Comments on: Obama’s 2011 budget gives a lift to livability and transportation http://t4america.org/blog/2010/02/02/obamas-2011-budget-gives-a-lift-to-livability-and-transportation/ Wed, 23 May 2012 06:53:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: James Newberry http://t4america.org/blog/2010/02/02/obamas-2011-budget-gives-a-lift-to-livability-and-transportation/#comment-4689 James Newberry Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:05:02 +0000 http://t4america.org/?p=5346#comment-4689 Please don't characterize for us the little baby steps this administration is taking to pretend it is transit friendly, as if we are some kind of fools. As mentioned, the big one billion dollars of spending for the nation is but a small fraction of what one state will spend on pavement widening. Meanwhile, the three-quarter trillion insecurity ("defense") budget is all debt financing - really disgusting, especially considering the petroleum supply agenda. The job potential for rebuilding our national rail and urban rail systems could carry us forward. However, it seems we are stuck in the bankrupting wagon ruts of petrostate, insecurity state, Wall Street investment bank state, centralized war corporatism. For example, sixty billion for atomic fission (nuclear power) with fifty percent chance of default. This is called regression. Talk about economic "meltdown." Please don’t characterize for us the little baby steps this administration is taking to pretend it is transit friendly, as if we are some kind of fools. As mentioned, the big one billion dollars of spending for the nation is but a small fraction of what one state will spend on pavement widening. Meanwhile, the three-quarter trillion insecurity (“defense”) budget is all debt financing – really disgusting, especially considering the petroleum supply agenda.

The job potential for rebuilding our national rail and urban rail systems could carry us forward. However, it seems we are stuck in the bankrupting wagon ruts of petrostate, insecurity state, Wall Street investment bank state, centralized war corporatism. For example, sixty billion for atomic fission (nuclear power) with fifty percent chance of default. This is called regression. Talk about economic “meltdown.”

]]> By: orbit7er http://t4america.org/blog/2010/02/02/obamas-2011-budget-gives-a-lift-to-livability-and-transportation/#comment-4605 orbit7er Fri, 12 Feb 2010 21:16:55 +0000 http://t4america.org/?p=5346#comment-4605 The big question is - how much is allocated to highways? In New Jersey our new Republican Governor Chris Cristie just axed NJ Transit that runs our trains and buses $38 Million. In comparison NJ just wasted $70 Million on just ONE inconvenient highway interchange between the Garden State Parkway and I-78. At the same time our new Governor is planning on increasing mass transit fares and cut service (which is actually in essence a hidden fare increase) he has ruled out increasing our gas tax which is 47th lowest in the US. Also NJ is planning on spending $7 Billion for highway lane expansion for NJ Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway. Again compare the pittance $38 Million CUT from mass transit with the ongoing and planned expansions for highways totalling billions. When will the Obama Administration bite the bullet and up the Federal gas tax to renew the Transportation Fund and get cars and trucks off the roads and onto rails? DOT Secretary Ray LaHood has ruled out a Federal gas tax increase. The big question is – how much is allocated to highways?
In New Jersey our new Republican Governor Chris Cristie just axed NJ Transit that runs our
trains and buses $38 Million. In comparison NJ just wasted $70 Million on just ONE
inconvenient highway interchange between the Garden State Parkway and I-78.
At the same time our new Governor is planning on increasing mass transit fares and cut
service (which is actually in essence a hidden fare increase) he has ruled out
increasing our gas tax which is 47th lowest in the US.
Also NJ is planning on spending $7 Billion for highway lane expansion for NJ Turnpike and
the Garden State Parkway.
Again compare the pittance $38 Million CUT from mass transit with the ongoing and planned
expansions for highways totalling billions.

When will the Obama Administration bite the bullet and up the Federal gas tax to renew the
Transportation Fund and get cars and trucks off the roads and onto rails?
DOT Secretary Ray LaHood has ruled out a Federal gas tax increase.

]]> By: Sam Goater http://t4america.org/blog/2010/02/02/obamas-2011-budget-gives-a-lift-to-livability-and-transportation/#comment-4528 Sam Goater Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:17:57 +0000 http://t4america.org/?p=5346#comment-4528 Yes it is better than nothing, but countries with sensible transportation systems that actually work spend a much higher percentage of their budget on them. The transportation budget is tiny really when you look at it. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/02/01/us/budget.html The defense budget is so much bigger than Education, healthcare, transportation combined it doesn't look like a real priority. Yes it is better than nothing, but countries with sensible transportation systems that actually work spend a much higher percentage of their budget on them. The transportation budget is tiny really when you look at it.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/02/01/us/budget.html
The defense budget is so much bigger than Education, healthcare, transportation combined it doesn’t look like a real priority.

]]>