Monday Open Thread: Dukakis Transportation Plan
Michael Dukakis, former Democratic presidential candidate and governor of of Massachusetts, now teaches public policy at U.C.L.A. He says California "needs high-speed rail, and it needs strong support from its political leaders to achieve it."We need it, he says, because "it would mean that Los Angeles to San Francisco travel would take just three hours. Supported by past governors of both parties, the system would not only link the two cities, it would connect them with Sacramento, San Jose, the Central Valley, Riverside and San Diego."
How much would it cost?
"Total costs for the high-speed rail system are estimated to be about $35 billion, but this would be matched 50-50 or better by Washington. And the system could be up and running in eight to 10 years."
You can read his article, which he wrote with Arthur Purcell, "an environmental management analyst and educator based in Los Angeles," in the Contra Costa Times.
Posted by Walter Moore @ 7/16/2006 10:59:00 PM
32 Comments:
We need to hire more police
Idiot Dukakis!
Mike is finally right about something!
High Speed Rail will take traffic off the highways, both trucks and cars.
It is the future, and the future is now.
Ignore the messenger; the message is correct.
Dukukis is right on! LA/CA for being progressive is so far behind on this action. We need to get the traffic off the roads and the gas consumption down. Our country is at its highest level ever for use of petro products - guess what guys, the planetary gas station is almost out of supplies!
This is why Antonio will be a one term mayor. Yesterday there was a press conf. for the illegal ailen who was deported and came back to LA and on Saturday shot two little boys Antonio said (and I quote) "is it a good thing he came back." I almost fell off my chair. He then went on to pass the buck and say its the Feds job to keep the illegals out. Instead of being angry these illegals are killing innocence children in LA and wanting to do something about it, Antonio was there for the photo op. Horrible mayor.
Who's running L.A.?
There's L.A.'s mayor again and again and again. Doesn't he ever work? Every time I turn on the news, there he is again. The straw that broke the camel's "proverbial" back for me is when Jim Hill received his "star" on Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame a few weeks ago, and guess who's there, sticking his face in the picture?
Almost every day he's somewhere getting his face on the news. Now you can even see him giving commentary on every shooting that occurs in the city, even accidental shootings. Come on, Mr. Mayor, doesn't LAPD have enough on their hands without you getting in their way? Makes you wonder who's running the city.
- Jim Sweeney
Glendale
Filling potholes badly
Re: "Mayor asks city to fill potholes" (Briefly, July 14):
What a joke our mayor is and, worse, what incompetents our city workers continue to be; ask anyone in Council District 2. Try driving the area of Moorpark and Tujunga avenues or most any street in the Valley or "over the hill." When you see the city attempt to repair a pothole, stop and watch, put your council member's number on your cell phone's speed dial and have the crew stop until these reps arrive to explain why the hole was not prepared or compacted properly.
This way, you will know why, in the next three days, it starts to disintegrate. Mayor, get to the real problem - city departments do not know what they are doing except to waste time until they can retire.
- Marilyn White-Sedel
Studio City
Pothole breakfast
I assume that we, the taxpayers, paid for the "pothole breakfast" for the already underworked, overpaid, overbenefited, unfireable civil servants whose job description already includes the repair (and not just the filling) of potholes so that Mayor Villaraigosa can curry the favor of the unions and maintain his record of at least one photo op per day.
- Marshall Barth
Encino
Anyone who watched the Jetsons knows the future isn't more trains, it's flying cars!
Best way to deal with traffic in LA is tell the illegals to have another one of those huge marches. The traffic was the best its been since the Olympics in the 80's. No traffic. Just goes to show the illegals are driving, are uninsured and causing traffic in LA.
If we find a way to reduce or completely remove commercial traffic from public roads (big rigs, etc) then traffinc will dramatically improve.
Public works project need to be planned on a grand scale. California is the greatest state of the richest country in the world. Anything is possible.
7:55
And this horrible mayor will never get rid of Special Order 40 and other sanctuary city policies that negatively impact so many law- abiding Angelenos. But we're supposed to be impressed that he does 10,000 push-ups a day and sleeps 15 minutes a night. BS.
Right on. Bring on the public transit.
Put down the Alize Nathalie. You could know better than to put more anti-Antonio comments. Give it up already. You lost.
stop your smoke
Feds might know
if you blow
July 17, 2006 12:48 PM,
Who the hell is Nathalie, and why should we care?
Nathalie Cole? What does this superstar have to do with poltiics?
RIDDLE:WHO SERVES THE DWP BOARD AND IS ALSO VILLARAIGOSA FAMILY MEMBER?
WE HAVE CRIME AND HERE'S HUIZEE ASLEEEP
Councilmembers seek to investigate police chief and we the citizens seek to investigate councilmembers!
If California "needs high-speed rail" like the failed Presidential candidate claims then a privately held company should put up the capital and build it. How many of these tax-supported transit programs (can you say AMTRAK?) schemes has to fail until these guys get the message? Until then I will rely on the Southwest Air shuttle to get me up to the bay area quickly, conveniently and for a fair price.
July 17, 2006 3:22 PM
What is your argument for a privately-funded rail project?
Why are you confident that a trans-California high speed rail would fail?
And I guess we all have to depend on air travel until it gets built, right? Duh!
Southwest is for losers. Nothing but stinky people on those damn flights. Thank you very much pbut i would rather fly firts classs.
Dear July 17, 2006 3:41 PM
(aka Villaraigosa staffer)
We all know you get kick backs using Ameriquest luxury first class flights. Aren't you embarrassed you get paychecks from me? A taxpayer. Can't even hold a private job. What a joke!
That guy's right.
If you fly Southwest, LOSER!!!
Brown for Attorney General
Southwest Airlines Candidate Travel, Lodging And Meals Egb - Oakland To Lax - Rt - Werner
Democratic Party are Political Whores for Southwest Airlines. Looka here at at Brown. Used Southwest to fly for events with taxpayer dollars.
Egb - Lax To Oak - Baca / Villaraigosa
Egb - Oak To Burbank - Baca / Villaraigosa
Agb - Oak To Lax - Wasserman / Miscikowski
las Vegas-heavy & Highway Alliance Conference
Egb - Oakalnd To San Diego -mtg.w/police Chiefs As
Oak-lax / Geffen / Afscme / La Sheriffs Mtgs
Oak-burbank / Angeleno Group Retreat
Oak-lax / Seiu Endorsement Interview
San Diego/Latino Police Officers Association
San Diego / Laffer Event
las Vegas-heavy & Highway Alliance Conf
Hey buddy, how many times do we need to tell you? Most people here know how to use Cal-Access.
Duh! How many times do I have to tell you buddy I don't give a shit what you say.
Cal-Access is not the only data link
Try Derkha Derkha
It will take you straight to City Hall's red phone line.
If private tollroads are good for California, why not local privately owned and operated light rail and subway trains that would have the profit motive and compete against Metro and the other public transportation agencies that are broken and inefficient.
Dukakis should be given teaching position at Community College in East LA, and work himself up in the University Cal system by merit and not favoritism.
July 17, 2006 5:56 PM
And nobody here really gives a shit about your cut-and-paste articles. If we're really interested, we'll dig it out ourselves.
7:12
No wonder you respond to the cut and paster. You don't care? Quite opposite.
Cut and pasters are anoying, and they run rampant without anyone raising an eyebrow. I have had enough, just like the guy who keeps bickering with them.
Hey Dukakis:
That's an excellent idea. Thank you for suggesting it.
Now go the fuck away and don't come back for another 15 years!
And take fucking John Kerry with you!
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