In article , says...

On Tue, 03 Sep 2013 12:15:36 -0400, "F.O.A.D." wrote:

On 9/3/13 12:10 PM, iBoaterer wrote:
In article ,
says...

On Tue, 3 Sep 2013 07:39:10 -0400, iBoaterer wrote:

Part of the cost of your travel to Jax is subsidized by taxpayers
although Amtrak has done better this year, requiring only $1.3 billion
in federal subsidizes compared to $1.4 billion in 2012.

Air travel is subsidized as well.

Cite

You're kidding, right???

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essential_Air_Service

http://tinyurl.com/882ckbl


Airlines and those who buy new planes for airlines don't write off those
purchases? That is a subsidy.

Bull****
Business purchases are deductible, no matter what you buy.

I bet you took a 194 on that printer you bought.

I thought it was a 179 deduction? I used that one quite often.

In article , says...

On Tue, 3 Sep 2013 07:43:04 -0400, iBoaterer wrote:

In article ,
says...

On Mon, 02 Sep 2013 14:05:11 -0400, "F.O.A.D." wrote:



Most of our airports are obsolete and our interstate highway system is
crumbling, along with our power grid.

So spend a few billion fixing the airports and interstates, not a
trillion on trains nobody will ride.

Who told you that no one will ride high speed trains in all of the major
corridors?

I have said many times, in a few highly traveled corridors, trains
make sense but that is not 99% of the country.


BTW I am not sure which airports are obsolete. Ours is brand new and
Florida takes pretty good care of their roads. Maybe that is because
they don't siphon highway tax money off for ill thought out mass
transit schemes.

Funny, highly government airports are okay with you, as are tax dollars
to expand roads to them, but subsidized high speed rail is bad.....

What "subsidy". Airlines pay the transit authority to run the airport.
Concessionaires pay for the right to operate there.
The airlines themselves are independent corporations

This is right on the RSW web site

"Operating Budget $106.6 million for fiscal year 2012-13. LCPA
operates as an enterprise fund with revenue generated from
airport operations. No ad valorem (property) tax dollars
support airport operations or construction".

RSW made $929,000 last year (net)


http://www.flylcpa.com/uploads/pagesfiles/1124.pdf



Rail lines need a direct subsidy, just to keep the train moving.

Boston, New York, Philidephia and Washington DC is the high speed corridor.

Boston to New York = 200 miles.

New York to Philidelphia = 100 miles.

Philidelphia to Washington DC = 150 miles.

How long does it take you to go from 0 to 250 and then back to 0 again in 100 miles, 150
miles and 200 miles. How much time is needed in New York and Philidelphia to embark and
disembark passengers? Is it really worth all of the money to purchase the right of ways,
build new over and underpasses to support the high speed rail? No

In article , says...

On 9/4/13 8:12 AM, iBoaterer wrote:
In article ,
says...

On Tue, 3 Sep 2013 15:47:37 -0400, iBoaterer wrote:

In article ,
says...

On Tue, 03 Sep 2013 11:48:38 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Tue, 03 Sep 2013 10:58:12 -0400, wrote:

What "subsidy".

===

The FAA and the air traffic control system.

ATC could easily be privatized (like Canada), as could TSA (it used to
be).

Sure it could, and then the airlines would go broke without the subsidy.

That is nothing more than governmental creep.

If the airlines had to pay back every dime of the FAA cost of ATC it
would be about $10 a flight per passenger. A private operator would do
it cheaper, no doubt.

cite?


Once you actually dig into the numbers, the whole idea of an airline
"subsidy" falls apart.
These are services 100% funded by ticket taxes
http://tinyurl.com/l8m7yp4

Thank you, good job. Ticket taxes are subsidies.

In fact the DOT is actually making over a billion dollars on these
taxes, presumably being spent on other projects.

Cite that.

They collect about $18 billion in ticket taxes and fees, the total
aviation budget for aviation is a tad over $16 billion.

http://www.dot.gov/sites/dot.dev/fil...ial-report.pdf

Expense
Air Transportation 16,004,333

Here's more on the subsidies to airlines that apparently you don't know
about:

http://tinyurl.com/l2sgahq



Let's not forget the depreciation allowances airlines get for buying
equipment. These are subsidies.

Let's not forget about all of the union labor that is used to build those new airplanes that
the government allows the airlines to depreciate. Your view of economics is stilted.

In article , says...

On Tue, 03 Sep 2013 12:50:13 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Tue, 03 Sep 2013 11:36:00 -0400, John H
wrote:

Been on I-95 lately?

===

NY to Jacksonville just a week ago, other than traffic issues south of
Baltimore, not all that bad in my opinion.

Are they still adding a lane to the DC Beltway?

They always seem to be adding another one.

They have been working on the I-95 between Springfield Virginia and Richmond for the past 40
years.

In article , says...

On Tue, 03 Sep 2013 15:39:45 -0400, wrote:

On Tue, 03 Sep 2013 12:50:13 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Tue, 03 Sep 2013 11:36:00 -0400, John H
wrote:

Been on I-95 lately?

===

NY to Jacksonville just a week ago, other than traffic issues south of
Baltimore, not all that bad in my opinion.

Are they still adding a lane to the DC Beltway?

They always seem to be adding another one.

They added an EZ Pass lane that goes roughly from Braddock Rd to Tysons corner. I've not used it,
and have seen very little traffic on it. But, I don't get on the beltway during rush hour.

John (Gun Nut) H.

I can see where the EZ Pass lanes can be beneficial but, I have never seen its capacity
greater than 5 cars per mile.

In article , says...

"BAR" wrote in message
. ..

In article ,
says...

On 9/3/13 11:30 AM, wrote:
On Tue, 3 Sep 2013 09:57:25 -0400, iBoaterer
wrote:

No, it's mostly a stigma, people think elevated trains, they
think
noise, they think unsafe, etc. Add to that that for some reason
beyond
me, there are a LOT of people in the U.S. who just fear and
loathe any
new technology.

Elevated trains ARE noisier and if they derail, over a major road,
they are a lot more dangerous.
We are not talking about the Lake Street El here. You want that
train
going 150 MPH or more.

BTW you keep saying "innovation" and "new technology" but this is
200
year old technology and every plan I have heard involves buying
existing technology from Europe or Japan. Were is the innovation?

Bringing high speed trains over from Europe would be new technology
for
this country, because we have no capability anymore for passenger
rail
innovation. We'd have to reverse engineer what they are doing across
the
big pond.

If they change the octane of gasoline and it makes cars go faster is
that new technology or
an improvement on an existing technology. Fixed track trains are 200
years old and they only
thing that has changed is how the locomotive is powered.

------------------------------

Well, some things on the train tracks have changed. Railroad "ties"
are typically concrete now and the rail butts are welded and smooth.
Ever notice that the "clackity-clack" sound of a train travelling
down the track has disappeared?

The locomotive still burns something to make the train move. There have been no real
technological improvements in trains since they first appeared 200 years ago.

In article , says...

On 9/4/13 3:40 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 04 Sep 2013 12:41:09 -0400, "F.O.A.D." wrote:

On 9/4/13 12:33 PM, wrote:

Avis makes a profit from my rental.
CSX is not even covering their costs from Amtrak and that is actually
tax money from people who never ride a train.


Costs? What costs? Certainly not additional wear and tear, since a short
passenger train weighs only a fraction of what a freight train ways, and
there are only a couple of passenger trains a day between here and
Florida. CSX's approach to track repair seems to be to repair it when a
freight train derails.

OK you may be right Amorak takes our tax money and gives it to CSX for
the use of their track.
How is that any more than another subsidy from people who never ride a
train to the few who do?



Our entire governmental system is based upon the many helping the few.
Why should train travel be any different?

Why should we be subsidizing the cost of flood insurance for those who
purchase it?

Our government should return to providing people with the oppourtunity to engage in economic
enterprise. If you don't want to put forth the effort to help yourself why should you be
allowed to take money from me to support your existence. You have proved that you don't
support helping the unfortunate few because you don't pay your fair share of taxes.

In article , says...

On 9/4/13 5:19 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 04 Sep 2013 15:43:26 -0400, "F.O.A.D." wrote:

On 9/4/13 3:40 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 04 Sep 2013 12:41:09 -0400, "F.O.A.D." wrote:

On 9/4/13 12:33 PM, wrote:

Avis makes a profit from my rental.
CSX is not even covering their costs from Amtrak and that is actually
tax money from people who never ride a train.


Costs? What costs? Certainly not additional wear and tear, since a short
passenger train weighs only a fraction of what a freight train ways, and
there are only a couple of passenger trains a day between here and
Florida. CSX's approach to track repair seems to be to repair it when a
freight train derails.

OK you may be right Amorak takes our tax money and gives it to CSX for
the use of their track.
How is that any more than another subsidy from people who never ride a
train to the few who do?



Our entire governmental system is based upon the many helping the few.
Why should train travel be any different?

Why should we be subsidizing the cost of flood insurance for those who
purchase it?

So you admit Amtrak is a welfare program.


I just picked the example I knew would get a rise out of you. There are

Your view of your intelligence and capabilities far out paces reality.

many programs subsidized by us that benefit the relatively few. Some,
such as research for rare diseases, are necessary for a civilization to
engage in if it is truly civilized. Some are not. I'm sure we could each
make up a list that satisfies our side in this discussion.

Who pays to maintain all those canals you southern Floridians so like?

Why are we subsidizing you? Have you paid your taxes yet?

On Thu, 05 Sep 2013 23:25:17 -0400, wrote:

On Thu, 05 Sep 2013 16:34:07 -0400, John H
wrote:

On Thu, 05 Sep 2013 15:25:11 -0400, wrote:

On Thu, 05 Sep 2013 15:11:41 -0400, John H
wrote:


Last year's state income tax, real estate and property taxes came to over 15K.


YIKES !

For that kind of money I would want the state to mow my lawn, clean my
pool and shovel the driveway.

Instead you just get renegade cops who sink your boat

Were those Virginia guys? I didn't pay that much attention. I thought they were DC cops.

John (Gun Nut) H.

DC cops, Virginia boat

Given that, I wouldn't be surprised if the boat was stolen by the DC cops. They've been having their
share of ethical problems lately. I think ****ty ethics roll downhill.

John (Gun Nut) H.
--

Hope you're having a great day!

True North wrote:
You guys can deduct your property taxes from your information come taxes??
I'd love to have that benefit.

What is/are "information come taxes", moron?