2010 Federal Stimulus Act (Law'd)

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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What the hell do I do know. Oakie sends contradictory requests revealing that Oakvale and Bgwah haven't been communicating like I instructed be done. And the NE, I don't know what there problem is, Han is just know PMing Eraser.

I swear to god you SOB's are going to give me an ulcer on top of my hernia.

Bgwah put his in the thread, and I instructed in the first PM that the Regional Senators submit it. So I will include Bgwah's and not Oakvale. Unless Bgwah comes with a way to combine them or something in the next two hours. Using the pixie dust he plans to replace all that lost oil with, maybe.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Would it be distasteful for me to earmark this bill to include a provision mandating some sort of facility in the IDS to have my name on it?

[CatoMinor]

Would it be distasteful for me to earmark this bill to include a provision mandating some sort of facility in the IDS to have my name on it?

A statue in The SPC Mermorial Gardens isn't enough?

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Would it be distasteful for me to earmark this bill to include a provision mandating some sort of facility in the IDS to have my name on it?

A statue in The SPC Mermorial Gardens isn't enough?

You're forgetting the Duke Greenway!

[Dr. Cynic]

If you people will get this done, my office will make sure you all get a road or something in your name!!!!

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Did I hear something about a giant nationwide Monorail project?


Why don't you do quick cost estimate for such a program so we can see if it can be included as Part F of Section 2?


Yes I mean you SoIA Cynic.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

I do think we need more rail systems connecting the major cities in the South to the Northeast hubs. Transportation from areas like Raleigh, Charlotte, Atlanta and the like is still very poor.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I do think we need more rail systems connecting the major cities in the South to the Northeast hubs. Transportation from areas like Raleigh, Charlotte, Atlanta and the like is still very poor.

I don't recall giving any details such as those. Bgwah suggested it I think and Cynic proposed it also.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

I do think we need more rail systems connecting the major cities in the South to the Northeast hubs. Transportation from areas like Raleigh, Charlotte, Atlanta and the like is still very poor.

I don't recall giving any details such as those. Bgwah suggested it I think and Cynic proposed it also.

Regardless, I do think it needs to be considered. We set aside $30 billion for highways and such already, so setting aside even more may be overkill. These southern cities are important pieces to our economy and it's a shame many of them are poorly connected to their northern counterparts. Charlotte is the #2 banking center in the country and it's not that east to travel between it and NYC! We need to change that!

[Dr. Cynic]

Did I hear something about a giant nationwide Monorail project?


Why don't you do quick cost estimate for such a program so we can see if it can be included as Part F of Section 2?


Yes I mean you SoIA Cynic.

Let me get back to you with that tomorrow.

[Dr. Cynic]

My estimates for the National Railway Project...

Hubs in the NE (New York City, Buffalo, Philly, Erie, Atlantic City, Pittsburgh, Boston) - Estimated costs for stations, track, engines, personel, misc. - $400 million initial estimate.

Hubs in ME (Cleveland, Richmond, Wheeling, Indianapolis, Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis) - Estimated cost - $550 million initial.

Hubs in IDS (Charlotte, Memphis, Atlanta, Miami, New Orleans, Houston, Dallas) - Estimated cost - $ 400 million initial.

Hubs in MW (Minneapolis, Denver, Kansas City (KS), Omaha, Pierre, Helena, Bismark) - Estimated cost $300 million initial.

Hubs in PAC (Los Angeles, Portland, Las Vegas, Seattle, Albequerque, Phoenix, San Francisco) - Estimated cost $550 million initial.

Now you guys can break that & amend it however you want...

[Dr. Cynic]

All these major hubs will be interconnected with each other with minor hubs placed at your distinction. I tried to get 7 major hubs per region. The cost will be about 3 billion with my initial figures, but obviously you can cut costs where necessary.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

We could put the $3 billion in this bill of pull it from the highway fund. My aim is to avoid overspending on fixing roads because we've already had several bills addressing that problem.

I would support the $3 billion or so to enact these rail systems. We need to make transportation between all these hubs cheaper than it is currently. This is a step in the right direction.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

These figures seem low, but thats just my opinion. A single tunnel could cost $300 million.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

We could put the $3 billion in this bill of pull it from the highway fund. My aim is to avoid overspending on fixing roads because we've already had several bills addressing that problem.

I would support the $3 billion or so to enact these rail systems. We need to make transportation between all these hubs cheaper than it is currently. This is a step in the right direction.

What highway fund?

What kind of railroad are we dealing with here? I don't see it specified anywhere. Unless you guys are planning to unretire the John Bull, I don't think these cost estimates are anything more then a fraction of what such a project would entail if it were (electric, monorail, Meglev or some other type of high speed rail system).

[tmthforu94]

If you people will get this done, my office will make sure you all get a road or something in your name!!!!

I'm going to take you up on that, just so you know.

[Oakvale]

*cough*

I guess I should really visit the government board now and again.

[bgwah]

I would like to update the Pacific's part to:

1) $8 billion for heavy rail mass transit in the region's seven largest metropolitan areas by population (San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose shall be considered one metropolitan area)
2) $5 billion for rural broadband.
3) $2 billion for the "green" car tax credits
4) $4 billion for investment in renewable energy to be spent at the Pacific Legislature's discretion.
5) $1 billion for construction of an artificial island off the coast of California to be inhabited exclusively by little people that shall be known as Midgetopia.

[Oakvale]

I would like to update the Pacific's part to:

1) $8 billion for heavy rail mass transit in the region's seven largest metropolitan areas by population (San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose shall be considered one metropolitan area)
2) $5 billion for rural broadband.
3) $2 billion for the "green" car tax credits
4) $4 billion for investment in renewable energy to be spent at the Pacific Legislature's discretion.
5) $1 billion for construction of an artificial island off the coast of California to be inhabited exclusively by little people that shall be known as Midgetopia.

I ask the Senate to note that the Governor's mansion will be located on this island for tax reasons.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

We could put the $3 billion in this bill of pull it from the highway fund. My aim is to avoid overspending on fixing roads because we've already had several bills addressing that problem.

I would support the $3 billion or so to enact these rail systems. We need to make transportation between all these hubs cheaper than it is currently. This is a step in the right direction.

What highway fund?

What kind of railroad are we dealing with here? I don't see it specified anywhere. Unless you guys are planning to unretire the John Bull, I don't think these cost estimates are anything more then a fraction of what such a project would entail if it were (electric, monorail, Meglev or some other type of high speed rail system).

The highway bill I authored a few weeks ago. Actually, there were no provisions for mass rail so we'd have to go back and further amend it which may cause more trouble than it's worth. Never mind.

[Dr. Cynic]

We could put the $3 billion in this bill of pull it from the highway fund. My aim is to avoid overspending on fixing roads because we've already had several bills addressing that problem.

I would support the $3 billion or so to enact these rail systems. We need to make transportation between all these hubs cheaper than it is currently. This is a step in the right direction.

What highway fund?

What kind of railroad are we dealing with here? I don't see it specified anywhere. Unless you guys are planning to unretire the John Bull, I don't think these cost estimates are anything more then a fraction of what such a project would entail if it were (electric, monorail, Meglev or some other type of high speed rail system).

Now, it was my hope that we could simply fix a lot of the remaining infrastructure that we've got, so take those estimates with a grain of salt. This is why I came to you guys

Actually, being the old railfan that I am, I want a revival of steam... We need more 2-6-6-6 Alleghenys & 4-8-8-4 Big Boys. In all seriousness, we need railways that can eventually compete with China.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

We could put the $3 billion in this bill of pull it from the highway fund. My aim is to avoid overspending on fixing roads because we've already had several bills addressing that problem.

I would support the $3 billion or so to enact these rail systems. We need to make transportation between all these hubs cheaper than it is currently. This is a step in the right direction.

What highway fund?

What kind of railroad are we dealing with here? I don't see it specified anywhere. Unless you guys are planning to unretire the John Bull, I don't think these cost estimates are anything more then a fraction of what such a project would entail if it were (electric, monorail, Meglev or some other type of high speed rail system).

Now, it was my hope that we could simply fix a lot of the remaining infrastructure that we've got, so take those estimates with a grain of salt. This is why I came to you guys

Actually, being the old railfan that I am, I want a revival of steam... We need more 2-6-6-6 Alleghenys & 4-8-8-4 Big Boys. In all seriousness, we need railways that can eventually compete with China.

Well okay then, if you are fixing existing rail lines then it might make sense but really you aren't going to build a good high speed system by using the tracks currently laid. The problem is you are shunting freight onto siddings thus forcing the companies to take a pay cut to subsidize these projects and the rails just aren't designed for high speed unless high speed tops out at 60 m.p.h. maybe 75 m.p.h. And rebuilding them for highspeed rail would cost several billion and then you couldn't run freight on them because it would be build for speed not weight and you would be spending countless sums on maintence.

And we do compete with china. The amount of tonnage hauled is at its highest ever even as the total number of rails has decreased (There is good reason for this because you multiple tracks serving the same area and there wasn't enough business in the area to justify it. In the area where we used to live in upstate NY and PA you had in some cases five or six lines paralleling each other in a single valley as the Pensy, NYC, D&H, Erie and other roads competed directly with each other).

We can beat the Chinese any day of the week in terms of freight which some people don't consider. Sometimes people on this forum don't even remember that freight rail exists and the most successful period in rail transportation in history has been over the success of freight over the past 20 to 25 years. But in a desire to advance these highspeed rail projects we are actually being detrimental to it by putting passenger trains at normal (not high) speed, labeling it high speed rail and claiming we are helping the environment, competing with China or dealing with the energy crisis. 

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Right. I'm thinking it will cost a lot more than the $3 billion figure. I am basically proposing we overhaul and revamp the entire national transportation infrastructure. It may be too much to take on right now due to the cost of the project.

[Dr. Cynic]

Not just in freight, but in passenger as well. Hopefully to provide an alternative for high speed travel. Well, I'm not a great math guy, so really, I mean amend it how you please.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Not just in freight, but in passenger as well. Hopefully to provide an alternative for high speed travel. Well, I'm not a great math guy, so really, I mean amend it how you please.

Thats not the problem. The problem is this could cross over into the 100s of billions of dollars to do it right. And as I said 60 -75 m.p.h isn't high speed. A clever trick used by proponets of these is to show the Max speed or "up to" frequently for the most part speeds average 60-75 on those unless its not used by freight or freight has a parrallel line