by 25Hz
Clearfield wrote:I completely disagree with pretty much everything stated above aside from the 2 wars. That is what caused all of this, in combination with the sub-prime catastrophe and austerity obsessed extremist right wing governors. If you really want to argue about what is to blame there are plenty of undeniable facts that people choose to ignore. The way to get out of a recession is for the federal government to pump money into infrastructure and education and other civic areas. This means jobs, jobs means people buy stuff and that means people get hired to meet the new demand and all of the sudden the economy is roaring away stronger than ever. The problem is misinformation, fear tactics, and incorrectly targeted over-simplification of issues such as social services ie welfare and social security. We have sold our manufacturing jobs to china and elsewhere. You cannot base a thriving economy off of fast food and cubicles. We need manufacturing, and since we have so little of that left the only alternative is massive civil engineering investment. I'm talking pipelines, bridges, highways, hell half of school parking lots are crumbling apart.jrevans wrote:I've become very pessimistic about passenger service restoration on any of the Bethlehem Branch.
*** This is NOT meant to be a "political" rant. Both parties are to blame, and so are both the Obama and W Whitehouse's, but just the way I honestly see it ***
Not just the Bethlehem branch.
No Norristown restoration to anywhere.
No Newtown restoration.
No replacemernt RRD substations.
No SLVI's
Service cuts and fare increases in about a year
Oil companies making record profits
Prior to 911, there little political will to pay for transit in PA, and certainly no defined public policy on it.
Post 911, the Federal Government started two wars, cut taxes, increased entitlements, and reduced funding to State Governments.
The State Governments reduced their spending to match the Federal subsidy cuts.
The local municipalities repsonded by reducing their spending to match the State subsidy cuts.
98% (reportedly) of Republican House and Senate members violated their oath's of Federal Office and signed on to a new Federal Government created by Grover Norquist and pledged not to increase taxes under any circumstances.
Because the Federal government is badly broken, the country is financially broke.
It can't stop spending, it can't stop printing money, and it can't raise taxes from the folks who can afford to pay more. The poor don't pay taxes, and the middle class is being squeezed out of existance.
THIS is trickle Down economics.
Just my 2 cents.
Oh and the side effect of all this investment and renewal? A better country to live in for everyone, and a sustainable economy. Too bad it seems these tea party folks don't understand or don't care. So much for patriotism....
I'm tired to death of misinformed people with no vision and no idea what they are talking about blind to the problems right in front of them complaining and whining about poor people getting help and taxes being too high when they themselves are the root cause of all the issues.
If you really want al the rail service that could be to come to reality, you have to make it happen. Citizenship is not a spectator sport!
Next stop the square, journal square station next!