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The States: Mad Scientist Laboratories of Democracy

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Re: The States: Mad Scientist Laboratories of Democracy

Kepler said:
NY (transport, finance) and CA (everything) may be the only positive cash flow states left in the US. If the two of them got together they could probably blackmail the rest of the US into anything.
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If NY is cash flow positive, why the hell do they run an actual budget deficit every year?
 
Re: The States: Mad Scientist Laboratories of Democracy

Oh, and to further prove SJ isn't correct, the GOP is conveniently leaving in the provisions that prevent public workers from striking.

Repealing the entire chapter would be better than this streaming horse crap.
 
Re: The States: Mad Scientist Laboratories of Democracy

Gimme that olde tyme stupidity...

“Traditionally men have earned more than women in the workplace because they are considered the primary breadwinners for families,” the letter read. “They need to make enough to support their families and allow the Mother to remain in the home to raise and nurture the children.”

Green argued paying women equally would take away money from men and force mothers to leave the home in order to work.
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Re: The States: Mad Scientist Laboratories of Democracy

Wow, no response below to my Pocohontas reference.


http://www.startribune.com/gop-lawm...rail-money-to-road-bridge-projects/414281213/

**** the GOP. **** them **** them **** them.

Republicans in the Minnesota Legislature said Monday that they want to take the $929 million in federal funding expected for the Southwest light-rail transit line and instead use it for roads, bridges and other transportation projects.

A resolution introduced Monday seeks lawmakers' approval to ask the U.S. Department of Transportation to redirect its contribution away from the 14-mile line planned to run from downtown Minneapolis to Eden Prairie.

The Legislature has been divided on the issue and did not pass a light-rail funding bill in the last session. The Metropolitan Council then came up with different plan, lining up $145 million in local contributions for the $1.9 billion project.
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The only reason we got that money was for the light rail. If I were the Feds I'd tell them to pound sand. You'll get nothing and like it.
 
Re: The States: Mad Scientist Laboratories of Democracy

dxmnkd316 said:
I'm fairly certain that the feds tie funds to specific projects.
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Yes, I know that. I pointed that out. The article pointed that out. Doesn't change the fact that the bill introduced is trying to circumvent that. They also will have sympathetic ears in Washington since the Republicans took over there.
 
dxmnkd316 said:
I'm fairly certain that the feds tie funds to specific projects.
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Generally yes.

Some times, a backup plan needs to be submitted, and even then, that has to be a specific project and not some random "Oh, we're going to use it for a bridge, or a road, or sumthin'."


I worked on a project that was 3/4 Federally funded, rest State and local. The original plan was to build a new 20 mile long freeway west of Chicago. The project was cancelled, and so IDOT wouldn't lose the money, they used it on the submitted backup plan: upgrade a rural two lane state Highway to a four lane divided highway.

Federal funding like this is a use it or lose it. And if they think they can just use that money for a random project, they're quite wrong. On top of that, the Feds will not look favorably upon granting future monies for projects.
 
Re: The States: Mad Scientist Laboratories of Democracy

Tomorrow ND gets the spotlight at the intersection of the Cannonball and Missouri Rivers.

Tomorrow is mandatory "be gone". The Army Corp (not ND, the Feds) has said the DAPL camp must be evacuated so it can be cleaned up before those lowlands flood. The Army Corp owns the land in the photo (link below). Actually, with the recent warm spell, it's probably too late.

Here's the photo of what's to be cleaned up. If I have my perspective correct the Missouri is in the upper left of the image and the Cannonball comes in to meet it from the right.

If that doesn't get cleaned up that'll be washed down the Missouri into the water take for the Standing Rock Tribe. Irony, she's a harsh mistress. Did I mention the open sewage (human waste) pits on that site? What else do you do when you max out near 10k people for a few days with no city civil or sanitary services.

Read all about what's coming tomorrow. That blog (linky) has done a decent job of covering the DAPL camp; he's called out all sides. (Port is libertarian-conservative and hates higher ed in ND and is a bobo for speaker of the ND House. I'll read, but I'm not a fan.)

Remember: the goal (look again at photo now) was to protect the water and the environment. < sigh >
 
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Re: The States: Mad Scientist Laboratories of Democracy

ScoobyDoo said:
The only reason we got that money was for the light rail. If I were the Feds I'd tell them to pound sand. You'll get nothing and like it.
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Screw your light rail Scoob.
I want a bullet train (320 klicks per hour bay-bee!) up the I-94 corridor from MSP to Bismarck. You gotz the $929 million from the Feds. Have at 'er!
Then I want a bullet train on the I-29 corridor from Winnipeg* to say Omaha for now. We'll get it to KC later.

Why not? I mean, you say $929 million for 14 miles --> $66 million per mile.

This source says high-speed rail is just $82 million per mile in CA mountains and just $2.4 million per mile (admittedly just "moderate speed" not high speed) in the Midwest.
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-...il-for-the-us-is-more-than-500-billion-2009-5

C'mon man. Let's build Mr. Obama's other dream man! :D


*The Canadians will pay for it like the other guys are paying for a wall, uh-huh, yeah-right. ;)
 
Re: The States: Mad Scientist Laboratories of Democracy

The Sicatoka said:
Screw your light rail Scoob.
I want a bullet train (320 klicks per hour bay-bee!) up the I-94 corridor from MSP to Bismarck. You gotz the $929 million from the Feds. Have at 'er!
Then I want a bullet train on the I-29 corridor from Winnipeg* to say Omaha for now. We'll get it to KC later.

Why not? I mean, you say $929 million for 14 miles --> $66 million per mile.

This source says high-speed rail is just $82 million per mile in CA mountains and just $2.4 million per mile (admittedly just "moderate speed" not high speed) in the Midwest.
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-...il-for-the-us-is-more-than-500-billion-2009-5

C'mon man. Let's build Mr. Obama's other dream man! :D


*The Canadians will pay for it like the other guys are paying for a wall, uh-huh, yeah-right. ;)
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I'd be all for a bullet train. Lot of room in the west to build some.
 
Re: The States: Mad Scientist Laboratories of Democracy

aparch said:
Generally yes.

Some times, a backup plan needs to be submitted, and even then, that has to be a specific project and not some random "Oh, we're going to use it for a bridge, or a road, or sumthin'."


I worked on a project that was 3/4 Federally funded, rest State and local. The original plan was to build a new 20 mile long freeway west of Chicago. The project was cancelled, and so IDOT wouldn't lose the money, they used it on the submitted backup plan: upgrade a rural two lane state Highway to a four lane divided highway.

Federal funding like this is a use it or lose it. And if they think they can just use that money for a random project, they're quite wrong. On top of that, the Feds will not look favorably upon granting future monies for projects.
Click to expand...

IDOT is way too close to idiot to be coincidence.
 
Re: The States: Mad Scientist Laboratories of Democracy

ScoobyDoo said:
I'd be all for a bullet train. Lot of room in the west to build some.
Click to expand...

Want my list of stations/stops in ND those lines? I have both the express and locals all figured out. The express only stops at GF (CAS on UND campus) and Fargo (Hector Airport). Both are right in the Prairie Bullet (I-29) corridor. Local stops at Pembina (border crossing), Grafton interchange, Hillsboro, Wahpeton interchange. Want me to go on? West on I-94 express stops at Jamestown and Bismarck, ... ;) :D
 
Re: The States: Mad Scientist Laboratories of Democracy

The Sicatoka said:
Screw your light rail Scoob.
I want a bullet train (320 klicks per hour bay-bee!) up the I-94 corridor from MSP to Bismarck. You gotz the $929 million from the Feds. Have at 'er!
Then I want a bullet train on the I-29 corridor from Winnipeg* to say Omaha for now. We'll get it to KC later.

Why not? I mean, you say $929 million for 14 miles --> $66 million per mile.

This source says high-speed rail is just $82 million per mile in CA mountains and just $2.4 million per mile (admittedly just "moderate speed" not high speed) in the Midwest.
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-...il-for-the-us-is-more-than-500-billion-2009-5

C'mon man. Let's build Mr. Obama's other dream man! :D


*The Canadians will pay for it like the other guys are paying for a wall, uh-huh, yeah-right. ;)
Click to expand...

Absolutely not. A bullet train between Minneapolis and destination X only makes sense if X = Chicago. All else need not apply.

I'd rather use that cash on light rail. Which actually makes sense. Or another commuter rail from Hudson to Minneapolis.
 
Re: The States: Mad Scientist Laboratories of Democracy

dxmnkd316 said:
Absolutely not. A bullet train between Minneapolis and destination X only makes sense if X = Chicago. All else need not apply.

I'd rather use that cash on light rail. Which actually makes sense. Or another commuter rail from Hudson to Minneapolis.
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Oh heck-no.
My plan is the test bed for the American Bullet Express Train System (ABETS!).
Work out the kinks where the land is wide open (safety!) and cheaper, the right-of-way corridors already exist, and the labor cost to install it is low. ;)


You can have your Madison/Milwaukee/Chicago run after we prove everything out. :)
 
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The Sicatoka said:
Oh heck-no.
My plan is the test bed for the American Bullet Express Train System (ABETS!).
Work out the kinks where the land is wide open (safety!) and cheaper, the right-of-way corridors already exist, and the labor cost to install it is low. ;)


You can have your Madison/Milwaukee/Chicago run after we prove everything out. :)
Click to expand...

Already ahead of you. The stretch of railroad from Chicago to St. Louis is being upgraded to high-speed rail allowing 80+ MPH train travel.


The big problem with providing high-speed passenger rail service is that the rail lines in the Midwest and West are all freight rails with Amtrak as a secondary service. Meaning your bullet train would need to yield to cross-country freight traffic.

Building new track specifically for bullet trains would require an astronomical cost for: land purchase, land easements, grade crossings, separated crossings, bridges, tunnels, track construction, subgrade improvements, station infrastructures, locomotives and cars, etc.

On top of the expenses, you need to offer a price point cheaper than flight or automobile travel.
 
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