Great Engineering

[Jangle]

I have been reading the debates about China's engineering advancements vs the USA, and the conclusion is that the USA has become stagnant in the R & D over the years. The key ingredient to the whole debate, I think, is that whereas the USA may be still "up there" in the leader pack, they have failed to IMPLEMENT most of these technology to better the common people. Take for instance, the bullet train. Successive governments/presidents have passed on a lot of these technological responsibilities to the incoming because of the massive financial investments that is required. Now we have a president that is pushing for these advancements and again, like every other major decisions, he is being blocked by his opponents because, if he gets it done, that would be another feather in his cap. He is on track to becoming the greatest ever in US history.

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/01/ff_fasttrack/

Below, is the real reason for my post.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQrWIRYIk5A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tr8Lk...eature=related

[Bruce]

Trains An Issue In Wisconsin Election

The federal government has awarded $810 million to build a high speed rail line, 75 miles long, between Milwaukee and Madison. The next phase is to extend the high-speed line west to Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The route would be part of AMTRAK's existing "Empire Builder" line which runs from Chicago through Milwaukee, Madison, Minneapolis, and west to Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon. The "Empire Builder" is AMTRAK's most popular daily. national route which carries 500,000 passengers a year.

The State Of Wisconsin would pay about $10 million a year to maintain the tracks, and build stations

Tom Barrett, the Democratic candidate, supports the train.

Scott Walker, the Republican candidate, doesn't want to spend the $10 million per year and said he would try to block the train, even if it means the federal government giving the $810 million to another state.

The Wisconsin election race has drawn interest from the Japanese media,
because Japanese high-speed rail companies would compete for contracts.

The high-speed line would be operational in 2013.

[Jawge]

Chris Christie (rep) Cancelled the NJ/NY underground project citing cost overuns. Millions lost plus jobs.

[Jawge]

My,my and we can't even fix flat bridge. Well they probably have two brains or possibly working in secret with space aliens. The most we can hope for is that China will take over the world; this way we can send a delegation to beg and in turn offer sun, pleasure and beach.

Garvey told us how the whiteman can boss nature as he sees fit and when are we going rise from our mental laziness. Instead we walk this planet begging and offering our island to those that we beg.

[Hortical]

We are likely to see men on Mars before we see high speed trains in the USA. To say the cost of a 75 mile train is $810 million when you are way below the 25% design stage is a joke. If we were to give an honest estimate based on the recent high speed rail construction in Spain, the cost is likely to be $22 million/mile. If that project is advanced, Wisconsin taxpayers will likely have to cough up the balance in higher taxes or larger debt in bonds.

[Jangle]

"My,my and we can't even fix flat bridge."

This was going to be the next part of my post. We (Jamaica) can't even build a bridge across the Kingston harbour linking the airport to St. Catherine. The Bog Walk Gorge needs to be closed off and dammed.

[Islandman]

He is on track to becoming the greatest ever in US history.

I agree with your post up until this statement. Are you talking about Obama here? What basis is there for such a statement up to this point?

Sure you can have the greatest plans in the world, but if they are not implemented for whatever reason they cannot be considered a success.

Health Care Reform was supposed to be the big success story for the first two years and yet his own party is running away from it like a disease.

You simply cannot be considered a great president when even your own party is abandoning you.

[Bruce]

By Comparison...

We are likely to see men on Mars before we see high speed trains in the USA. To say the cost of a 75 mile train is $810 million when you are way below the 25% design stage is a joke. If we were to give an honest estimate based on the recent high speed rail construction in Spain, the cost is likely to be $22 million/mile. If that project is advanced, Wisconsin taxpayers will likely have to cough up the balance in higher taxes or larger debt in bonds.

A major freeway interchange in Milwaukee is scheduled to be re-built at a cost of $1.6 billion.

[Jangle]

True, but if the major projects get implemented (and become a success), then it doesn't matter if his party supports him......after the fact. They are running from him because these are unpopular (now) and they are trying to get re-elected. The original motive for trying to implement these changes still remains the same. Only time will determine whether these changes are for the good.

[Islandman]

Most of the major projects that the Obama administration has in mind are good ideas and need to be done, in my view.

However, with the anti-stimulus, anti-government spending sentiment that is taking hold, and the Dems losing control of Congress today it is going to be almost impossible to get anything meaningful done for the next 2 years. The Dems had thier opportunity over the last 2 years and they screwed it up ROYALLY.

As Assasin says, you would think the Dems would have spent time selling the idea that the govt bailouts saved the financial sector and the auto industry, but for some reason they decided not to do it. Maybe they don't really believe it themselves, strange as that may sound.

[Jangle]

agreed

[Gamma]

2 edged sword .... you recall how much fight obama had from his OWN party to pass healthcare?

if they had pushed a more "liberal" agenda the fallout would have been worse. he would be labelled as a tax and spend liberal ....... his was a poisoned chalice and he saw it earlier and tried to minimise the effect. after today...he is going to be more aggressive (this is where he will miss rahm) because it will be all or nothing where his presidencey is concerned.

[HL]

QUOTE from KING Jawge: "Garvey told us how the whiteman can boss nature as he sees fit and when are we going rise from our mental laziness. Instead we walk this planet begging and offering our island to those that we beg".

....much respect KING Jawge!!

[Assasin]

I don't think so Gamma. The thing is believe it or not Obama is still very popular and is seen as a decent president not only by a lolt of democrats but independents too.

Like this morning a friend of mine said I can't see one policy that was instituted that benefitted me. This is not true, as the healthcare did,
they lower loeans and tutition for students but they are not selling that to a population that went for them.

I think the tax and spend retro is only playing with the old white men who didn't vote for Obama anyway but they are loud. Many liberal and center people out there that are not motivated. It is not like the rebuplicans are getting a lot of other voters is just that many people are not motivated to go out.

[Gamma]

so are you sayong that the teabaggers used smoke and mirrors to fool the voting population? if so then DAMN! dem fool fool bad!

if however you are correct and the voting public is astute then the democrats should gain in both houses by the end of this evening, nuh suh?