Now that's a great idea! A less expensive war!

Of course like everything else, you get no more than you pay for - if even that. Its all that high tech war stuff that is so darn expensive. So lets just cut it out - what the hey.

But it is just exactly that expensive stuff that is keeping the Iraq war to the lowest causualty rate since Cain slew Able - at least for Americans. In fact, in the last five years, about the same number of Americans died violent deaths in the streets of San Francisco and Northern California as did in both Iraq and Afghanistan combined. An amazing war this is! (or are our cities really violent). Perhaps the US should get out of California instead! No matter what else we do however - We will pay!
In money; or in lives. You pick.

Now a better idea! Less expensive public transit costs!

Why should it take ten to fifteen times the money for public agencies to fund rail than it costs private railroads. Even doubling the private cost to account for electrification costs, or trippling to also account for grade separations and fencing, it still doesn't even come close to adding up. So where did the money actually go?

Why is it that whenever the public treasury throws money at rail, the costs seem to go through the roof. For example, how the H... did BART blow $150,000,000 per mile for the Airport extension - on an already existing railroad grade at that - and that didn't even include the r.o.w.! I think somebody must have seen 'em comming. And the same seems to go for Amtrak much of the time; and also the California High Speed Rail Authority as well.

If costs were in line with private industry, just think of the many extra miles of railroad that could be built with the same amount of dollars - and time. Of course, as it is, probably billions will get spent, getting us almost nothing. Just as it seems on the NWP - lots of show(money) - but no go!

Now for an even better idea yet! Less expensive medical care!

Why should it take ten to fifteen times the money for..........

You get the idea. Public money must somehow be sizzling hot - hotter than almost anything else. It just seems to burn a huge big hole in just about everyone's pocket - can't seem to hold on to it long enough to actually get anything done. Singes the hinges of hell even.

OPB

PS.
As my son (nine year old at the time) once asked me when he noticed some crasy street work - "Why can't they WASTE our money on something we really need!"