Excerpt:
Such a commuter-rail line would build on the “success” of Portland’s Westside Express Service from Wilsonville to Beaverton. This line, which was built with a mere 60 percent cost overrun, attracted a whopping 724 round trips per average weekday in 2011 by zipping along at an average speed of 34 mph. The line collected a total of $386,000 in fares against operation and maintenance costs exceeding $6.6 million.
When the capital costs are annualized at 2 percent and added to the operation and maintenance subsidies, the total is enough to give every daily round-trip rider a brand-new Toyota Prius every fifteen months for the next 28 years! Even longer if Portland doesn’t scrap this boondoggle when it is worn out. So, obviously, the line should be extended from Wilsonville to Salem. At least, if you live in a fantasy world.
It would almost be amazing if it wasn't our tax dollars being spent.
This government overspending, lack of results, and waste of time exists everywhere else the government does things.
If I remember rightly, one of my first blog posts was to point out that we could balance the federal budget by eliminating all welfare and giving each of the poorest Americans a check for $40,000 each year. That would be cheaper than what we are doing now, and yet we have more poor people.
Perhaps it is a waste of time to only look at, or debate, one issue. Government spending is so far gone that even the revenues of $386,000 vs some expenses totaling $6.6 million on a project will go unnoticed by nearly everyone. And some people will still want more stupid trains.
Both sides agree that government waste is bad, neither side will admit that the waste is everything, everywhere.
Why aren't more of us anarchists?
Such a commuter-rail line would build on the “success” of Portland’s Westside Express Service from Wilsonville to Beaverton. This line, which was built with a mere 60 percent cost overrun, attracted a whopping 724 round trips per average weekday in 2011 by zipping along at an average speed of 34 mph. The line collected a total of $386,000 in fares against operation and maintenance costs exceeding $6.6 million.
ReplyDeleteOh the Government is far from incompetent. You only need to shift you're viewpoint and get rid of this misplaced idea that the Government exists for the benefit of the taxpayers.
The line collected a total of $386,000 in fares against operation and maintenance costs exceeding $6.6 million.
That's 6.6 million tax dollars paid out to the construction/engineering/architecture firms and workers to build and maintain the thing. In return, their lobbyists and unions gave campaign contributions to the politicians that voted for and approved the entire project.
That IS the entire point of building the damn thing. To take the money of the working sheeple and spread it around to all the special interests. The train system is just the means to the desired end.
I know this because we're getting the exact same treatment here in Hawaii.
My car used to cost $75 a year to register with the DMV. Thanks to the tax hikes approved to build "THE TRAIN," I'm gonna have to fork over $379 by the end of this month just to have that little sticker on my license plate to keep from having the cops from pulling me over.
Is the Government really incompetent?
Only if you take their supposedly stated goals at face value.
But if you really look at what it's doing (hidden serfdom and enslavement of the masses), the Government is super-capable.
I think that you are right. Its worth noting that both republicans and democrats are fond of all of this spending.
DeleteSo, why aren't more of us anarchists?