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[quote user="VPayne"] The amount of money spent on transportation improvements in the past is very relevant as it establishes what is the best use of the money for the future based on past performance.Secondly, the ratio of amount of capital costs payed back to those spent also establishes a resonable rate at which HSR capital fund can be spent in the future.Thirdly, the land use created by the use on interstates when the true cost was not passed on to the user needs to be corrected.HSR should be allowed to be funded according to the historical rate that the interstate system's capital needs were funded.  [/quote]I spent more than 40 years as a CPA, financial planner, etc. for a Fortune 250 electric utility.  I never heard a knowledgeable accountant, financial officer, or chief executive say that what had been spent in the past on generating capacity should be a factor in the decision to build a new power plant.The questions were do we need it to meet our customers needs, how much will it cost, how much can we earn on it, and how will we fund it.  Understanding history, including the cost of various projects, providing one is dealing with historical facts as opposed to just opinions, can be helpful in determining what mistakes to avoid.HSR should be considered on its merit, in accordance with the same drivers associated with the decision to build a power plant or any other capital project.  The amount of money spent to build the interstate highway system is irrelevant to the amount of money needed to build a railroad.The builders of the New York Central Railroad did not argue that they should spend the same amount of money on the railroad that was spent on the Erie Cannel.
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