Given a choice between stacking cars in a deck, and stacking humans in a Manhattan-style hive, I would stack cars. Is it truly desirable to model Albuquerque after NYC, Philly or Boston?

UNMMC draws patients from across the state because it is the Level 1 Trauma Center. Families whose loved ones are patients there must have parking, must have the way to be with their family 24/7. Mass transit cannot help them.

UNM is home to PopeJoy Hall and sports facilities that attract visitors from 3 counties, mostly on the weekend.

Meeting these three needs of the people means ignoring the Pollyanna ideas of Danny Hernandez and his fellow small thinkers. They are small minds because every study shows the inefficiency of mass transit, yet they demand it be built and funded with the tax dollars of families who are struggling even though those families will never use it because it does not address their needs.

UNM is cutting corners and increasing fees and tuition while the legislature and counties are funding the $25/million deficit to keep Richardson’s stupid toy train running. That was another idea that was pushed by the environmental left who kept saying it will probably pay for its self and will save the taxpayers of NM millions for new highway construction. When the train stops running the highways will have to be built.

Fellow readers, $500/million of the $14/trillion debt our nation has is the train. You and our children are saddled with this debt because of the foolish thinking of politicians and the left-wing. Toss both out in November.

Full disclosure: you may consider this a personal ax of mine I’m grinding. I had a J permit, behind ROTC or the shared parking with C permits in the big dirt lot at Yale and Lomas. It was dirty but close to where I work, and close to a lot of classrooms. But we got kicked out to make way for the new parking structure – which is supposed to “pay for itself” thus the rates will be high. What’s wrong with this picture?

So, there you go Casey, a new and very expensive parking structure. Hope you’re happy!

Bull. First of all define “inefficiency.” Then find ONE study that proves what you claim.

>> who kept saying it will probably pay for its self

Baloney. No responsible person ever said that. Mass transit, like most public goods, cannot “pay for itself.” Neither do public roads and highways, Howel.

If you had to pay a toll that completely covered the cost of building and maintaining the roads (and the highway patrol, etc.) – or pay a fee at the pump, you’d yell and scream about that too. The automobile transportation infrastructure is – and has always been – very heavily subsidized by taxpayers.

>> Richardson’s stupid toy train

The Rail Runner is regional commuter mass transit. Real cities in modern, industrialized nations have mass transit. Why do you want to keep NM behind, Howel?

But maybe you’re right Phil. Why should struggling NM families pay for something they don’t use? Why should I have Social Security taken out of my paycheck to support retirees like you? (Just kiddin,’ Phil, ol’ buddy).

btw, since you always correct others spelling and grammar, you might want to tell your pal Mr. Farteen that he misspelled “boondoggle.”

The first shows the energy as measured in BTU’s per passenger mile for all forms of transportation, the second an idea formulated by those who think the LA transit system can reclaim some of the heat energy (BTU’s) used by their trains to reduce energy usage. It is based on technology that does not exist. The cost per passenger per mile is explained and show in the first. Cars are often more efficient. And they are far more convenient. Lost in the discussion is the value of a person’s time; time spent waiting for a bus, for a connection etc..

I listened to the discussion of Richardson’s toy train on KUNM and KOB with proponents saying it would be very popular and some claimed it would break even. BTY, the NYC subway system, the most heavily traveled in the world after Japan’s, makes money during the work week rush hours, about breaks even during the rest of the day and loses money for the other 12 hours of the day and on the weekend. This with a fare of $2.25 per rider. The energy and labor cost per passenger mile are very high.

You also said, “ If you had to pay a toll that completely covered the cost of building and maintaining the roads (and the highway patrol, etc.) – or pay a fee at the pump, you’d yell and scream about that too.” FACT: We drivers do pay for highway construction and maintenance at the pump with these NM state taxes: $0.36.4/gallon gas, $0.43.4/ gallon diesel plus federal of $0.18.4 and $0.24.4 per gallon for gas and diesel. All highway projects are funded from those taxes. Electric vehicles pay no taxes to use the highways and get special tax breaks. We who own fuel powered vehicles subsidize electric cars, and the RailRunner does not pay taxes on the diesel it buys. If it had to pay the same taxes a private bus company pays, the subsidy may be $35/million instead of $25/million.

EUGENE, fair question, “Real cities in modern, industrialized nations have mass transit. Why do you want to keep NM behind, Howel?” What cities, nations? The NYC subway system was built 100 years ago with private money, not tax dollars and was a money maker until the city forced price controls on the fares that could be charged. During a strike the city took over the system. It has lost money ever since. I lived there when that happened; I was a school boy. The NYC transit system runs express busses at a fare of $5.50/ride, and they loose money. Private companies charge $7-8/ ride and make money. The city limits the routes the private companies can run to ease the competition. The city does not pay fuel taxes for their diesel, or sales taxes for maintenance items like tires, private companies do. Road construction is paid for directly by the people who buy gasoline and diesel, not the general treasury.

Europe has an extensive mass transit system that is heavily subsided by road tax. Their systems are rather modern which is understandable when you consider they were re-built after WWII with our money after we destroyed them freeing the people from the scourge of Nazi Germany. The population densities of western Europe and Tokyo, like NYC, make mass transit sensible. Albuquerque to Santa Fe makes no economic sense nor does it make sense from an energy use consideration. The facts found in the links show that very clearly.

Social Security (SS) has been discussed here in the past. During the past 60 years proposals have been offered to change the Ponzi scheme called Social Security into a ‘forced to pay retirement system’ that allows the people ownership of their account and some control in how their money is invested. Every time such ideas have been offered the left wing & Progressives have demonized those people and their ideas with lies. SS has long been referred to as the third rail of politics and in fact lies are being told now about candidates in some congressional races about it. You EUGENE have attempted to show that people do not use the highways but have to pay for it (implying that is not fair) and they do not use SS but have to pay for it- including mine.

Lets take apart that cute trick you tried to play. Everybody uses the road system. Everybody uses goods that are delivered by trucks that drive on the highways and local roads. Milk and oranges and bread do not mysteriously appear. Medicine is deliver to the pharmacy by trucks. The taxes paid for the fuel to run those trucks pays for road construction and maintenance.

I paid into Social Security since I had my first job at age 13. I always worked, and for 54 years paid. I long ago wanted SS changed to a plan like Galveston County, TX – see http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba514 – where the worker owns his account and leaves it in his estate to his heirs and the monthly payout is far greater than a SS check for the same earnings. At the insistence of Congressional Democrats the ability of local governments to NOT be part of SS was ended in 1983. It is a shame Reagan signed onto that legislation. EUGENE, your SS taxes are paying for me because the government has spent the money I paid in those taxes; there never was a savings or lock box for that money.

Maybe you are bright enough to read about the Galveston project and see how you have been had by the left wing people in both mass transit and Social Security. The Libertarian thinkers have real ideas that can save this country for my grand kids. The Progressive have ideas to destroy the country.