mrstickball said:
Thats generally the mantra of the Tea Party. Less federal government, and more state power. If you are unfamiliar with mass transit in America, it is a boondoggle. I understand it works in countries such as Europe, but due to population densities, most systems incur significant losses. For example, the government has been covering Amtrack's losses for decades, costing taxpayers billions of dollars a year in what amounts to nothing more than subsidies. States are the ones that invest in infrastructure. Each state has its own gas tax, and is directly responsible for administration of roads, and their populace. |
To pay for the trains in the Mid-Hudson area of NY, the MTA got the state to pass a tax on each employee an employer hires in the area. This is ALL THE WAY along the rail line, from Poughkeepsie to NYC. The tax correlates one to one with an employer hiring, and definitely would deter employment. It fails to take account for where people commute also. If anyone can find a documented case of someone taking a train from Westchester to work in Poughkeepsie, let me know.
