Seems counter productive doesn’t it?

On the front page of the Trib they talk about the Feds giving $478 million for light rail. I understand some think light rail is a good thing but…………

Isn’t the $478 million coming from the taxpayers? Aren’t some of these taxpayers the same people they are driving out of business? You can’t dig up the street for months or years in front of a business and expect them to survive can you? If they do survive how will business be affected when they take 1/2 the available parking spaces up and down the street?

Progress???????? Sometimes it really makes me wonder.

I totally agree.

I think the elected officilas need to realize they need to stop spending so much money for a bit.

When we have the national debt greatly reduced then maybe we can do a few more things with what we are saving on the interest payments we now make.

We need to stop the bleeding and soon. I know who will pay for this but can we afford it????

Brian,
My understanding is the 478 million from the Fed Gov covers half the cost. The state of Mn is on the hook for another 478 million. That is suppose to get the corridor built between St Paul and Minneapolis. I also have heard that neither lite rail or the North Star line are self sufficient. They both require ongoing subsidies to run them. How do I sign up for the subsidies to help pay towards my car pool to work?

Disclaimer: I live in Eagan and use the light rail whenever I go to Mpls.

The light rail is just a sports stadium for hippies. It will never make economic sense, but it makes them feel good.

Funny factoid it was projected that the rail will take 36 minutes between Mpls and St Paul. A city bus takes 28 minutes.

Don’t give up hope!!

Minnesota is flush with cash. Maybe we can get something attached to the stadium bill that would run light rail from the Hudson Bridge to downtown Mpls! Oopps, check that. We should run it to the MOA rather then downtown. Heck……..lets do both!!!

Lightrail isn’t and will never be needed in the Twin Cities. Have I told you how at one time I took an express bus downtown for work every day. Then light rail came in and the took away my express bus. So I was forced to either take 2 buses to the lightrail which was about 1 mile away or I could drive there and park on the street and risk vandalism from residents.

Thanks Jesse.

Thanks to the LR, my roughly 4.5 mile commute to work now takes an additional 13 minutes on average . I can’t stand the thing. It will never be self supporting & will always be a drain on the taxpayers – and the further it expands, the more expensive it will be to maintain. Thanks Jesse

But it looks neat. It looks neat!

I am just glad there are governors across the land standing up to this rail BS.

You guys taking shots at Jesse?

Remember he is in Mexico living on a rock with out electricity reading books.

Every city that I”ve been to (very many) with a complete integrated transit system has a better way than we do here. Mixed transit systems are time and cost efficient. Do you think roads are free? How much time and money are wasted in traffic jams? Fund this system to completion and travel will be cheaper and faster, anything less is shortsighted ans selfish.

Watch the monorail espisode of the Simpsons and you’ll know where the politicians get their inspiration!!!

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On the front page of the Trib they talk about the Feds giving $478 million for light rail. I understand some think light rail is a good thing but…………

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The subtext under the main title also points out that while the Feds say they’re sending MN a big bag of money… they’re holding back on actually SENDING those funds any time soon.

It reads…. “No promises for prompt payment”

Oh really? A flat broke fed making promises and writing checks their hinders can’t cash? How novel.

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On the front page of the Trib they talk about the Feds giving $478 million for light rail. I understand some think light rail is a good thing but…………

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The subtext under the main title also points out that while the Feds say they’re sending MN a big bag of money… they’re holding back on actually SENDING those funds any time soon.

It reads…. “No promises for prompt payment”

Oh really? A flat broke fed making promises and writing checks their hinders can’t cash? How novel.

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Now, now James………we all know they will fire up the printing presses at the mint any day now. Out of cash? geez, just print more.

Seriously… we really need some open water soon…. all the gloom and doom is getting old…. Yeah, I know, don’t read it.. but by the title, I thought maybe it could be about fishing ??? Nope… should have known better

To say lightrail will NEVER have a place in the TC is absurd…. subways won’t work in NY either…

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Every city that I”ve been to (very many) with a complete integrated transit system has a better way than we do here. Mixed transit systems are time and cost efficient. Do you think roads are free? How much time and money are wasted in traffic jams? Fund this system to completion and travel will be cheaper and faster, anything less is shortsighted ans selfish.

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I’ll have what you are smoking…

….Jesse.

The only studies and info I have read have shown them to be money wasters. Do you have a vested interest in lightrail or something? How exactly are trains going to save money? “How much time and money are wasted in traffic jams” isn’t very specific.

If you want a train, go to a hobby store.

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To say lightrail will NEVER have a place in the TC is absurd…. subways won’t work in NY either…

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Apples and oranges.

I believe New York also incorporated trains and subway transit into their rather large city from the beginning.

I don’t want to take a position here, but it’s anything but apples and oranges.

First underground line of New York Subway opened in 1904. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_Subway
Population of New York City in 1900 was 3.4 million. http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0922422.html
Population of Mpls/SP metro area (including suburbs and parts of WI) was estimated at 3.5 million in 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minneapolis_%E2%80%93_Saint_Paul

Never say never … unless you’re idiologically opposed to something.

I don’t like the idea that the light rail is subsidized, but I do think the twin cities will benefit from improving its mass transit systems. Not sure light rail is as good as it should be. Who knows?

I thought talkin politics was’nt allowed

I must give Mr. Hoffies his props. He is certainly a master debater. This is the wedge issue that gave Scott Walker the governorship of Wisconsin. It divides rural and urban voters and rural and urban fishermen. My neighbor is a good example he voted Walker because he didn’t want the train here either. Now his wife has been forced into early retirement and his vote cost him a great deal of security in his old age. We can’t complain about high gas prices and scoff at any transportation projects that might actually save some gas. Vote against the train and watch the right wing give millions in tax cuts to fat cats who already have all the money and are not creating any jobs to speak of. They will say you are broke and spend money on credit. I am proud of my Minnesota friends who are skeptical of this post already. There are 150 teachers retiring from our school district this year alone. It is going to cost us a great deal to remove his sorry [censored] in a recall this November. Stay tuned take care and tight lines.

Thanks for the credit and props.

While a bunch here may think it was some sort of hidden agenda (I’m really not that smart) it was more a common sense look at it I guess. My business suffered for 4 months last year due to bridge replacement here in town. I can’t imagine how those business owners are to cope with both construction and lack of parking.

I’ll ignore your Walker slant only because I know or care little about it.

Beware of the bait and switch. Mr Walker said nothing about union busting in his campain. Now it is all he is about. He fancies himself a slanted Ronald Reagan and can’t show his face in public without being booed. This could happen to you in your state too. If in the 50s which was the greatest era in our economy. The rich were taxed at a much higher rate and the people with the money actually created jobs to keep their profits from the tax man. The middle class grew exponentially and they had money to buy stuff. They created the interstate highway system we all enjoy today. I am sure many were not for it back then too but now everyone uses them except for Pug. Eisenhower was right about the military industrial complex.

Easy there Tiger. You missed my last line where I said I don’t care about Walker or what he does. BTW, your post would be great for me to pick apart. You have about 3 different issues I could really rile people up with.

If you are interested feel free to start a “kick Walker” thread. I’m sure you will find a bunch of people to join in.

Note to 85Lund………….it wasn’t me who started this one.

Whikerkev, you need to get out of Madison and talk to more people in rural wisconsin. Everyone does not share your opinion of Walker.

I am from Boscobel Trucker. I remember sacking your high school team’s quarterback 3 times on your home coming once. I get out of Madison often. Just a cautionary tale. I don’t pretend everyone agrees with me. I just dislike seeing wedge issue political posts on my favorite fishing website.

I agree with you about the political posts, but I did not bring it up. You must be younger than I am. We never lost to Boscobel when I was playing highschool football,but that was many many years ago.

I didn’t say we won. I think we lost 24-8 but we were ahead at halftime. PDC had three times the enrollment we had. All of us played offense and defense. That would have been 1985. I was against a tackle that went about 260 and I wrestled 132 lbs that year. Glory days. Peace out.

“MOST topics are welcome. Posts of political or religious nature will be deleted.” hmmmm Read this right under the General Discussion Forum heading. Assuming these political post will get deleted?

Walker is a God …………Walker for President in 2016!!!

I played in 76-77.Its hard to be belive how fast time goes by is’nt it.Have a good day.

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I don’t want to take a position here, but it’s anything but apples and oranges.

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Minneapolis is not confined to islands. Lightrail is not built underground. The metro area population is not growing at a rate where our population will be anywhere NY anytime soon. Lightrail also disrupts traffic and businesses, while buses are incorporated into normal traffic.

We do have a good transit system here. It is called the MTC buses. Scrap rail and improve on bussing.