Comments on: Transit Planners to Congress: Please Figure Out How to Fund Us http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/06/04/transit-planners-to-congress-please-figure-out-how-to-fund-us/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:31:30 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Larry Littlefield http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/06/04/transit-planners-to-congress-please-figure-out-how-to-fund-us/comment-page-1/#comment-69287 Larry Littlefield Thu, 04 Jun 2009 18:35:45 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6316#comment-69287 "What an unbelievable bunch of chowderheads." Republicans are against "spending," but somehow are not against paying interest on the debts they run up, spending on defense, or spending on health and retirement benefits for senior citizens, which is where all the money is going. So they oppose nickels and dimes that don't involve senior citizens, now that "taxes bad spending good" no longer seems to be an option. "What an unbelievable bunch of chowderheads."

Republicans are against "spending," but somehow are not against paying interest on the debts they run up, spending on defense, or spending on health and retirement benefits for senior citizens, which is where all the money is going.

So they oppose nickels and dimes that don't involve senior citizens, now that "taxes bad spending good" no longer seems to be an option.

]]> By: Gary Reilly http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/06/04/transit-planners-to-congress-please-figure-out-how-to-fund-us/comment-page-1/#comment-69285 Gary Reilly Thu, 04 Jun 2009 18:26:32 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6316#comment-69285 Meanwhile, congressional Republicans propose to eliminate the Safe Routes to Schools program. What an unbelievable bunch of chowderheads. http://www.sadlyno.com/archives/21882.html Meanwhile, congressional Republicans propose to eliminate the Safe Routes to Schools program.

What an unbelievable bunch of chowderheads.

http://www.sadlyno.com/archives/21882.html

]]> By: Larry Littlefield http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/06/04/transit-planners-to-congress-please-figure-out-how-to-fund-us/comment-page-1/#comment-69248 Larry Littlefield Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:39:23 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6316#comment-69248 Had the MTA not received any New Starts money for the Second Avenue Subway, and Sheldon Silver not blocked it for a few years, the entire section from 63rd to 125th could have been built by now -- for less local money than it would cost with the New Starts money. The federal contribution and then some all went to studies and cost escalation due to delay. Now there is only the slightest hope of just getting three stations to 96th Street built. Silver delayed the line to 125th because he wanted a plan up front for a line all the way to Lower Manhattan, rather than planning the second phase separately. Or so he claimed. Perhaps he wanted the money to go elsewhere, or was using the dealy to extort something else. If the project is cancelled, perhaps the Feds will ask for their money back. I doubt we'll be able to get back the $600 million for studies, plans, EIS, etc. $600 million! At $100,000 per worker, that's 6,000 man years of alleged work! Had the MTA not received any New Starts money for the Second Avenue Subway, and Sheldon Silver not blocked it for a few years, the entire section from 63rd to 125th could have been built by now -- for less local money than it would cost with the New Starts money. The federal contribution and then some all went to studies and cost escalation due to delay.

Now there is only the slightest hope of just getting three stations to 96th Street built. Silver delayed the line to 125th because he wanted a plan up front for a line all the way to Lower Manhattan, rather than planning the second phase separately. Or so he claimed. Perhaps he wanted the money to go elsewhere, or was using the dealy to extort something else.

If the project is cancelled, perhaps the Feds will ask for their money back. I doubt we'll be able to get back the $600 million for studies, plans, EIS, etc. $600 million! At $100,000 per worker, that's 6,000 man years of alleged work!

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