Gold-Plated High-Speed Rail
Recently, someone asked the Antiplanner why Amtrak’s high-speed rail plan is so expensive. They were referring to a proposal published in late October to increase speeds in Amtrak’s Boston-to-Washington corridor to 220 mph. The plan calls for spending $117 billion in the 427-mile corridor, for an average cost of nearly $275 million per mile. That’s […]
Fast Train to Nowhere
The federal government’s most recent $900 million grant to the California High-Speed Rail Authority came with a string attached: most of the money had to be spent, not in Los Angeles or San Francisco where most potential rail patrons are located, but in the central valley. Handed out just before the election, the grant was […]
Megabus Business Booming
Ridership on Megabus is “well up from last year,” and starting in about two weeks the company plans to expand service to several new cities. Megabus will then serve nearly 50 major cities, all with virtually no subsidies. Megabus near Chicago Union Station.Flickr photo by compujeramey . Meanwhile, high-speed rail nuts want to spend tens […]
Where Do We Draw the Line?
“How much is sustainability worth?” asks Pulitzer-prize winning reporter Nigel Jaquiss. “Try $65 million in public money.” That’s how much taxpayers will be spending on a $72 million “green” building in downtown Portland. At $462 a square foot, it will be “perhaps the most expensive office space ever built in Portland.” The director of the […]
Happy Thanksgiving
The Antiplanner wishes everyone a happy holiday. This year the Antiplanner is thankful for having had the company of Chip the Wonder Dog for more than 17 years. The photos of Chip that I’ve previously posted here were mostly taken in the digital age. I recently spent a couple of days scanning many of the […]
December 15 Deadline for CEA Member Political Refund Requests: New Animated Video!
Watch the 45-second animated video explanation of CEA’s Every Member Option political refund, then head on over to IndependentTeachers.org for all the details. Remember: the deadline for teachers union members to ask for their refunds (as much as $63 total) is December 15.
Crying Over Cancelled Trains
There is much weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth over the so-called high-speed train in Wisconsin. A Madison newspaper that calls itself “the Progressive Voice” claims that Governor-elect Walker’s promise to cancel the Milwaukee-to-Madison train is economic treason. That makes sense if you agree with Paul Krugman that the federal government should spend a […]
Member Dues for Political Contributions: Colorado Teacher Unions Give 99.9% to Democrats in 2009-10
Back in September we noted that Colorado teachers unions (the Colorado Education Association and American Federation of Teachers) had reported giving a combined 99.8 percent of their political contributions from member dues to the Democratic Party and its candidates, as well as pro-Democrat organizations, in the 2009-2010 election cycle. These contributions only cover state and […]
Colorado Teacher Unions’ Top 20 Backed Candidates Finished .500 on Election Day
Education News Colorado has posted an interesting story today about the success rate of candidates backed by various education groups, including the teachers unions:
Five organizations – the Colorado Education Association, American Federation of Teachers-Colorado, the Colorado Association of School Executives, Stand for Children and Democrats for Education Reform – backed legislative candidates. (The school executives […]
The Citizens’ Budget
The report provides an overview of the structure, timing and size of the State budget. We speak to how the problems originated and how things have gone wrong in recent years. The Citizens’ Budget includes legislative, constitutional, and policy recommendations to close the looming state budget gap – without raising taxes – and move Colorado […]
Why Transit Will Never Be Energy Efficient
At a recent presentation, the Antiplanner mentioned that transit is not energy efficient because most transit vehicles run nearly empty most of the time. A “gotcha” look appear on the face of an audience member, who said, “but what if more people rode transit?” Yes, and cars would be more energy efficient if they were […]
GOP Advances Two Decades
A left-wing blog accuses Republicans of wanting to “bring transport policy back to the 1950s.” At least, the GOP is two decades ahead of where the Democrats wanted to go, considering that 110-mph intercity trains and light rail both date back to the 1930s, and streetcars to several decades earlier. Denver Zephyr traveling at 90 […]
