Quote:
Originally Posted by Hatterasguy
We need to reinvest in this country. For starters we could start building a large high speed rail setup like China is. 300mph trains would certainly help things and create a few jobs.
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Unless government "make work" projects are driven by the consumer, they fail. Look at the money "invested" in inner city rail transit systems. People only use them ( generally) as transportation of last resort. Even so, in most cases they continually run an operating deficit.
If there was a real need for theses systems, a private company would invest their own capital. Here, in Balt, there are many examples of projects that someone convinced the city government would be profitable, so the city went ahead and funded them. Boondoggles all. If those projects were really viable some entrepreneur would invest his own, or his group's money so they could reap the windfall profits. That doesn't happen because the projects are losers. The city taxpayers foot the bill so some friend of someone can get rich.
Not a good use of taxes.