Deggesty CSSHEGEWISCH Let's see, Betsy DeVos wants to privatize public education, George W Bush partially privatized war with the various and sundry private security firms (mercenaries) in Iraq. Any other suggestions?? Betsy DeVos wants schools to educate the students so that they are able to read, write, know the history of the country, and do whatever is necessary to be of value when they graduate. I find it interesting that the schools which spend the most per pupil have extremely poor records in this regard. About twenty-five years ago, I worked with a young man who did not know who our enemies were in the Second World War.
CSSHEGEWISCH Let's see, Betsy DeVos wants to privatize public education, George W Bush partially privatized war with the various and sundry private security firms (mercenaries) in Iraq. Any other suggestions??
Let's see, Betsy DeVos wants to privatize public education, George W Bush partially privatized war with the various and sundry private security firms (mercenaries) in Iraq. Any other suggestions??
Betsy DeVos wants schools to educate the students so that they are able to read, write, know the history of the country, and do whatever is necessary to be of value when they graduate. I find it interesting that the schools which spend the most per pupil have extremely poor records in this regard.
About twenty-five years ago, I worked with a young man who did not know who our enemies were in the Second World War.
Reality: Empirical studies have shown over and over that for-profit charter schools and other privatized schools K-12 have no better outcomes than public schools serving the same demographic base. They make a tidy profit for management, while often paying the teachers less. Their main "success" is in being selective in enrollment and retention.
Your young man's case is sad, but now we have a POTUS (product of private schools) who doesn't know who our allies are and thinks Putin is a great leader
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
schlimmReality: Empirical studies have shown over and over that charter and other private schools K-12 have no better outcomes than public schools serving the same demographic base.
Almost like there are other factors at play - like parental involvement and societal thought (when you have a society that generally doesn't really respect education - can we really be shocked?)
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.
schlimmYour young man's case is sad, but now we have a POTUS (product of private schools) who doesn't know who our allies are and thinks Putin is a great leader
Hey Euclid:
I thought you said no one was bashing politicians.
Norm
Norm48327Hey Euclid: I thought you said no one was bashing politicians.
You act like it is a bad thing. Open criticism of the government is one of the foundations of this country. God knows there was plenty of it in the last administrtaion (and those people had the same right).
zugmann schlimm Reality: Empirical studies have shown over and over that charter and other private schools K-12 have no better outcomes than public schools serving the same demographic base. Almost like there are other factors at play - like parental involvement and societal thought (when you have a society that generally doesn't really respect education - can we really be shocked?)
schlimm Reality: Empirical studies have shown over and over that charter and other private schools K-12 have no better outcomes than public schools serving the same demographic base.
As I said, demographics being equal. Show me a school district where the homes are high priced and I'll show you a high achieving district based on any test scores you choose.
zugmannOpen criticism of the government is one of the foundations of this country. God knows there was plenty of it in the last administrtaion (and those people had the same right).
That fundamental right looks to be on shaky ground since Jan. 20.
"When a private investor funds infrastructure that collects user tolls and pays off the private investor with those tolls, I would not consider that infrastructure to be public."
TXDOT retains ownership of the highways that Cintra helped fund. In exchange for putting up the funds to build or expand the roadways mentioned, Cintra gets the right to collect the tolls for a period long long enough for it to recover its outlays and earn a reasonable rate of return. The highways that Cintra has funded in Texas are public infrastructure from the get-go.
Toll roads are not politically popular among many people in Texas. At least one member of the Texas legislator has proposed buying out Cintra's stake in Texas 130 and removing the tolls, but the proposal has not gotten an traction.
Rio Grande Valley, CFI,CFII
JPS1Toll roads are not politically popular among many people in Texas. At least one member of the Texas legislator has proposed buying out Cintra's stake in Texas 130 and removing the tolls, but the proposal has not gotten any traction.
Once a toll road, always a toll road. The NYS Thruway was supposed to be free of tolls several years ago, but they remain.
MassPike has removed the tollbooths, but tolls are still collected electronically, either by transponder, or by billing the registered owner of the vehicle (via photographing the license plate).
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
tree68 JPS1 Toll roads are not politically popular among many people in Texas. At least one member of the Texas legislator has proposed buying out Cintra's stake in Texas 130 and removing the tolls, but the proposal has not gotten any traction. Once a toll road, always a toll road. The NYS Thruway was supposed to be free of tolls several years ago, but they remain. MassPike has removed the tollbooths, but tolls are still collected electronically, either by transponder, or by billing the registered owner of the vehicle (via photographing the license plate).
JPS1 Toll roads are not politically popular among many people in Texas. At least one member of the Texas legislator has proposed buying out Cintra's stake in Texas 130 and removing the tolls, but the proposal has not gotten any traction.
Apparently, they do things right in Texas.
Johnny
In the Chicago area, there is a certain number of people who have been quite vocal about the fact that the various tollways are still toll roads. The Illinois Toll Highway Authority does have a few skeletons in its closet, but the bonds are getting paid off and improvements to the various tollways are being made on the Authority's own dime (toll revenues). They do not go pleading to the General Assembly for additional funding for this, that and the other thing.
One thing keeping tolls on the NYS Thruway was putting the canal system (NYS Barge Canal, nee the Erie Canal) under the Thruway Authority.
A season's pass for the canal for a 16' to 26' pleasure boat is only $50. And it's not like it's bow to stern on the canal.
There was some grumbling when that happened, but I'm sure many Thruway users don't have a clue. They just pay the tolls and keep on rolling...
In Maryland, when the toll facilities get near being paid off, they build another toll project. Tolls started with the Susquehanna River Bridge that was opened in the late 1930's. Subsequent toll facilities have been the original Chesapeake Bay Bridge, the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel, the Maryland Turnpike (I-95 Baltimore to the Delaware Line), the 2nd Chesapeake Bay Bridge, the Fort McHenry harbor tunnel - and on and on an on.
Fortunately, where I live and where my interests are, I don't have to use any of these facilities on regular continuing basis.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
As to tolls, I appreciated AAA maps when I was driving--each has a listing of toll facilities, so sometimes it is possible to plan a route that avoids such.
DeggestyAs to tolls, I appreciated AAA maps when I was driving--each has a listing of toll facilities, so sometimes it is possible to plan a route that avoids such.
The GPS units today have a option concerning toll facilities. With my original GPS unit, when you actually desired to use a toll facility, it would continue 'Recalculating' at every potential (even local streets) way arond the toll facility if you were using the unit to plot your route between origin and desitnation.
Deggesty As to tolls, I appreciated AAA maps when I was driving--each has a listing of toll facilities, so sometimes it is possible to plan a route that avoids such.
In its very early stages of planning proponents of a national limited access highway system envisioned that it would be paid for with tolls. The Pennsylvania Turnpike, which opened in 1940, if I remember correctly, was one of the earliest toll roads that subsequently became part of today's Interstate Highway System (IHS).
Toll roads let motorists know what it really costs to use them. If motorists saw at the pump, as well as other points, such as toll booths, the true cost of driving, the U.S. might have a more balanced transport system.
The majority of drivers using IHS are commuters. Urban planners claim that the IHS was one of the factors that has contributed to urban sprawl. Had IHS been tolled from the beginning, the amount of sprawl may have been considerably less than what has occurred. But it probably was not politically doable.
Deggesty Apparently, they do things right in Texas.
Yes, one thing that disturbed me about Wisconsin and I am sure it is true about Illinois is how cozy the Highway Contractors were with State legislators.
JPS1The majority of drivers using IHS are commuters.
Living in a rural area, that's only partly true. I would opine that the majority of IHS users in this area are intercity travellers. I-81 is a major conduit from Canada into the states for both commercial traffic, and private conveyances.
You will see directional traffic peaks in the built-up areas, but they don't reach grid-lock status.
It is very true, however in urban areas. When I was in Alexandria, VA for some classes some years ago, I found that I could make better time on the surface streets than on the grid-locked Interstates...
tree68 JPS1 The majority of drivers using IHS are commuters. Living in a rural area, that's only partly true. I would opine that the majority of IHS users in this area are intercity travellers. I-81 is a major conduit from Canada into the states for both commercial traffic, and private conveyances. You will see directional traffic peaks in the built-up areas, but they don't reach grid-lock status. It is very true, however in urban areas. When I was in Alexandria, VA for some classes some years ago, I found that I could make better time on the surface streets than on the grid-locked Interstates...
JPS1 The majority of drivers using IHS are commuters.
Deggesty tree68 JPS1 Living in a rural area, that's only partly true. I would opine that the majority of IHS users in this area are intercity travellers. I-81 is a major conduit from Canada into the states for both commercial traffic, and private conveyances. You will see directional traffic peaks in the built-up areas, but they don't reach grid-lock status. It is very true, however in urban areas. When I was in Alexandria, VA for some classes some years ago, I found that I could make better time on the surface streets than on the grid-locked Interstates... Quite true, Larry. two and a half years ago, I arrived in Washington in civilized comfort, and rented a car to go to visit a cousin who , whit her husband, lives east of Fredericksburg. Not only were we late in arriving in Washington, but there was also some constriction on the interstae going south--and US 1 was little better. I had to continually call and let my cousin know that I was getting later and later. I learned that her husband used to work in Washington, so he knew what I was up against.
tree68 JPS1 Living in a rural area, that's only partly true. I would opine that the majority of IHS users in this area are intercity travellers. I-81 is a major conduit from Canada into the states for both commercial traffic, and private conveyances. You will see directional traffic peaks in the built-up areas, but they don't reach grid-lock status. It is very true, however in urban areas. When I was in Alexandria, VA for some classes some years ago, I found that I could make better time on the surface streets than on the grid-locked Interstates...
JPS1
Quite true, Larry. two and a half years ago, I arrived in Washington in civilized comfort, and rented a car to go to visit a cousin who , whit her husband, lives east of Fredericksburg. Not only were we late in arriving in Washington, but there was also some constriction on the interstae going south--and US 1 was little better. I had to continually call and let my cousin know that I was getting later and later. I learned that her husband used to work in Washington, so he knew what I was up against.
And now you can understand the utility of VRE to commuters along both the Fredericksburg and Manassas lines.
JPS1The majority of drivers using IHS are commuters. Urban planners claim that the IHS was one of the factors that has contributed to urban sprawl. Had IHS been tolled from the beginning, the amount of sprawl may have been considerably less than what has occurred. But it probably was not politically doable.
In the Chicago suburbs, most of the IHS is toll - always has been. Paying a toll did not deter urban sprawl and they are often gridlocked.
CMStPnP: You are right. In Illinois, highway contractors and IDOT and the Illinois Toll Road Commission are pretty close, i.e., corrupt. Probably part of the reason why roads crumbe so quickly, along with snow plows, salt and 1000s of overweight trucks.
schlimm CMStPnP: You are right. In Illinois, highway contractors and IDOT and the Illinois Toll Road Commission are pretty close, i.e., corrupt. Probably part of the reason why roads crumbe so quickly, along with snow plows, salt and 1000s of overweight trucks.
GA400 in Atlanta was a nice political piggybank as well.
http://www.myajc.com/news/transportation/400-toll-money-cash-cow/MwkFZ9NQwY0TlDBgWaihTJ/
BaltACD Deggesty tree68 JPS1 Living in a rural area, that's only partly true. I would opine that the majority of IHS users in this area are intercity travellers. I-81 is a major conduit from Canada into the states for both commercial traffic, and private conveyances. You will see directional traffic peaks in the built-up areas, but they don't reach grid-lock status. It is very true, however in urban areas. When I was in Alexandria, VA for some classes some years ago, I found that I could make better time on the surface streets than on the grid-locked Interstates... Quite true, Larry. two and a half years ago, I arrived in Washington in civilized comfort, and rented a car to go to visit a cousin who , whit her husband, lives east of Fredericksburg. Not only were we late in arriving in Washington, but there was also some constriction on the interstae going south--and US 1 was little better. I had to continually call and let my cousin know that I was getting later and later. I learned that her husband used to work in Washington, so he knew what I was up against. And now you can understand the utility of VRE to commuters along both the Fredericksburg and Manassas lines.
Deggesty BaltACD Deggesty tree68 JPS1 Living in a rural area, that's only partly true. I would opine that the majority of IHS users in this area are intercity travellers. I-81 is a major conduit from Canada into the states for both commercial traffic, and private conveyances. You will see directional traffic peaks in the built-up areas, but they don't reach grid-lock status. It is very true, however in urban areas. When I was in Alexandria, VA for some classes some years ago, I found that I could make better time on the surface streets than on the grid-locked Interstates... Quite true, Larry. two and a half years ago, I arrived in Washington in civilized comfort, and rented a car to go to visit a cousin who , whit her husband, lives east of Fredericksburg. Not only were we late in arriving in Washington, but there was also some constriction on the interstae going south--and US 1 was little better. I had to continually call and let my cousin know that I was getting later and later. I learned that her husband used to work in Washington, so he knew what I was up against. And now you can understand the utility of VRE to commuters along both the Fredericksburg and Manassas lines. My cousin-in-law told me that if he ridden VRE in to Washington, it would have taken him more than an hour to get to his place of work from the station.
My cousin-in-law told me that if he ridden VRE in to Washington, it would have taken him more than an hour to get to his place of work from the station.
So he doesn't work in downtown DC as VRE terminates in Union Station, several blocks from the Capitol as well as many of the governmental offices.
Following is from a Feb. 05 post on Page 1 of this thread (emphasis added):
kgbw49 The US government guaranteeing a loan is not the US government giving a loan. The guarantee is there to signal to lenders who will be lending money to the borrowers that there is a backstop behind it in the event of defaut. Typically loan guarantees will have pledged assets that will reimburse the guarantor. . . . This type of loan guarantee is common for Municipal, County and School District infrastructure projects such as water towers, sewer systems, airport infrastructure and school buildings where a local bond is sold by the local entity but it is sold with with the bond rating of the state that is guaranteeing the loan (also called credit enhancement). Instead of the local entity borrowing with a bond rating in the high B or low A categories, which carry higher interest rates, they can instead sell the bonds at the state's bond rating - typically at least Aa2/AA - and can cut their interest rate tremendously, even potentially in half in some instances. Anyone who has refinanced their home to a lower interest rate knows how much of a difference a lower interest rate makes on their monthly payment. . . .
This type of loan guarantee is common for Municipal, County and School District infrastructure projects such as water towers, sewer systems, airport infrastructure and school buildings where a local bond is sold by the local entity but it is sold with with the bond rating of the state that is guaranteeing the loan (also called credit enhancement). Instead of the local entity borrowing with a bond rating in the high B or low A categories, which carry higher interest rates, they can instead sell the bonds at the state's bond rating - typically at least Aa2/AA - and can cut their interest rate tremendously, even potentially in half in some instances.
Anyone who has refinanced their home to a lower interest rate knows how much of a difference a lower interest rate makes on their monthly payment. . . .
Note that as a practical matter, no one can foreclose on the public property of a government infrastructure project. The private right-of-way of a railroad is entirely different, because it can be foreclosed on.
That pledge (similar to a mortgage) allows the guarantor to come in (foreclose) and claim the assets to reimburse itself (usually in a bond indenture and trustee format, etc.). It has added value only when the lenders can't do it for themselves - and even when they can, it's tough to do that with an operating railroad, because then what will they do with it, other than sell it to someone else ?
The hidden danger is that when the government guarantor forecloses, it can usually 'prime' = get ahead in seniority/ priority of payment of any other lender - including those who were earlier/ more senior, sometimes without their consent. Further, if the lenders couldn't have done that themselves - but now the govt. can - that just seals the fate of a wipe-out ('haircut') of all junior lenders and the equity holders.
That's why the prudent mortgage holder on your home insists on escrows of taxes (and govt.-run utility services): If you don't pay and the govt. forecloses (or files a lien, etc.), then the government gets ahead of the mortgage holder, which issued the loan on the basis that it anticipated it would be first in line. (There are other ramifications in a bankruptcy context - such as the trustee using that status to defeat all other junior creditors - but that's beyond the scope of this discussion.)
Likewise beyond the scope of this discussion are the collateral (pun!) effects of the loan guarantee on the credit-worthiness of said loans. Others here have alluded to it (CShaveRR for one - public debt, private gain). All I'll do is refer to the mortgage financing irregularities typified by the book and movie "The Big Short", Collateralized Debt Obligations, Credit Default Swaps, etc. & so forth, as part of the recent Great Recession. So be careful of these things!
- Paul North.
schlimm Schlimn, what you say is not true in PA. We have too many "bad" K-12 schools in the urban areas and the private schools (profit or non-profit) in their areas do a better job serving the same base. And its not for lack of money as those public districts ususally spend more per pupil than most of the PA public school districts. My late wife was a career teacher. Her magazines from the PSEA (state teacher's union) since the late 90's were always 100% against any non-public schools for the same reason--it cost the union members. When she started teaching in the late 60's the PSEA magazines were full of articles about how to be better teachers. By the time she retired they were all about how "evil" things were--parochial schools, charter schools, school boards, republican or any conservative politician, parents, school districts where the participating parents elected to go with the PTO rather than the NEA controlled PTA, and so on. In other words, anyone or anything who didn't let the union get whatever it wanted was an "evil" enemy. CSSHEGEWISCH Let's see, Betsy DeVos wants to privatize public education, George W Bush partially privatized war with the various and sundry private security firms (mercenaries) in Iraq. Any other suggestions?? Betsy DeVos wants schools to educate the students so that they are able to read, write, know the history of the country, and do whatever is necessary to be of value when they graduate. I find it interesting that the schools which spend the most per pupil have extremely poor records in this regard. About twenty-five years ago, I worked with a young man who did not know who our enemies were in the Second World War. Reality: Empirical studies have shown over and over that for-profit charter schools and other privatized schools K-12 have no better outcomes than public schools serving the same demographic base. They make a tidy profit for management, while often paying the teachers less. Their main "success" is in being selective in enrollment and retention. Your young man's case is sad, but now we have a POTUS (product of private schools) who doesn't know who our allies are and thinks Putin is a great leader
Schlimn, what you say is not true in PA. We have too many "bad" K-12 schools in the urban areas and the private schools (profit or non-profit) in their areas do a better job serving the same base. And its not for lack of money as those public districts ususally spend more per pupil than most of the PA public school districts.
My late wife was a career teacher. Her magazines from the PSEA (state teacher's union) since the late 90's were always 100% against any non-public schools for the same reason--it cost the union members. When she started teaching in the late 60's the PSEA magazines were full of articles about how to be better teachers. By the time she retired they were all about how "evil" things were--parochial schools, charter schools, school boards, republican or any conservative politician, parents, school districts where the participating parents elected to go with the PTO rather than the NEA controlled PTA, and so on. In other words, anyone or anything who didn't let the union get whatever it wanted was an "evil" enemy.
CSSHEGEWISCH Let's see, Betsy DeVos wants to privatize public education, George W Bush partially privatized war with the various and sundry private security firms (mercenaries) in Iraq. Any other suggestions?? Betsy DeVos wants schools to educate the students so that they are able to read, write, know the history of the country, and do whatever is necessary to be of value when they graduate. I find it interesting that the schools which spend the most per pupil have extremely poor records in this regard. About twenty-five years ago, I worked with a young man who did not know who our enemies were in the Second World War.
Excerpt from Wall Street Journal, Mar. 8
President Donald Trump pushed his White House team on Wednesday to craft a plan for $1 trillion in infrastructure spending that would pressure states to streamline local permitting, favor renovation of existing roads and highways over new construction and prioritize projects that can quickly begin construction.
“We’re not going to give the money to states unless they can prove that they can be ready, willing and able to start the project,” Trump said at a private meeting with aides and executives that The Wall Street Journal was invited to observe. “We don’t want to give them money if they’re all tied up for seven years with state bureaucracy.”
Trump said he was inclined to give states 90 days to start projects, and asked Scott Pruitt, the new head of the Environmental Protection Agency, to provide a recommendation. He expressed interest in building new high-speed railroads, inquired about the possibility of auctioning the broadcast spectrum to wireless carriers, and asked for more details about the Hyperloop, a project envisioned by Tesla founder Elon Musk that would rapidly transport passengers in pods through low-pressure tubes.
“America has always been a nation of great promise, because we dream big,” Trump said. “We’re going to really dream big now.”
Recent actions tend to suggest that Blondie talks a good fight but almost never backs it up.
wanswheel Excerpt from Wall Street Journal, Mar. 8 President Donald Trump pushed his White House team on Wednesday to craft a plan for $1 trillion in infrastructure spending that would pressure states to streamline local permitting, favor renovation of existing roads and highways over new construction and prioritize projects that can quickly begin construction.....
President Donald Trump pushed his White House team on Wednesday to craft a plan for $1 trillion in infrastructure spending that would pressure states to streamline local permitting, favor renovation of existing roads and highways over new construction and prioritize projects that can quickly begin construction.....
I don't care who the president is, or what his (or her) grand plan is. Any time that the federal government thinks they can pressure states into doing anything, it has just drawn an impassible line in the sand. No state government would allow the federal government to push it around.
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
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