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Re: California OKs funding for high-speed rail line
Author: Coal Slaw
Date: 07-07-2012 - 18:45
Dave Smith Wrote:
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> Here's an idea - how about we make it so that
> ....
>
> (A)highway users pay the full cost of building and
> maintaining highways via fuel taxes and other user
> fees, and
>
> (B)HSR users pay the full cost of building and
> maintaining HSR via ticket prices and other user
> fees, and
>
> (C)not one penny of highway user fees go to HSR,
> and not one penny of HSR user fees go to
> highways?
>
> How about it?
>
> Any of you HSR proponents care to take that deal?
> After all, you are the ones who always drag up
> that old "roads are subsidized, so why not
> subsidized HSR" mantra.
Add the following into what is considered road costs and you've got a deal:
Value of land taken up by highways and other road infrastructure in cities
Cost of police for traffic control
Cost of injuries and deaths due to accidents. The National Safety Council, not an organization with an ideological or transportation agenda, estimated the annual costs of injuries and fatalities due to road accidents was over $800 in 2008.
I'll even be nice not ask the costs of air & water pollution, increased water run-off and damage from major oil spills such as the humongous 2010 BP blowout be included even though many economics argue they should be.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Here's an idea - how about we make it so that
> ....
>
> (A)highway users pay the full cost of building and
> maintaining highways via fuel taxes and other user
> fees, and
>
> (B)HSR users pay the full cost of building and
> maintaining HSR via ticket prices and other user
> fees, and
>
> (C)not one penny of highway user fees go to HSR,
> and not one penny of HSR user fees go to
> highways?
>
> How about it?
>
> Any of you HSR proponents care to take that deal?
> After all, you are the ones who always drag up
> that old "roads are subsidized, so why not
> subsidized HSR" mantra.
Add the following into what is considered road costs and you've got a deal:
Value of land taken up by highways and other road infrastructure in cities
Cost of police for traffic control
Cost of injuries and deaths due to accidents. The National Safety Council, not an organization with an ideological or transportation agenda, estimated the annual costs of injuries and fatalities due to road accidents was over $800 in 2008.
I'll even be nice not ask the costs of air & water pollution, increased water run-off and damage from major oil spills such as the humongous 2010 BP blowout be included even though many economics argue they should be.
