2024

[MDlaxfan76]

The Democrat party HAS to find some new blood. What I mean by that are Democrats willing to back up the bus from their far left wing members.

That's not the problem. The problem is the ones who focus on culture war issues that gets Conservatives' panties in a bunch.

You can be "far left", and govern well. What this means is simple: aggressively pro-Union, pro-worker protection, ditch NAFTA, ditch Trickle down economics, give free health care, free education/training, and spend 20x times what we do on education.

In every other 1st world nation, Cradle? The above is MODERATE, not wide-eyed liberal.

We TRIED trickle down and free market. It doesn't work. Clearly. Obviously. 50 years Right Wing economics, executed by both Dems and Rs', has failed so freaking badly that America's lifespans are going DOWN. This is ABSURD and inexcusable for a country with the biggest GDP on Earth...because you don't buy infrastructure and goods and services with GDP. You buy it with CASH.

And America is holding all the poker chips. I'm tired of us acting like we don't.

You know this already, that is not how the game is played in NYS. The FLP Democrats run this state with an iron fist with little tolerance for those with political differences. They have effectively made the Republican party a non factor in this state. They have the numbers and what they say goes. I witness the dysfunction in state government on a daily basis. We are lucky that in Monroe County we have a progressive Democrat named Adam Bello who has done an outstanding job as County Executive. He has a unique ability to get everyone to get along for the most part.

I dunno Cradle, NYS is definitely blue, but you've had GOP Governors and even GOP mayors of the City of NY, so seems to me it's a lot like my state of Maryland which too is definitely blue but in which we just came off an 8 year GOP Governor who was quite popular or my former state, the Communist State of Massachusetts, which has had a series of GOP Governors. Isn't it more of a matter of of the GOP being willing to put moderate candidates forward who don't offend the culture stuff but demonstrate real governing competence? That's what has worked in past cycles...put forward these MAGA warriors and you're gonna get Dems for sure as most people in those states don't want crazy, they want competent. Likewise, Dems do well with candidates like your Bello...competent. The progressive social stuff doesn't have to get in the way.

[cradleandshoot]

The Democrat party HAS to find some new blood. What I mean by that are Democrats willing to back up the bus from their far left wing members.

That's not the problem. The problem is the ones who focus on culture war issues that gets Conservatives' panties in a bunch.

You can be "far left", and govern well. What this means is simple: aggressively pro-Union, pro-worker protection, ditch NAFTA, ditch Trickle down economics, give free health care, free education/training, and spend 20x times what we do on education.

In every other 1st world nation, Cradle? The above is MODERATE, not wide-eyed liberal.

We TRIED trickle down and free market. It doesn't work. Clearly. Obviously. 50 years Right Wing economics, executed by both Dems and Rs', has failed so freaking badly that America's lifespans are going DOWN. This is ABSURD and inexcusable for a country with the biggest GDP on Earth...because you don't buy infrastructure and goods and services with GDP. You buy it with CASH.

And America is holding all the poker chips. I'm tired of us acting like we don't.

You know this already, that is not how the game is played in NYS. The FLP Democrats run this state with an iron fist with little tolerance for those with political differences. They have effectively made the Republican party a non factor in this state. They have the numbers and what they say goes. I witness the dysfunction in state government on a daily basis. We are lucky that in Monroe County we have a progressive Democrat named Adam Bello who has done an outstanding job as County Executive. He has a unique ability to get everyone to get along for the most part.

I dunno Cradle, NYS is definitely blue, but you've had GOP Governors and even GOP mayors of the City of NY, so seems to me it's a lot like my state of Maryland which too is definitely blue but in which we just came off an 8 year GOP Governor who was quite popular or my former state, the Communist State of Massachusetts, which has had a series of GOP Governors. Isn't it more of a matter of of the GOP being willing to put moderate candidates forward who don't offend the culture stuff but demonstrate real governing competence? That's what has worked in past cycles...put forward these MAGA warriors and you're gonna get Dems for sure as most people in those states don't want crazy, they want competent. Likewise, Dems do well with candidates like your Bello...competent. The progressive social stuff doesn't have to get in the way.

There has been an ever increasing number of lifelong Republican New Yorkers that have been bailing out of their state. My good friend and his wife built a brand new home in South Carolina. Poor George Pataki was a human dart board when he ran the state. He was as bland as vanilla. The migration gutted a large core of NYS Republicans. NYS is 100% in the hands of the Democrat party. Sink or swim it will be on them.

[runrussellrun]

trains

In the $2 trillion bill passed by the HOUSE yesterday, how much did ole Joe send cho cho train industries way ?

exactly

Poor ole Joe. It must have been real, real hard for his homophobic self, to "compromise" with the MAGA types in banning the LBGTQ flag from being flown at our US Embassies. Like pos tRump did.

taats baby, taats.

Because you think Biden should behave like The Freedom Caucus and stick to Democratic guns to let the country crash and burn over rainbow flags. Just to get their way.

yeah, we get it. You're cool with Biden's hate towards the LGBT community what's changed? He's been that way his entire life.

I'll repeat, because you think Biden should behave like The Freedom Caucus and stick to Democratic guns to let the country crash and burn over rainbow flags. Just to get their way.

Screw the rainbow flags over embassies. I'll take the law he signs and floodlights at the White House.

https://thehill.com/homenews/administra ... l-signing/

we are also glad that you can tell us all what we think

Dog and pony show these "government shutdowns" happens almost every time


Here comes some whataboutism


If George Bush conceded in the "compromised" with the same endgame, the rainbow flags are taken down, would you feel the same way?


We really don't need to ask how you would feel or how you did feel when Trump did it

When Trump takes down the flags, he's hateful, but when homophobic joe "marriages is between a man and a woman," biden he's the great compromiser

uh huh

[old salt]

Don't blame me if market forces like NAFTA & just-in-time supply & inventory control drove shipping off the rails & onto trucks.

...this is what started the discussion. Not a word about freight rail.

nonsense. Find where I said word one about High Speed rail

I didn't. YOU DID. Pay attention.

And we CHOSE not to invest in rails at the Governmental level. THAT is why I can't use rail.

Also, the article I quoted, which triggered your subsequent ageist rant, was specifically about high speed PASSENGER rail.
It discussed the impact it would have on freight rail in the US & the difficulty in integrating them.

Geez, dude. Ten seconds ago , you said there was not a word in this discussion on freight rail.

Now you've moved from ignoring what I post, and added in ignoring what YOU post.

It's not ageist. I'm old, too. My daughter's generation and her cousin's don't give a sh(t what either of us think...and for good reason. We shredded their future, all so Boomers and GenXer could have five flat screen TV's and bloated homes, instead of investing in our own people. Tax cuts are cool.

This is like discussing nuclear physics with Edith Bunker.

Sweet. Another personal insult.

You want me to return fire here? Happy to do it. You won't like it.

Again -- I never mentioned freight rail. Just the EV mandate & the CA high speed rail boondoggle.

So the large bolded It discussed the impact it would have on freight rail doesn't count as mentioning, oh, I don't know, maybe freight rail.

you are an idiot. How many times do I have to tell you that I didn't post that until you changed the subject to freight rail.

[Kismet]

you are an idiot. How many times do I have to tell you that I didn't post that until you changed the subject to freight rail.

I guess we can assert that you are an expert on IDIOTS - being one yourself.

[a fan]

you are an idiot. How many times do I have to tell you that I didn't post that until you changed the subject to freight rail.

And how many times do I have to tell you I didn't say one freaking word about High Speed Rail, yet you claimed I did?

And somehow, I didn't call you an idiot, or Edith Bunker.

Happy now? Keep up the insults. It's awesome. Especially since other posters here are 10x more rude than I am, and you never say a word to them like this.

[old salt]

you are an idiot. How many times do I have to tell you that I didn't post that until you changed the subject to freight rail.

And how many times do I have to tell you I didn't say one freaking word about High Speed Rail, yet you claimed I did?

And somehow, I didn't call you an idiot, or Edith Bunker.

Happy now? Keep up the insults. It's awesome. Especially since other posters here are 10x more rude than I am, and you never say a word to them like this.

In my first post, I specifically addressed only the EV mandate & CA's high speed passenger rail.

You jumped in & shifted the discussion when you did your repetitive rant about railroads being under-subsidized & complained about your rail shipping rates or availability.

...you also questioned Ike's defense rationale for building the IHS when I linked an article explaining it, which you tried to discredit because the Army also transports by rail, as if that was adequate to replace all the reasons addressed in that article.

[a fan]

you are an idiot. How many times do I have to tell you that I didn't post that until you changed the subject to freight rail.

And how many times do I have to tell you I didn't say one freaking word about High Speed Rail, yet you claimed I did?

And somehow, I didn't call you an idiot, or Edith Bunker.

Happy now? Keep up the insults. It's awesome. Especially since other posters here are 10x more rude than I am, and you never say a word to them like this.

In my first post, I specifically addressed only the EV mandate & CA's high speed passenger rail.

You jumped in & shifted the discussion when you did your repetitive rant about railroads being under-subsidized & complained about your rail shipping rates or availability.

...you also questioned Ike's defense rationale for building the IHS when I linked an article explaining it, which you tried to discredit because the Army also transports by rail, as if that was adequate to replace all the reasons addressed in that article.

Repetitive Rant. There it is again. More insults.

How many times have we had to here your stereotypical Bullsh(t Boomer nonsense about how EV's are bad? A dozen? Two dozen? Yet when you repeat yourself, you're contributing to the conversation. When I do it, it's a repetitive rant.

Anything else you want to list that you can do, and other poster's can't? You're really on a roll here.



BTW, I'm discrediting every thing you've posted. We can build both freight and high speed rail in the US, and it's ABSURD to claim we can't do it.

China is bigger than the US, FFS, and can run High Speed just fine. The only difference is China isn't filled with a bunch of Republican idiots who think it can't be done because thinking, planning, and working is too hard.

Gee, I wonder why Gen Z doesn't give a F what you and your fellow "we can NEVER change America" think?

[old salt]

you are an idiot. How many times do I have to tell you that I didn't post that until you changed the subject to freight rail.

And how many times do I have to tell you I didn't say one freaking word about High Speed Rail, yet you claimed I did?

And somehow, I didn't call you an idiot, or Edith Bunker.

Happy now? Keep up the insults. It's awesome. Especially since other posters here are 10x more rude than I am, and you never say a word to them like this.

In my first post, I specifically addressed only the EV mandate & CA's high speed passenger rail.

You jumped in & shifted the discussion when you did your repetitive rant about railroads being under-subsidized & complained about your rail shipping rates or availability.

...you also questioned Ike's defense rationale for building the IHS when I linked an article explaining it, which you tried to discredit because the Army also transports by rail, as if that was adequate to replace all the reasons addressed in that article.

Repetitive Rant. There it is again. More insults.

How many times have we had to here your stereotypical Bullsh(t Boomer nonsense about how EV's are bad? A dozen? Two dozen? Yet when you repeat yourself, you're contributing to the conversation. When I do it, it's a repetitive rant.

Anything else you want to list that you can do, and other poster's can't? You're really on a roll here.

BTW, I'm discrediting every thing you've posted. We can build both freight and high speed rail in the US, and it's ABSURD to claim we can't do it.

China is bigger than the US, FFS, and can run High Speed just fine. The only difference is China isn't filled with a bunch of Republican idiots who think it can't be done because thinking, planning, and working is too hard.

Gee, I wonder why Gen Z doesn't give a F what you and your fellow "we can NEVER change America" think?

I have not said EV's are categorically "bad". I've pointed out their limitations & unresolved inadequacies. I also listed the situations in which I think they are practical & suggested their subsidies would be better used to encourage hybrids until the battery technology matures & we have an elec grid & production capacity which will support a massive shift to EV's.

China can make high speed rail work because the don't have alternatives that match our vehicle & air transport systems.
They don't have property rights & eminent domain. They don't have suburbs. They're overcrowded urban centers & underdeveloped rural areas, with no transition. That's the model you progressive liberal socialist Dems are trying to impose on the US....along with their re-education residential communities.

Who do you admire more & wish to emulate ? China or the EU ?

[a fan]

I have not said EV's are categorically "bad". I've pointed out their limitations & unresolved inadequacies. I also listed the situations in which I think they are practical & suggested their subsidies would be better used to encourage hybrids until the battery technology matures & we have an elec grid & production capacity which will support a massive shift to EV's.

Yeah. We CHOSE not to spend on infrastructure, including BIG TIME, our electrical grid. A nation of our power shouldn't have to have warning about "loss of power" because the Utilities are shocked, SHOCKED I tells ya, that our Summers are hot, and our winters are cold, and it's a bridge too far to, oh, I don't know, PLAN for that. PLAN for increased EV usage. Plan for an increasing population. You know: like we did, with very little difficulty, when you were a kid, and growing up.

The TVA was up and running in the 30's FFS, in the middle of a freaking Depression, and through a World War. Stop telling me we can't do these things.

China can make high speed rail work because the don't have alternatives that match our vehicle & air transport systems.

A., Buffalo Bagels. The idea that China can do things America can't is just about the dumbest thing you could possibly write. And you KNOW it. Stop it, you're wasting everyone's time every time you repeat this stupdity.

B. We have our vehicle and transport system ENTIRELY because of MASSIVE government intervention for over 100 years, OS. Who the F do you think owns most of the airports in the US? The Hershey Company? Who built and maintains almost every inch of road in the US?

But again, you know this, and are gaslighting, acting like you're too stupid to understand that we could allocate our resources or increase spending any time Congress chooses to it. You're behaving like you think Elves made all these choices. It's tiring, and repetitive...the very thing you complain about all the time.......

They don't have property rights & eminent domain. They don't have suburbs. They're overcrowded urban centers & underdeveloped rural areas, with no transition. That's the model you progressive liberal socialist Dems are trying to impose on the US....along with their re-education residential communities.

More insults and putting things in other people's mouths by building strawmen than you know aren't true. No one wants to be Europe. Connecting our cities in different, more efficient way is a GOOD thing.....quintuply so for FlyOver America.

You're gaslighting. Why are you doing this?

Who do you admire more & wish to emulate ? China or the EU ?

I admire anyone who isn't scared of challenges and progress. You're gaslighting us again, and telling us that you think challenges are too difficult to overcome. No one here believes one word you're writing here.

Especially you.

[old salt]

I have not said EV's are categorically "bad". I've pointed out their limitations & unresolved inadequacies. I also listed the situations in which I think they are practical & suggested their subsidies would be better used to encourage hybrids until the battery technology matures & we have an elec grid & production capacity which will support a massive shift to EV's.

Yeah. We CHOSE not to spend on infrastructure, including BIG TIME, our electrical grid. A nation of our power shouldn't have to have warning about "loss of power" because the Utilities are shocked, SHOCKED I tells ya, that our Summers are hot, and our winters are cold, and it's a bridge too far to, oh, I don't know, PLAN for that. PLAN for increased EV usage. Plan for an increasing population. You know: like we did, with very little difficulty, when you were a kid, and growing up.

The TVA was up and running in the 30's FFS, in the middle of a freaking Depression, and through a World War. Stop telling me we can't do these things.

China can make high speed rail work because the don't have alternatives that match our vehicle & air transport systems.

A., Buffalo Bagels. The idea that China can do things America can't is just about the dumbest thing you could possibly write. And you KNOW it. Stop it, you're wasting everyone's time every time you repeat this stupdity.

B. We have our vehicle and transport system ENTIRELY because of MASSIVE government intervention for over 100 years, OS. Who the F do you think owns most of the airports in the US? The Hershey Company? Who built and maintains almost every inch of road in the US?

But again, you know this, and are gaslighting, acting like you're too stupid to understand that we could allocate our resources or increase spending any time Congress chooses to it. You're behaving like you think Elves made all these choices. It's tiring, and repetitive...the very thing you complain about all the time.......

They don't have property rights & eminent domain. They don't have suburbs. They're overcrowded urban centers & underdeveloped rural areas, with no transition. That's the model you progressive liberal socialist Dems are trying to impose on the US....along with their re-education residential communities.

More insults and putting things in other people's mouths by building strawmen than you know aren't true. No one wants to be Europe. Connecting our cities in different, more efficient way is a GOOD thing.....quintuply so for FlyOver America.

You're gaslighting. Why are you doing this?

Who do you admire more & wish to emulate ? China or the EU ?

I admire anyone who isn't scared of challenges and progress. You're gaslighting us again, and telling us that you think challenges are too difficult to overcome. No one here believes one word you're writing here.

Especially you.

Boo hoo. Give us a break from your incessant whining about 200 years of US history because it does not advantage your specific business. Pres Wilson tried to nationalize US RR's during WW-I. It didn't last 2 years. US & EUropean RR's developed differently for a myriad of unique reasons inherent in 2 vastly different continental systems. Each has advantages & disadvantages. You're like AOC & the Project 1619 libs -- everything that came before in the US is bad & was done for sinister reasons. As a freight rail user, you're better off in the US than in the EU.

https://www.floridarail.com/news/6-key- ... 0taxpayers.

...Key Differences Between American and European Rail Systems

Freight-to-Passenger Ratio
What really sets these two rail networks apart are the shares of their respective freight and passenger transportation markets. North American railways handle about 84% freight cargo and only 16% passengers, while the European Union's railways are almost exactly the inverse at 80% passengers and 20% freight. This difference in focus is primarily due to their opposing historical priorities: American railways were built to move goods across a vast country with a sparse population, whereas European railways were mostly created to move large amounts of people between densely populated cities.

Train Design
Due to their opposing priorities, American and European trains are designed quite differently. American trains are typically longer and wider to accommodate more freight, while European trains are shorter and narrower to allow for more nimble movements and quicker acceleration. American freight cars also tend to be lower to the ground to make it easier to load and unload heavy cargo, whereas European passenger cars are typically higher off the ground to offer a better view of the passing scenery.

Rail Infrastructure
The American National Rail Network is more than twice the size of the European rail system, with over 224,000 miles (360,000 kilometers) of track compared to Europe's mere 94,000 miles (151,000 kilometers). American railways were also built on a wider gauge (the distance between the rails), which allows for larger and heavier trains. As a result, American freight railways are much more efficient than their European counterparts, carrying almost three times as much cargo per mile of track.

Funding
American railways are primarily privately owned, with freight companies investing their own money into the system. In contrast, most European railways are publicly owned and funded by taxpayers. This has led to very different attitudes towards investment: American companies are more likely to reinvest their profits into the railway system, while European railway companies have been known to be more resistant to private investment and change.

Government Regulations
American railways are subject to less government regulation than European railways, which gives freight companies more freedom to operate as they see fit. For instance, American freight companies are not required to use their tracks for passenger service (although many still do), whereas European freight companies must share their tracks with passenger trains. American freight companies are also allowed to ship cargo that would typically be banned in Europe, such as crude oil, toxic chemicals, and other hazardous materials.

SO, WHICH COUNTRY HAS THE BEST RAILROAD SYSTEM?
Given all of these differences, it's hard to say definitively which country has the better railway system. Ultimately, it comes down to what you're looking for in a railway system. American railways are significantly more efficient and cost-effective at moving freight cargo for businesses, whereas European railways offer a much smoother and more scenic experience for their rail passengers.

https://www.floridarail.com/news/a-brie ... n-america/

During the 1970s, the railroad industry was in a state of decline. This was largely due to a combination of factors, including declining rail traffic, rising labor costs, and increasing competition from trucks and airlines.

In 1980, Congress passed the Staggers Rail Act in an attempt to revitalize the railroad industry. This act relaxed many of the regulations that had been put in place during the 1930s, and it allowed short line railroads to compete more effectively with trucks and other modes of transportation.

The result was a significant resurgence in short line railroad activity. In fact, between 1980 and 1990, the number of short line railroads in the United States more than doubled!

SHORT LINE RAILROADS TODAY
Today there are over 500 short line railroads in the United States, and they account for approximately 30% of all railroad traffic. Short line railroads continue to play an important role in the U.S. economy, and they are increasingly relied upon to move freight over short distances and to connect different parts of the country.

[cradleandshoot]

The only thing I understand about this conversation is that Amtrak loses money hand over fist and is always in need of the corporate welfare that everybody loves. Amtrak has never been a profitable operation after over 50 years. Our beloved late Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, who has a train station named in her honor, was a huge fan of high speed rail. A one billion dollar investment would have cut the time from Buffalo to Albany to around 3 hours from the present 5 hours. Nobody that I know of has a desperate need to get to Albany that quickly, unless your a politician who doesn't like to fly.

[cradleandshoot]

The Democrat party HAS to find some new blood. What I mean by that are Democrats willing to back up the bus from their far left wing members.

That's not the problem. The problem is the ones who focus on culture war issues that gets Conservatives' panties in a bunch.

You can be "far left", and govern well. What this means is simple: aggressively pro-Union, pro-worker protection, ditch NAFTA, ditch Trickle down economics, give free health care, free education/training, and spend 20x times what we do on education.

In every other 1st world nation, Cradle? The above is MODERATE, not wide-eyed liberal.

We TRIED trickle down and free market. It doesn't work. Clearly. Obviously. 50 years Right Wing economics, executed by both Dems and Rs', has failed so freaking badly that America's lifespans are going DOWN. This is ABSURD and inexcusable for a country with the biggest GDP on Earth...because you don't buy infrastructure and goods and services with GDP. You buy it with CASH.

And America is holding all the poker chips. I'm tired of us acting like we don't.

You know this already, that is not how the game is played in NYS. The FLP Democrats run this state with an iron fist with little tolerance for those with political differences. They have effectively made the Republican party a non factor in this state. They have the numbers and what they say goes. I witness the dysfunction in state government on a daily basis. We are lucky that in Monroe County we have a progressive Democrat named Adam Bello who has done an outstanding job as County Executive. He has a unique ability to get everyone to get along for the most part.

I dunno Cradle, NYS is definitely blue, but you've had GOP Governors and even GOP mayors of the City of NY, so seems to me it's a lot like my state of Maryland which too is definitely blue but in which we just came off an 8 year GOP Governor who was quite popular or my former state, the Communist State of Massachusetts, which has had a series of GOP Governors. Isn't it more of a matter of of the GOP being willing to put moderate candidates forward who don't offend the culture stuff but demonstrate real governing competence? That's what has worked in past cycles...put forward these MAGA warriors and you're gonna get Dems for sure as most people in those states don't want crazy, they want competent. Likewise, Dems do well with candidates like your Bello...competent. The progressive social stuff doesn't have to get in the way.

There is nothing wrong with a progressive perspective. The most important and difficult thing that must be done is to not tune out the opinions of people who are not progressive. Progressive ideas and conservative ideas can coexist. Reagan and Tip O'Neil made it work and they didn't even hate each other.

[runrussellrun]

This is from Wiki, which suck didn't realize was such a good source.

From now on, suck'll use it.

POTUSA candidate. This person doesn't seem so bad. Definately someone that is concerned about the environment and climate change:

actuall candidates name has been changed to "silly" Can you guess who it is ?

Oil, gas, and pipelines
Silly has been an advocate for a global transition away from fossil fuels toward renewable energy.[114][115] He has been particularly critical of the oil industry. In one of his first environmental cases, SILLY filed a lawsuit against Mobil Oil for polluting the Hudson.[32]

SIlly helped lead the battle against fracking in New York State.[116] He had been an early supporter of natural gas as viable bridge fuel to renewables, and a cleaner alternative to coal.[117] However, he said he turned against this controversial extraction method after investigating its cost to public health, climate and road infrastructure.[118] As a member of Governor Andrew Cuomo's fracking commission, silly helped engineer the Governor's 2013 ban on fracking in New York State.[119]

Silly mounted a national effort against the construction of liquefied natural gas facilities.[120] Waterkeepers maintains a national watch that documents numerous crude oil spills annually.

In 2013, Silly assisted the Chipewyan First Nation and the Beaver Lake Cree fighting to protect their land from tar sands production.[121] In February 2013, while protesting the Keystone XL Pipeline Silly , along with his son, silly jr., was arrested for blocking a thoroughfare in front of the White House during a protest.[122] In August 2016, Silly and Waterkeeper participated in protests to block the extension of the Dakota Access pipeline across the Sioux Indian Standing Rock Reservation's water supply.[123]

Silly has maintained that the only reason the oil industry is able to remain competitive against renewables and electric cars is through massive direct and indirect subsidies and political interventions on behalf of the oil industry. In a June 2017 interview on EnviroNews, Silly said about the oil industry, "That's what their strategy is: build as many miles of pipeline as possible. And what the industry is trying to do is to increase that level of infrastructure investment so our country won't be able to walk away from it.[124]

[MDlaxfan76]

The Democrat party HAS to find some new blood. What I mean by that are Democrats willing to back up the bus from their far left wing members.

That's not the problem. The problem is the ones who focus on culture war issues that gets Conservatives' panties in a bunch.

You can be "far left", and govern well. What this means is simple: aggressively pro-Union, pro-worker protection, ditch NAFTA, ditch Trickle down economics, give free health care, free education/training, and spend 20x times what we do on education.

In every other 1st world nation, Cradle? The above is MODERATE, not wide-eyed liberal.

We TRIED trickle down and free market. It doesn't work. Clearly. Obviously. 50 years Right Wing economics, executed by both Dems and Rs', has failed so freaking badly that America's lifespans are going DOWN. This is ABSURD and inexcusable for a country with the biggest GDP on Earth...because you don't buy infrastructure and goods and services with GDP. You buy it with CASH.

And America is holding all the poker chips. I'm tired of us acting like we don't.

You know this already, that is not how the game is played in NYS. The FLP Democrats run this state with an iron fist with little tolerance for those with political differences. They have effectively made the Republican party a non factor in this state. They have the numbers and what they say goes. I witness the dysfunction in state government on a daily basis. We are lucky that in Monroe County we have a progressive Democrat named Adam Bello who has done an outstanding job as County Executive. He has a unique ability to get everyone to get along for the most part.

I dunno Cradle, NYS is definitely blue, but you've had GOP Governors and even GOP mayors of the City of NY, so seems to me it's a lot like my state of Maryland which too is definitely blue but in which we just came off an 8 year GOP Governor who was quite popular or my former state, the Communist State of Massachusetts, which has had a series of GOP Governors. Isn't it more of a matter of of the GOP being willing to put moderate candidates forward who don't offend the culture stuff but demonstrate real governing competence? That's what has worked in past cycles...put forward these MAGA warriors and you're gonna get Dems for sure as most people in those states don't want crazy, they want competent. Likewise, Dems do well with candidates like your Bello...competent. The progressive social stuff doesn't have to get in the way.

There is nothing wrong with a progressive perspective. The most important and difficult thing that must be done is to not tune out the opinions of people who are not progressive. Progressive ideas and conservative ideas can coexist. Reagan and Tip O'Neil made it work and they didn't even hate each other.

Agreed; indeed we are best off when they compete on the basis of effectiveness not purist ideology. And when compromise is embraced as good governance in a democracy.

[cradleandshoot]

The Democrat party HAS to find some new blood. What I mean by that are Democrats willing to back up the bus from their far left wing members.

That's not the problem. The problem is the ones who focus on culture war issues that gets Conservatives' panties in a bunch.

You can be "far left", and govern well. What this means is simple: aggressively pro-Union, pro-worker protection, ditch NAFTA, ditch Trickle down economics, give free health care, free education/training, and spend 20x times what we do on education.

In every other 1st world nation, Cradle? The above is MODERATE, not wide-eyed liberal.

We TRIED trickle down and free market. It doesn't work. Clearly. Obviously. 50 years Right Wing economics, executed by both Dems and Rs', has failed so freaking badly that America's lifespans are going DOWN. This is ABSURD and inexcusable for a country with the biggest GDP on Earth...because you don't buy infrastructure and goods and services with GDP. You buy it with CASH.

And America is holding all the poker chips. I'm tired of us acting like we don't.

You know this already, that is not how the game is played in NYS. The FLP Democrats run this state with an iron fist with little tolerance for those with political differences. They have effectively made the Republican party a non factor in this state. They have the numbers and what they say goes. I witness the dysfunction in state government on a daily basis. We are lucky that in Monroe County we have a progressive Democrat named Adam Bello who has done an outstanding job as County Executive. He has a unique ability to get everyone to get along for the most part.

I dunno Cradle, NYS is definitely blue, but you've had GOP Governors and even GOP mayors of the City of NY, so seems to me it's a lot like my state of Maryland which too is definitely blue but in which we just came off an 8 year GOP Governor who was quite popular or my former state, the Communist State of Massachusetts, which has had a series of GOP Governors. Isn't it more of a matter of of the GOP being willing to put moderate candidates forward who don't offend the culture stuff but demonstrate real governing competence? That's what has worked in past cycles...put forward these MAGA warriors and you're gonna get Dems for sure as most people in those states don't want crazy, they want competent. Likewise, Dems do well with candidates like your Bello...competent. The progressive social stuff doesn't have to get in the way.

There is nothing wrong with a progressive perspective. The most important and difficult thing that must be done is to not tune out the opinions of people who are not progressive. Progressive ideas and conservative ideas can coexist. Reagan and Tip O'Neil made it work and they didn't even hate each other.

Agreed; indeed we are best off when they compete on the basis of effectiveness not purist ideology. And when compromise is embraced as good governance in a democracy.

It seems like "it's my way or the highway" is the new way of political thinking. There was a time when being the speaker of the house was an important and prestigious position. That ship has sailed for the Republican party. It makes me wonder who in the world would want the job in this backstabbing political environment.

[a fan]

The only thing I understand about this conversation is that Amtrak loses money hand over fist and is always in need of the corporate welfare that everybody loves. Amtrak has never been a profitable operation after over 50 years. Our beloved late Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, who has a train station named in her honor, was a huge fan of high speed rail. A one billion dollar investment would have cut the time from Buffalo to Albany to around 3 hours from the present 5 hours. Nobody that I know of has a desperate need to get to Albany that quickly, unless your a politician who doesn't like to fly.

You saw the chart I gave you, Cradle. When you give rails and trains a FRACTION of what you give to roads and airports? What would you think would happen.

If I want to "win" this argument (and I don't)......what do you suppose would happen if you flipped the Government subsidy, and gave all the money to rail, and a fraction to roads?

Our rails would be FILLED with cargo and people...and you'd tell me that roads don't work.

You, just like OS, are pretending like both rails and roads are using private funds in a free market. This is the OPPOSITE of what happens. Passenger rail fails in America because that's what we CHOOSE to invest in.

Heck, make it a 50/50 split in Government spending. Watch what happens.

Right now...and this ignores that in the last 100 years, the spending was far more lopsided toward cars....roads consume 44% of Federal Transportation spending. 23% goes to planes, 22% goes to trains, and 10% to ports etc.

Old Salt is livid at even the idea of altering the above percentages even one percentage point....which is absurd. And he's telling us that if we dare to move those numbers around, we're pie-eyed commie-hippies.

He's trolling again. He doesn't REALLY believe this.

Future generations will move those numbers around via their elected officials, and our Republican will be just fine. You know: like our Constitution envisioned. No hippie-commie plot needed.

[a fan]

The Democrat party HAS to find some new blood. What I mean by that are Democrats willing to back up the bus from their far left wing members.

That's not the problem. The problem is the ones who focus on culture war issues that gets Conservatives' panties in a bunch.

You can be "far left", and govern well. What this means is simple: aggressively pro-Union, pro-worker protection, ditch NAFTA, ditch Trickle down economics, give free health care, free education/training, and spend 20x times what we do on education.

In every other 1st world nation, Cradle? The above is MODERATE, not wide-eyed liberal.

We TRIED trickle down and free market. It doesn't work. Clearly. Obviously. 50 years Right Wing economics, executed by both Dems and Rs', has failed so freaking badly that America's lifespans are going DOWN. This is ABSURD and inexcusable for a country with the biggest GDP on Earth...because you don't buy infrastructure and goods and services with GDP. You buy it with CASH.

And America is holding all the poker chips. I'm tired of us acting like we don't.

You know this already, that is not how the game is played in NYS. The FLP Democrats run this state with an iron fist with little tolerance for those with political differences. They have effectively made the Republican party a non factor in this state. They have the numbers and what they say goes. I witness the dysfunction in state government on a daily basis. We are lucky that in Monroe County we have a progressive Democrat named Adam Bello who has done an outstanding job as County Executive. He has a unique ability to get everyone to get along for the most part.

I dunno Cradle, NYS is definitely blue, but you've had GOP Governors and even GOP mayors of the City of NY, so seems to me it's a lot like my state of Maryland which too is definitely blue but in which we just came off an 8 year GOP Governor who was quite popular or my former state, the Communist State of Massachusetts, which has had a series of GOP Governors. Isn't it more of a matter of of the GOP being willing to put moderate candidates forward who don't offend the culture stuff but demonstrate real governing competence? That's what has worked in past cycles...put forward these MAGA warriors and you're gonna get Dems for sure as most people in those states don't want crazy, they want competent. Likewise, Dems do well with candidates like your Bello...competent. The progressive social stuff doesn't have to get in the way.

There is nothing wrong with a progressive perspective. The most important and difficult thing that must be done is to not tune out the opinions of people who are not progressive. Progressive ideas and conservative ideas can coexist. Reagan and Tip O'Neil made it work and they didn't even hate each other.

Agreed; indeed we are best off when they compete on the basis of effectiveness not purist ideology. And when compromise is embraced as good governance in a democracy.

Republicans like OS have been playing this pointless petty game for YEARS now: where if the US Government doesn't do precisely, exactly what they want? They come back with "it's a commie plot!! And the Republic will fall".

Not only are they lying about this position.....when this Federal spending is, in fact, moved around: they don't notice. Why? They don't REALLY care about policy. It's about "owning the libs", "the Dems are far left", and "Go Woke go Broke".

That's it, and nothing more. MDLax is right: America functions at its very best when we compromise. The rise of FoxNews and RIghtWingMedia has told the millions of viewers that line their pockets that the left (which they are convinced is the Dems) is a bigger enemy to America than Russia/China/N Korean combined.

Which is just stupid. When the left shows up to storm the Capitol when Trump wins to shut down our Government? I'll buy that.

[MDlaxfan76]

The Democrat party HAS to find some new blood. What I mean by that are Democrats willing to back up the bus from their far left wing members.

That's not the problem. The problem is the ones who focus on culture war issues that gets Conservatives' panties in a bunch.

You can be "far left", and govern well. What this means is simple: aggressively pro-Union, pro-worker protection, ditch NAFTA, ditch Trickle down economics, give free health care, free education/training, and spend 20x times what we do on education.

In every other 1st world nation, Cradle? The above is MODERATE, not wide-eyed liberal.

We TRIED trickle down and free market. It doesn't work. Clearly. Obviously. 50 years Right Wing economics, executed by both Dems and Rs', has failed so freaking badly that America's lifespans are going DOWN. This is ABSURD and inexcusable for a country with the biggest GDP on Earth...because you don't buy infrastructure and goods and services with GDP. You buy it with CASH.

And America is holding all the poker chips. I'm tired of us acting like we don't.

You know this already, that is not how the game is played in NYS. The FLP Democrats run this state with an iron fist with little tolerance for those with political differences. They have effectively made the Republican party a non factor in this state. They have the numbers and what they say goes. I witness the dysfunction in state government on a daily basis. We are lucky that in Monroe County we have a progressive Democrat named Adam Bello who has done an outstanding job as County Executive. He has a unique ability to get everyone to get along for the most part.

I dunno Cradle, NYS is definitely blue, but you've had GOP Governors and even GOP mayors of the City of NY, so seems to me it's a lot like my state of Maryland which too is definitely blue but in which we just came off an 8 year GOP Governor who was quite popular or my former state, the Communist State of Massachusetts, which has had a series of GOP Governors. Isn't it more of a matter of of the GOP being willing to put moderate candidates forward who don't offend the culture stuff but demonstrate real governing competence? That's what has worked in past cycles...put forward these MAGA warriors and you're gonna get Dems for sure as most people in those states don't want crazy, they want competent. Likewise, Dems do well with candidates like your Bello...competent. The progressive social stuff doesn't have to get in the way.

There is nothing wrong with a progressive perspective. The most important and difficult thing that must be done is to not tune out the opinions of people who are not progressive. Progressive ideas and conservative ideas can coexist. Reagan and Tip O'Neil made it work and they didn't even hate each other.

Agreed; indeed we are best off when they compete on the basis of effectiveness not purist ideology. And when compromise is embraced as good governance in a democracy.

It seems like "it's my way or the highway" is the new way of political thinking. There was a time when being the speaker of the house was an important and prestigious position. That ship has sailed for the Republican party. It makes me wonder who in the world would want the job in this backstabbing political environment.

Hakeem Jeffries

Seriously, there is no way for a Republican speaker to survive while providing good governance, with positions with sound majorities getting votes and enacted..not without Dem cooperation and cover. Let’s hope Johnson bucks the hardliners with Ukraine funding and then adopts the Senate conservative compromise and the Democrats give that cover.

Odds are that won’t happen because the Hardliners and Trump are too strong, but that’s the only way it’s not a continuous cluster-f for the Republicans.

[cradleandshoot]

The only thing I understand about this conversation is that Amtrak loses money hand over fist and is always in need of the corporate welfare that everybody loves. Amtrak has never been a profitable operation after over 50 years. Our beloved late Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, who has a train station named in her honor, was a huge fan of high speed rail. A one billion dollar investment would have cut the time from Buffalo to Albany to around 3 hours from the present 5 hours. Nobody that I know of has a desperate need to get to Albany that quickly, unless your a politician who doesn't like to fly.

You saw the chart I gave you, Cradle. When you give rails and trains a FRACTION of what you give to roads and airports? What would you think would happen.

If I want to "win" this argument (and I don't)......what do you suppose would happen if you flipped the Government subsidy, and gave all the money to rail, and a fraction to roads?

Our rails would be FILLED with cargo and people...and you'd tell me that roads don't work.

You, just like OS, are pretending like both rails and roads are using private funds in a free market. This is the OPPOSITE of what happens. Passenger rail fails in America because that's what we CHOOSE to invest in.

Heck, make it a 50/50 split in Government spending. Watch what happens.

Right now...and this ignores that in the last 100 years, the spending was far more lopsided toward cars....roads consume 44% of Federal Transportation spending. 23% goes to planes, 22% goes to trains, and 10% to ports etc.

Old Salt is livid at even the idea of altering the above percentages even one percentage point....which is absurd. And he's telling us that if we dare to move those numbers around, we're pie-eyed commie-hippies.

He's trolling again. He doesn't REALLY believe this.

Future generations will move those numbers around via their elected officials, and our Republican will be just fine. You know: like our Constitution envisioned. No hippie-commie plot needed.

All I'm saying is this. The Amtrak passenger run from Buffalo to Albany has always been a money pit for Amtrak. Think about it a Fan, do you think there are that many people every day with a desperate need to get to Albany ASAP? You can drive there from Buffalo in under 6 hours depending on how closely obey the speed limit. The debate between you and OS is something I won't touch with a 10 foot pole. From what I know the practicality of rail freight and passenger travel varies greatly from state to state. I'm sure it can be vastly improved but that will require mind boggling amounts of taxpayer money. That is before you figure how it can be done. That would be any engineers challenge of a lifetime.