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Where is my Federal money?

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  • Member since
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  • From: Johnston, RI
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Where is my Federal money?
Posted by sfcgadget on Thursday, September 18, 2008 10:42 AM

   With all the Federal Bailouts as of today, I'm thinking of looking for a few million dollars to prop up my New Haven Railroad. I have invested my fluid cash to the maximum amount allowable by the law (wife) and presently have a large loan (charge card) for the completion of the planned route.

    Approximately half of the property for the right of way has been surveyed and track secured. Most supporting structures have been built and half of those require foundations at their new locations along with the moving of said structures. Numerous non railroad structures also require the same due to eminent domain actions.

   Stock holders have put up the required funds in order to complete the electrification efforts (Don't pay any attention to the fact that all motive power is steam or diesel). Earmarks have been established in order to move dollars from discretionary to non-discretionary funding. Numerous cost overruns have caused the funding to move into the red. A second set of books is now being set up so any investigation by an appointed authority will reflect the practices of other mega businesses that are too large to fail.

   If a government bailout or at least a no interest loan is not secured prior to the first snow fall, all transportation of products and people will have to be put on hold until the spring of 2009. This will cause irreparable harm to the stock holders (CEO's multi million dollar bonus in jeopardy) and possibly cause the National Security (from squirrel attack) to be put on hold. 

   Luckily, all track required has been purchased as of this date. However, motive power, and rolling stock is open to purchase at the whim of the Chief Engineer. Due to a lack of railroad employees, industrial workers and town's people, an incentive to move from hobby shop residences to the layout is under investigation. An overstock of motor vehicles has been established ($10 each) so each person will have 2.5 vehicles to use.

   If this doesn't get me my share of Government Hand Outs, I'll just have to do it myself like most honest Americans.

SFC Gadget (Ret.)
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Posted by dougdagrump on Thursday, September 18, 2008 11:23 AM
Maybe I should apply as well , my SP&FW Rwy is completely shutdown as a result of a faulty tree trimmer, who shall remain nameless, who crushed the trestle. Maybe a bailout loan for new construction. Whistling [:-^] 

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Posted by vsmith on Thursday, September 18, 2008 3:10 PM

Wheeeeeeee!!!

   Have fun with your trains

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Posted by Capt Bob Johnson on Thursday, September 18, 2008 3:38 PM

Duh, they spent your money to bail out AIG.

I don't agree with all these bailouts, starting with Chrysler!   If you can't afford something, don't buy it!   Why should the taxpayer throw his good money after some execuitive's bad decisions!    Same thing with mortgages, you can't afford the payments you shouldn't have bought it; so let it go to foreclosure!

OK, soapbox over, but I thought your writeup was indeed humorous!

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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, September 18, 2008 4:28 PM

Ole Toads view, If Gov't bails out large peolpe like ING or who ever then they have a share in the companies profit and is very much communistic.

I myself would rather die before taking money from Gov't. They all ready screwed my Elders as they walked them known as the Trail of Tears.

You take it you be screwed. Then they will own part of YOUR RR!

Ole Toad - Back from the hurricane......

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Posted by ttrigg on Thursday, September 18, 2008 6:20 PM

Feds dune toasted your cash supporting those guys that got fired because they drove their business bankrupt and they got $24 million for leaving.

Tom Trigg

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Posted by grandpopswalt on Friday, September 19, 2008 1:34 AM

Here's food for thought ..... if the fed doesn't bail out some of these key financial institutions and they fail (go bankrupt) our whole economic system will probably fall apart (we're talking about TRILLIONS of dollars of poorly secured loans here). Our's is by far the world's largest economy and if it fails it will trigger a global economic meltdown that will make 1929 look like a walk in the park. Also, guess who's buying up and currently holds huge amounts of our government bonds (thereby financing our deficit) .... China, and other nations. And if their economies start crashing and they come screaming to us wanting to redeem their bonds, how are we supposed to pay them?  No. my trainloving playmates, we can't let this happen, if it does, we'll be back in the stone age in no time at all.

Anyway, that's the way I see it.

Walt

 

"You get too soon old and too late smart" - Amish origin
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Posted by EMPIRE II LINE on Friday, September 19, 2008 4:31 AM

There was 1929, than there was 1945, than the 1980's, and than also 9-11, now bail out, to name just a few, real answer is D-2-44.......burn baby burn.....

Byron C.

 

He Wore Arrow Shirts Too
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Posted by ttrigg on Friday, September 19, 2008 12:58 PM

Walt:

Bailing out these bankrupt institutions is one thing, like it or not it must be done. The thing that frosts my cookies is the guy who drove the organization into default being paid millions of dollars severance pay for the incompetent manner in which they operated their companies.

Tom Trigg

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Posted by Southwest Chief on Friday, September 19, 2008 1:20 PM
What does it matter.  Isn't the world supposed to end, or something to that effect, on December 21, 2012?  As foretold in the Mayan Calendar Laugh [(-D]

Matt from Anaheim, CA and Bayfield, CO
Click Here for my model train photo website

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Posted by grandpopswalt on Friday, September 19, 2008 1:58 PM

Tom:

I agree with you completely. What I failed to add to my comments was that if and when things calm down and we're back on track, we have one more thing to do. We need to round up all the CEO's, CFO's and any other kind of O's that are responsible for this mess (and let's not forget to include the government officials who are supposed to be keeping an eye on this stuff). They should all be chained together and put to work doing something productive for a change, like picking up trash on Wall street's sidewalks for the rest of their lives.  

Walt

"You get too soon old and too late smart" - Amish origin
  • Member since
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Posted by Capt Bob Johnson on Friday, September 19, 2008 2:42 PM
Walt, now that's a good idea; I have a labrador that they can follow around the yard to pick up after!

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