[EyeBrock]

I made my points. What's your point?

[Madcatz]

I would like to put something here but it seems that what you keep writing is sufficient enough. Seems like this topic is dry.

[EyeBrock]

Go on....post something.

[Libralesso]

Yes its seem this thread has died down for the night, so this is going to be my last post tonight. It has been a pleasure talking to everyone, hope to see you around again.

[Madcatz]

Yeah its been swell. Even talking to you Brock, just so you know I don't take any of that personally and if I did insult you Im sorry about it.

[EyeBrock]

No probs mate! Welcome to the forum!

[Apollo]

Mad.

There is a big flaw in your assumptions. If building millions of km of rail is a fixed cost then why has the TTC in Toronto charging more and more every 4 months. You mention that it would only cost $50 to go from Toronto to Thunderbay, yet it costs $7 to go from Kennedy station to Warden station and back. They are about 2 km apart.

Railway is nowhere near being a fixed cost. Once you install all these rails in environmentally hostil regions the costs will skyrocket. Snow clearing and maintenance costs will be enormous.

[kenmore]

Harper is close to both Harris and Mulroney. He gets advice from Mulroney on a regular basis despite the what people think. His economic plan is the same as theirs was and he was a fan of Reaganomics.

[Libralesso]

It costs that much because Toronto can not fund it, it must get 70% of its funding from fairs. If we had a properly funded rail system it would not cost that much on the citizen. Also how did that get brought up this thread went in such a weird direction. Also I agree with kenmore he is to similar. It is odd how people think Harper is "moderate", born again like his wacky religion. It was not even 10 years ago he was deeply opposed to same-sex marriage (or any kind of non-fanatical Christian value), any kind of non-American social values (i.e. decriminalizing marijuana), bitterly opposed to any kind of environmental science (or most science anyways) or programs to rehabilitate Canada's heritage. What is their to trust? He has made quite clear who he was from the beginning. It is only recently that he has become unprincipled in order to seem "moderate", whatever the hell that means. what will stop him from pushing that agenda again once he has more power, practically unstoppable power.

If anyone who has seen my typing before realizes that the argument against Harper doesn't sound like my writing they would be right. My brother made that post on a similar forum and he summed up my argument there so I figured I would copy and paste. I am usually less blunt and offensive. So that's a disclaimer on anyone who wants to say it doesn't look like you wrote that.

[Caelon]

Libralesso Libralesso:

It costs that much because Toronto can not fund it, it must get 70% of its funding from fairs. If we had a properly funded rail system it would not cost that much on the citizen.

And there is the crux of the problem. I am unaware of any passenger rail system in the world that is self sufficient. All require government subsidy. You must include the total cost and then calculate it back to a passenger mile to see what a rail system really costs. The next part of the problem is a rail system only goes between fixed points. You must then move the people and/or goods to their final distination through a road system. Rail is a partial solution of high cost not a complete solution.

As others have argued a rail system catering to isolated urban centres and lets be generous and say TO, Montreal and Van leaves the rest of the country to foot the bill for no benefit. Let it be a self sustaining user pay system to generate equity.