Because the potential negative impact of breaching security is far greater than anything someone can do with the vote. However, I don't see much point to giving felons the right to vote until they've spent a good long time on the straight and narrow--however long it takes immigrants to qualify to vote would be good.
Mark Schynert
Yeah, but if you look at where federal disbursements go by state, New Jersey (part of that corridor) is dead last, at 62? recovered for every dollar sent to Washington. North Dakota, OTOH, is way up the list. So is Alaska. The gravy is just being spilled on a different part of the plate. {No, I have no idea where that metaphor came from} In order to really judge AMTRAK's effectiveness, you'd probably have to pay a bunch of MBAs to do a study to figure out what kind of productivity would be lost if it vanished overnight, based on increased traffic, pressure to build more freeways or tollways, and who knows what sort of ripple effects. AMTRAK might be a bad deal, or it might really be more cost-effective than simple analysis indicates. We've had BART in the Bay Area for years. It runs okay, costs too much to build new lines, takes forever to expand the lines, the fairs are getting higher (and still covering less than half the operating cost), and guess what? If BART shuts down for any reason, two-thirds of the Bay Area descends into instant gridlock at rush hour. Mass transit in urban areas is like a toilet--you don't really want to sit on it, and sometimes it stinks, but you don't really want to do without.
Mark Schynert
First they have to become citizens! That normally takes five years of continuous *legal* residence.
Does BART receive any government (municipal, county, state, or federal) funding? If so does anybody outside of the Bay area have to 'contribute'?
During the boom years, you'd have been better off investing with them.
It could be argued that at least some of the 'tankers' did do because they got complacent and so failed to sustain the approach.
Right now, I'd suggest that organizations that have sustained their commitment to quality will at least improve their chances of weathering uncertain economic conditions.
Scott G. Welch
"Bill Banaszak" wrote
To be truthful, after riding on the SNCF, I'm embarrassed - no, disgusted - that we don't have a nice passenger rail system here. Our system of airborne cattle cars doesn't even come close. (In fact, it's downright painful to think about flying by air.) To those who haven't experienced it, it's a wondrous and joyful feeling to know that 15 minutes to change trains at a distant station is plenty of time; for when the schedule says train A arrives at 1215 you can be certain your feet will be on the platform - with your luggage - at 1217, and when you feel train B start to move, the station clock will read 1230, not 1229 nor 1231.
When they're not on strike, that is. They have to work on that. . .
KL
ain't democracy grand?
Construction certainly absorbed federal dollars--I'm sure you personally have paid for enough of it to buy one real nice Tamiya kit. But the feds were gonna take that from you anyway and spend it on something someone 'needed'--so thanks for nine yards of all-weather carpeting in Car 952.
Mark Schynert
KL,
You are risking being hung from the lampposts for saying anything positive about anything French.
John Hairell ( snipped-for-privacy@erols.com) Another satisfied SNCF/Paris metro customer.
Mark, immigrants vote in California as soon as they cross the border . Why else would politicians want to give them licenses, $ for school, etc.
Woody
Sure, the ones unlucky enough to get caught. That's a worse crime than embezzlement to some. :)
Bill Banaszak, MFE
You both got me and I deserve it for not thinking thoroughly before firing off a post. My 8th grade history teacher would severely chastise me for screwing that up. :(
Bill Banaszak, MFE
We've been supporting highways and airports for years whether we 'personally' use them or not. In this county we have a public bus system that I rarely use but my taxes go to help keep it running for the common good. Someday when the car dies I may need it.
Bill Banaszak, MFE
No doubt. It's not the amount that I object to; it's the use of federal tax dollars for local benefit that frosts me. I'd prefer they were used for things that benefit the nation as a whole.
Yeah, but bureaucracy sucks.
But both of those are part of the *national* transportation system.
Local taxes for local systems are fine. I would object to any federal tax dollars going to support your local bus system though.
FWIW This just illustrates why the Soviet Socialist Republic of California is in trouble. Whenever it suits them, they ignore the Constitution of the United States just like they do the laws of economics.
Bill Shuey
"Al Superczynski" wrote
Start objecting - it undoubtedly does already.
KL
Yeah, I know. I have a *lot* of objections...... :(
Same principal hold for the insurance rackets....
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