Nightshade

I actually agree with this idea

http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0110/700397.html

As long as all contracts are awarded to American manufacturers and uses legal American labor to build the system.

If not then it can rot on the shelf for all I care.

shirley

saw this the other day

whole problem is there arent any high speed rail builders in the US ... so either someone has to start one or the money is going to go to foreign companies

Nightshade

It would not seem difficult for current builders to develop and hire outside consultants to assist the design of rail, bed and train setups. There is enough ingenuity to make it happen and work from within our own borders but it will take some work and a bit of research.

shirley

which in turn means years and years before any results and most of the 8 billion to be eaten up in R&D

i agree with you but sadly i think if we wind up actually putting hi speed rails in, the plans are laid the money is all earmarked for specific projects, and they are going to go with proven systems which means european / chinese / japanese systems.

it's going to take american workers to lay the rail and build the foundation but most of the money will wind up overseas. you watch. not to mention sure great it will create american jobs for the present time but once the lines are built the jobs are gone

shirley

here's the article i read from yesterday, updated today...

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010...s-fast-trains/

and the kicker:

and except for cali these trains wont be anything like we see overseas anyways in terms of speeds

CRAIGHIMSELF

Wait...

Tark got a girlfriend?
RB is straight?
Jae is black?
Nightshade is no longer interested in politics?
Someone is no longer a virgin?
Bert is 6ft?
Jesse's blood is ok to donate?
Kirk is a blonde?
Marvin hates me?
Craig understands and appreciates what "wind chill factor is?"

Yes, hell has froze over.

Nightshade

No, a number of the jobs will drop off as with any project, but maintenance crews will be most likely picked from those who have experience working on the tracks, which means lasting jobs.

Add to that the fact that Bob in Detroit can now get a job with higher pay in Chicago but retain the cost of living in Detroit (ick) which means he can spend more back into the local economy of Detroit (ick) thus causing business to grow there in what will now be a bedroom community for him and provide employment to Jane and Walter.

It is about building an infrastructure, and these things take time but they do more good than harm in the long run. It also can't be done overnight...look at Hoover Dam that took the better part of a decade, Golden Gate Bridge again another decade of work but look at the benefits from those projects and lasting work brought about by them.

shirley

like i said check that link ... they already have said most expertise will come from overseas

Nightshade

Well I know a couple people within the industry that have already drawn up proposals to be submitted later this year for the build of the trains and steel for the rails...they are US based companies.

So what I know to be true is different than your article claims. This is not to say it won't see money going outside the borders at all, but there are capable companies within our borders to make this happen.

Joe

We need a high speed rail that links Montreal to New York. That would be dope.