by Gilbert B Norman
In a piece that could be considered opinion, this "HSR Favorable' material appeared in Sunday's Week in REview section of The Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/weeki ... telle.html
Brief passage:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/weeki ... telle.html
Brief passage:
- Absent a groundswell of public demand, those advocating large-scale projects are not widely heard. Gov. Edward G. Rendell of Pennsylvania, a Democrat, is perhaps the most outspoken.
“Just think about a high-speed rail system for the country,” the governor said, envisioning in particular a system that would link Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. “Think what it would mean for steel factories, concrete factories, asphalt factories, electrical equipment factories. It would mean a massive amount of orders and a lot of economic growth.”
Mr. Obama has allocated just $8 billion as a down payment for high-speed rail — in Mr. Rendell’s view not a drop in a $3 trillion bucket, a bucket that seems unlikely fill anytime soon. “I think we should get private capital involved,” he said, noting that the private sector has often in the past participated in the financing of big projects that in the long run benefit business.
