sit down, shut up, pay my taxes or have the IRS
> > come after me.
>
>
> Yup. Rail could be simple but government has to
> overspend and overdo everything. Now we have a
> reaction against all that in Trump.
To every action there is an opposite but equal reaction. That's the Third Law of motion, IIRC?
It applies to the kind of stupidity we have seen displayed in the gold-plated taxpayer CAHSRA fiasco.
When we make more of these decisions based on sound economics and good analysis of the cost-benefit tradeoffs, then we seem to have more successful and real business models like Brightline.
Well managed projects like the Goldline Extensions by the small and focused GL Construction Authority have come in on-time and under budget by using things like "design build" contracting with competent oversight to assure proper bids and costs.
And things like the Crenshaw LRT line are still not open, four years late, and overbudget, because the MTA uses the "change order" racket (bid low, then make it up on inflated change orders, and massive cost overruns).
Or, then there is the truly horrific CAHSRA contracting model of putting "contractors" in charge of the contracting and giving them a percentage of the work they manage, and we then wonder why we are building miles of needless overdesigned gold-plated bridges in the San Joaquin Valley and HSR in CA costs nearly 4 times as much per mile.
The good or bad choices we make have consequences. The good or bad behaviors we engage in, allow, or enable have consequences. And yet, there are still many folks who continue to be shocked, when bad choices or behaviors result in bad consequences. Go figure?