The Cars Are Evil School

For John, BLUF:  .  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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'ALL CARS ARE BAD':  Pete Buttigieg's Equity Advisers Want You To Stop Driving

Here is the sub-headline:

Transportation secretary's equity committee aims to bring 'diversity' and 'inclusion' to America's infrastructure

From The Washington Free Beacon, by Reporter Charles Hilu, 1 September 2023.

Here is the lede plus three:

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is appointing a group of "leading experts" to advise him on "transportation equity," including several who argue that cars cause climate change and promote racism and therefore should be phased out.

Buttigieg earlier this month appointed 24 new members to his Advisory Committee on Transportation Equity, an Obama-era body that Buttigieg is reviving after the Trump administration scrapped it.  Included on the committee is Andrea Marpillero-Colomina, a "spatial policy scholar" who says "ALL CARS ARE BAD" given that they cause "a myriad of environmental issues and conditions."  Another Buttigieg appointee, self-described "transportation nerd" Veronica Davis, argued in an August essay that cars perpetuate "systemic racism" and are therefore "the problem" in America's transportation system.

Buttigieg's appointments—and his decision to revive the equity advisory committee—reflect the Biden administration's whole-of-government emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion.  President Joe Biden shortly after taking office in 2021 issued an executive order that called on federal agencies to "pursue a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all."  Under the order, agency heads must conduct an "equity assessment" to identify policies that create "systemic barriers" in minority communities.

The committee will advise Buttigieg on "promising practices to institutionalize equity into agency programs, policies, regulations, and activities" and plans to meet for the first time this fall, according to Buttigieg's August announcement.  Marpillero-Colomina told the Washington Free Beacon that she is not "advocating for a complete erasure" of cars but intends to push Buttigieg to move America away from its reliance on private motor vehicles.

Regarding equity, we should all be in favor.  However, we should all have a sensae of the future we are lookoing for.  Is it one where we roll back the advantages of some to gain equity. or is it one where we advance some so they have equity with others?  The folks at this Equity Advisory Committee of the Department of Transportation sound like they are the "roll back" kind.

Free Enterprise, and oother freedoms, have allowed hundreds of millions to lead a better life.  I would hate to see that global progress come to a halt, so we can have equity at a lower level of prosperty.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Zero Emissions Trucks

For John, BLUF:  California to eliminate deisel trucks by 2036, as in have them no more.  I bet this screws up the ports of debarkation.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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California Approves Regulation to Phase Out Diesel Trucks by 2036

From The National Review, by Reporter Caroline Downey, 29 April 2023, 11:18 AM.

Here is the lede plus four:

California air regulators on Friday voted to ban diesel truck sales by 2036. The California Air Resources Board unanimously approved the measure called Advanced Clean Fleets, which would prohibit the sale of new diesel big rigs by 2036 and force trucks to produce zero-emissions by 2042. New commercial trucks, such as garbage trucks, delivery trucks and other medium and heavy-duty vehicles, would need to convert to electric under the rule, CNBC reported.

“The initial focus would be on high-priority fleets with vehicles that are suitable for early electrification, their subhaulers, and entities that hire them,” the website outlining the program states. “The goal of this effort is to accelerate the number of medium and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicle purchases to achieve a full transition to zero-emission vehicles in California as soon as possible.”

Ending diesel truck sales in such a dramatic timeline is part of California Governor Gavin Newsom’s plan to crackdown on pollution in the state. Critics claim the transition will be extremely costly and burdensome for the industry, which also does not yet have the infrastructure to support zero-emission trucks. Drayage trucks, which transport cargo to and from major ports, must become electric 2035, and their new sales must be zero-emissions as early as 2024.

The American Trucking Association slammed California’s adoption of the regulation, which now must be approved or rejected by the Environmental Protection Agency within the Biden administration. Given that the trucks are significantly more expensive and “charging and refueling infrastructure is nonexistent,” the cost will be passed down to the consumer, the organization argued.

Hat tip to Memeorandum.

Hat tip to Ann Althouse.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Those Traffic Cameras

For John, BLUF:  Sometimes we think some actions are strictly mechanical and therefore are neutral.  Sometime human factors remove that neutrality.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Chicago’s “Race-Neutral” Traffic Cameras Ticket Black and Latino Drivers the Most

Here is the sub-headline:

A ProPublica analysis found that traffic cameras in Chicago disproportionately ticket Black and Latino motorists. But city officials plan to stick with them — and other cities may adopt them too.

by Emily Hopkins and Melissa Sanchez Jan. 11, 5 a.m. EST.

Here is the lede plus three:

When then-Mayor Richard M. Daley ushered in Chicago’s red-light cameras nearly two decades ago, he said they would help the city curb dangerous driving. “This is all about safety, safety of pedestrians, safety of other drivers, passengers, everyone,” he said.

His successors echoed those sentiments as they expanded camera enforcement. “My goal is only one thing, the safety of our kids,” Rahm Emanuel said in 2011, as he lobbied for the introduction of speed cameras. And in 2020, Lori Lightfoot assured residents her expansion of the program was “about making sure that we keep communities safe.”

But for all of their safety benefits, the hundreds of cameras that dot the city — and generate tens of millions of dollars a year for City Hall — have come at a steep cost for motorists from the city’s Black and Latino neighborhoods. A ProPublica analysis of millions of citations found that households in majority Black and Hispanic ZIP codes received tickets at around twice the rate of those in white areas between 2015 and 2019.

The consequences have been especially punishing in Black neighborhoods, which have been hit with more than half a billion dollars in penalties over the last 15 years, contributing to thousands of vehicle impoundments, driver’s license suspensions and bankruptcies, according to ProPublica’s analysis.

like with most things involving The People, some thought is needed to understand what is going on.  For one, we should ask what external factors are causing tese ZIP Code disparities.  Is transportation Infrastructure equitably distributed?  Is there a difference in pulic transportation?  Are commuting obligations different?  Is there some set of legal restrictions on some ZIP Codes that are unequitable and unreasonable?

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Driving Dangers

For John, BLUF:  Since we are dealing with humans we should not make easy assumptions about how they will react in various situations.  Apparently Winnie the Flu doesn't make them safer drivers.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Fatal crashes on the rise amid pandemic

From CNHI News, by Reporter Christian M. Wade, 4 May 2020.

Here is the lede plus six:

With fewer cars on the road during a state of emergency, one might assume traffic crashes and fatalities would fall dramatically.

Not so, according to the state Department of Transportation, which says fatal auto crashes spiked last month despite substantially less traffic.

At least 28 people died in crashes in April, according to MassDOT's preliminary data.  That's only one more fatality than was reported in April 2019, but transportation officials say the data is "disturbing" considering that traffic is reduced by more than half amid the pandemic.

Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said the data suggests people are speeding and taking unnecessary risks.

"It's a disturbing trend," he said Monday.  "We want people to slow down, pay attention to their surroundings, and drive more cautiously."

Gulliver said the preliminary data shows the fatalities occurred on both state highways and local roads, and they appear to be evenly spread across the state.

At least three pedestrians and one bicyclist were among those killed.

I once saw something that suggested humans have a certain degree of risk acceptance, and as we make autos safer drivers will increase their degree of risk taking.  That seems to be the case here.

The thing is, not only do they make it more dangerous for themselves, but they also make it more dangerous for you.

Hat tip to MASSterList.

Regards  —  Cliff

"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"

For John, BLUF:  New York Governor Andrew Cuomo would have us believe bad weather has only appeared since the Global Cooling fear of the 1970s dissipated  This would be wrong.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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44 years after sinking, last communications from Edmund Fitzgerald still haunt

Here is the sub-headline:

The Edmund Fitzgerald sank 44 years ago this Sunday.

From The Duluth News Tribune, by Ms Tracy Briggs, 6 November 2019.

Here is the lede plus one:

The [Gordon Lightfoot] song starts with whining chords and an eerie first verse

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
of the big lake they called "Gitche Gumee."
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
when the skies of November turn gloomy.

The S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald was christened on June 8, 1958, and named after Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company's newly elected chairman of the board.  The company had contracted an engineering firm the year before to make the ship the largest ship on the Great Lakes.

Over the next 17 years, the Fitzgerald started breaking records for the largest loads of freight carried on the lakes.  Not without its troubles, the ship suffered damages in the late '60s and early '70s, but remained an important player in Great Lakes transportation.

And then it sank in a very nasty storm.  The Great Lakes can be a nasty place when the weather is bad.

And, we should remember that our economic system is sustained by low cost transportation, which sometimes extracts a high cost in terms of a freak accident.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Housing Crisis?

For John, BLUF:  High housing prices, with a rising population, will mean marginalized people being dropped into homelessness, which is not a good thing.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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The No. 1 most expensive state to buy a home in — it’s not New York or California

Here is the sub-headline:

The combination of high home prices and property tax rates can making buying a home a costly proposition in some states

From Market Watch, by Mr Jacob Passy, 30 August 2019.

Here is the lede plus one:

Prospective home buyers may want to steer clear of the Bay State if they don’t want their purchase to break the bank.

Massachusetts ranked as the most expensive state to buy a home in, according to a report from personal-finance website SmartAsset

Note it is the combination of price and property tax.  With our Mass population growing (240,000 in Middlesex County over the next 25 years) we need to find a way to get ahead of the housing curve.  And to get ahead of the transportation infrastructure.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Work From Home

For John, BLUF:  I don't think this applies to your line of work.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Working at Home

While I searched the Search Function of The [Lowell] Sun I can not find the URL (the Internet LINK) for graphic presentation on Monday's Page 10 (back of Section 1), "Working at Home.

The sub-headline says:

Most workers would like to telecommute, but few employers are in favor of it.

As a former manager, now retired, I don't think it is a great idea.  Workers rubbing up against each other is a good way of generating ideas and efficiencies.  That said, time lost in commuting isn't helping either the employee or the employer.

That said, I currently have a (volunteer) position, three or more hours a day, seven days a week and it is all on the internet.  I get together with my boss a couple of times a year and the "audience" (some of them) once a year.  It works very well.

Since our legislators are not likely to spend money on new highways, maybe it is time to ask them about improving the information highway in our Commonwealth, as a way of encouraging telecommuting and thus reducing road congestion.

Thanks to Reporter Kurt Snibbe, of Southern California News Group.

Regards  —  Cliff

Bypassing Government

For John, BLUF:  It hasn't come to this in Lowell, but if it does, you are in charge of one of the teams.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Portland Anarchist Road Care, Skilled Workers Who Voluntarily Fix Roads When Local Government Won’t

From the Blog Laughing Squid, by Poster Lori Dorn.

Photos at the Blog post.

My experience is that Lowell's Government is pretty responsive.  Some may say that is because of where I live, but I do drive around the City and I don't see a proliferation of potholes.  I was going to say that we couldn't say that about bridges in the City, but then I remembered the new Howe Bridge, connecting the North Campus (of UMass Lowell) and University Crossing, and yesterday morning I heard a report that work has started on the Lawrence Street Bridge across the Concord River at the Southwest Corner of the Lowell Cemetery.♠

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  Which is not to say we don't need the Rourke Bridge replaced with a "four laner".  And, I am still pushing my idea of a limited access highway off 495, going across the Merrimack River into Dracut and beyond.  I would bring it off just this side of the Route 133 interchange and run it across the River just beyond Lenzi's.  My name for this, as I told herself at the Saint Patrick's Day Dinner Thursday evening is "The Marie Sweeney Bridge".  My estimate is $350 million.  Since the new President is pushing infrastructure I think we should be ready to absorb some of that job creating investment.

High Speed Rail Coming to US, From China

For John, BLUF:  Embarrassing.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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From The LA Times we have "A high-speed rail from L.A. to Las Vegas?  China says it's partnering with U.S. to build" Lede plus three:

For decades private developers and entrepreneurs have periodically announced bold plans to run high-speed trains between Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

None have gotten anywhere because they lacked money or suffered other setbacks.

On Thursday, however, one long-discussed proposal appeared to gain some intriguing support.

Officials for XpressWest, which has been unable to secure adequate private investors in the United States or a $5.5-billion federal loan, announced that it had formed a partnership with China Railway International USA, a consortium led by China Railway, the national railroad of the People’s Republic of China.

With the Chinese involved it might really be high speed rail and not that faux Acela stuff.  I just hope there is good engineering and construction.

But, one does wonder about what has happened in the Good Old USA that we can't do these things on our own?  LA to Lost Wages would seem like the perfect proving ground for real high speed rail.

Regards  —  Cliff

TSA to the Rescue

For John, BLUF:  I think we need to keep TSA at bay for a while longer.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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I celebrate the action by three Americans, and a Brit "Cousin", to tackle and hogtie a terrorist on a high-speed rail train traveling in Europe.  What we should know we need to do in this new age of terrorism.  It isn't like the airplane hijackings of old, when it was a free trip to Cuba and then a safe return home.  Now it is mass murder.

The good fallout from the incident is the idea that we can resist, fight back, and win.  Not always, but if you are going to die you might as well fight back and try to prevent it.

The bad news is that people are thinking that TSA should step in and make us safe on trains.  Here is an article from The International New York Times.  The headline is "Train Attack in Europe Puts Focus on Vulnerability of U.S. Rail".

I like the Acela.  Let us be very clear about this.  The Acela is NOT high speed rail.&nbssp; All that said, I can leave my home, drive to the local "128 Station", park, walk to the elevator, ride down to ticket area, pick up my ticket, walk out to the platform five minutes before the train is due, and call my wife on my cell phone, talking to her as I board and while the train is pulling away from the station for the ride to New York, Philly or DC.  Once in a while I see a policeman and his dog.

The article catches this:

Amtrak, particularly on its high-speed train, the Acela, has cut into the airlines’ share of passengers in the busy Northeast corridor because of frustrations with airport screenings.  Between New York and Washington, Amtrak said, 75 percent of travelers go by train, a share that has grown steadily since the Acela began service in 2000 and airport security tightened after 2001.

The intervention of TSA to "make us safer" will ruin this situation.  I will again consider driving.

How much safety do we want and at what price?

Regards  —  Cliff

Automobiles of Choice, By State

For John, BLUF:  The environment shapes auto purchases.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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From Popular Mechanics "The Unofficial State Cars of America".

Reporter Jake Swearingen claims "We combed through data to find the auto each state secretly loves."

The result for our fair Commonwealth:

In Massachusetts, the Volvo XC70 sells at 305 percent the national average.  Another four Volvo models, the V60 Cross Country, S80, XC90 and XC60, each have market shares equal to more than twice their national market shares.

For our neighbor to the North, New Hampshire, which is suffering from an influx of people from Massachusetts this is the report.♠

In New Hampshire, the Volvo V60 Cross Country sells at 597 percent of the national average.

As for Maine, our former colony, set free in 1820:

In Maine, the Volvo V60 Cross Country sells at 554 percent of the national average. In addition, five Subaru models, including the Impreza, Forester, XV Crosstrek, Outback and Legacy, all have market shares more than twice their national market shares.

Looking immediately South, to Rhode Island:

In Rhode Island, the Hyundai Elantra Coupe sells at 452 percent of the national average. In Rhode Island four Volvo models, including the V60 Cross Country, XC70, S60 and XC60, all sell at a rate more than twice their national averages.

Going Southwest, toward NYC, we have Connecticut:

In Connecticut, the Subaru Impreza sells at 441 percent the national average, while five Volvo models, including the XC70, V60 Cross Country, S80, S60 and XC60, all have market shares in Connecticut more than twice their national averages.

Then there is Vermont:

In Vermont, the Volvo V60 Cross Country sells at 841 percent of the national average.  In Vermont three Volvo models, including the V60 Cross Country, XC70 and S80, each sell at a rate more than four times their respective national averages.

In this quick survey I ignored New York, which is a whole different world, and not really part of New England.  It is obvious from this unofficial survey of sales that New England is Volvo country.

I like Volvos.  We bought one in 1970 and kept it for almost ten years and then gave it to our Daughter, who rolled in onto its top on a dirt road in Alaska.  Fortunately a troop of Soldiers were passing by and rolled it back over.  And it drove back out and you had to look to see the indentation on the roof.♥ 

Me?  I once owned a Morgan +4.♦  Today I drive what my wife drove before her new car.  Works well for me.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  Reminds me of Orange County, California, which was very conservative in the 1950s, and then became fairly progressive in the next two decades, as people moved in from LA County.
♥  We did have it checked out and replaced all the fluids, but it was fine.
♦  Owned it for ten years, but sold it when our Volvo went down for eight weeks.  We had to do a "short block" in Naples, Italy, which took a couple of days, but the original offending part, a pot metal bracket for the distributor, was not available in Italy.  Fortunately I had to go to Oslo, Norway, to give a briefing on TASMO to NATO's Above Water Warfare Working Group (BARBARA) and when I arrived in Oslo I went straight to a Volvo dealer and purchased the needed part for installation upon my return.  But, we couldn't afford, with three teenage sized kids, to be down to a two-seater if the other car broke down.  Fortunately our friends the Tuels helped us out with the loan of their Beetle for part of the time.  Bought a Peugeot station wagon.

Bridges to Somewhere

For John, BLUF:  We have one new bridge, the Howe Bridge, but now we need more.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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LIVE BLOGGING:  Transportation Subcommittee, 11 Aug 2015

1732—Folks are filtering in.

1734—City Councilor Jim Milinazzo calls meeting to order and recognizes City Manager, who introduces the presenters.

1735—City Traffic Engineer introduces the topic and talks to the intersection of VFW Highway and Bridge Street.

1740—City Coucilor Bill Martin asks about when traffic is congested.

1741—There is some discussion of dealing with the traffic and the lights.

1745—City Councilor, not on the subcommittee, asks about southbound on Bridge, turning east on VFW Highway.

1746—Response is two left turn lanes there.

1749—Councilor Leahey, of the subcommittee, asks if these will be smart lights.

1749—Each lane will have its own detection, helping to run the "phases".  It runs through a complete cycle, but it adjusts.  A long gap between vehicles may terminate that specific phase.

1752—City Councilor Leahy asked about the down ramp at the Hunts Fall Bridge rotary.

1752—Told that the merge is either at the top of the ramp or the bottom.  No advantage to a two lane down ramp.

1755—CC Kennedy asks about the problems during construction.

1755—September to September 2016. Originally an exclusive and a concurrent phase, but going to an all concurrent phase.

1758—CC KennedyLength of Light Cycle.

1758—About 90 seconds.

1759—CC Samaras asks if the High School student traffic was considered

1759—Yes.  And we have extended the signal time.

1801—What happens with smart lights when emergency vehicles interrupt the light cycle?

1801—The main line will typically come back.

1802—Contractors will remove the asphalt medians, the monument will come out, going back in different location.  Islands will be rebuilt.

1805—MassDOT promises one lane in each direction and two during rush hour.

1806—Gas folks are doing their work now.  Storm drains are being tied it.

1807—Michael Harrington.  Currently work now being done at night but soon switching to daytime.  Only sign re work time has only one sign, under the rotary bridge.  [Promise to move signage.]  Alternate route is is down 1st Street, which is crowded.  Anything being done to help? What about the old down ramp Reed Street exit?  Can someone come to our next Centerville Neighborhood Meeting?  [Promise to attend.]

1813—Sarah White.  My interest in the Lord Overpass, especially as it impacts local peds.  Need walkability between East and West Dutton Street.  And the railroad tracks and those hazards regarding Peds.

1817—City Manager says item on City Council Agenda for tonight re Lord Overpass, so presentation in the offing.

1818—Ann Marie Page.  Merging and yielding is something that people have trouble with.  Parking?  [No spaces lost.  Illegal parking is another issue, for the City.]  I remember the Hunts Falls down ramp.  Problem was no route for emergency vehicles.  Re the monument, we were promised it would be cleaned and refurbished, with a black wrought-iron fence.

1824—Paul Early.  Count down light for Peds?

1824—Motion to accept report.  Made and Passed.

1824—Motion to adjourn.  Made and Passed.

Regards  —  Cliff

Lowell Sun on Olympic Bid

For John, BLUF:  And we still need a replacement for the Rourke Bridge, immediately.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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I believe Editor Jim Campanini, of The [Lowell] Sun captured, today, the debacle that was our Olymipic Bid for 2024:—"Little minds miss the big picture for Boston 2024".

The Editor points out that the Olympics would have been good for our region, but giving us more attention, upon which we could capitalize.  On the other hand, the Olympics would require investments of money, which would have required taxes.

I have been of two minds about the Olympics Bid.  On the one hand, it would be good for the region, in a number of ways, including infrastructure investment.  On the other hand, I feared out of control costs, reminiscent of the Big Dig.  Nothing I had heard gave me confidence that this was a program that would be under control.♠  And for those who forgot the Big Dig, here is some history:

Here is how Mr Campinini wraps it up:

While I agree that Boston 2024 was its own worst enemy, it provided a map to the future.  It identified development locations and ideas for Boston that even the best and brightest planners failed to see from their high-salaried government perches.

It proposed solutions to problems.  For example, buildings constructed for the Olympics would be designed for re-use as affordable housing units or college dormitory space.

Many of Massachusetts' infrastructure needs were addressed in the 2024 bid package, signaling a jump-start on long overdue and neglected projects.  What happens now?  Will they be kicked down the road like in the past?

The Massachusetts way is sinking in.  OK, we are a provincial lot.  We've got the best medical and educational facilities around, gorgeous beaches, wonderful neighborhoods, and don't need to take on a billion risks to prove ourselves.  One out-of-state columnist, in praising Walsh's decision to walk away from the USOC, said Massachusetts didn't want to become the "Greece of America."  It's a clever line.  Yet for some reason I believe we're more bankrupt today than anything the 2024 Summer Olympics would have brought us.

I agree, great idea, very poor execution.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  On the other hand, if someone had said Mitt Romney was going to be the trail boss, I would have had confidence.

InstaPundit asks "Why does De Blasio Hate the Poor?"

For John, BLUF:  Here is another example of the Governmental Bureaucracy screwing over the poor to benefit the better off.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Ms Megan McArdle, who is a Bloomberg View columnist who writes on economics, business and public policy, gives us Uber Serves the Poor by Going Where Taxis Don’t.

People talk about the ride-sharing service as if it’s mostly a boon for rich people, who have conspired with the titans of Silicon Valley to take food out of the mouths of hardworking taxi drivers.  And sure, what’s good for Uber is bad for taxi drivers — or at least, bad for the owners of taxi medallions.  But the assumption that the beneficiaries are rich is a little strange.

As I noted in the very first article I ever wrote about the company, the primary appeal of Uber for me has never been avoiding taxis, or even getting a cheaper fare.  If I’m in an area where it’s easy to catch a street hail, I’ll usually just stick my arm out like the old-fashioned girl I am.  No, the biggest benefit I’ve always seen is that Uber allowed you to catch a ride from places where taxis are scarce.

Five years ago, when we moved in, my neighborhood in Washington was one of those places.  I almost never saw available taxis near us. For taxi drivers, time is money — any time they’re not driving someone around, they are burning gas looking for a fare.  So no wonder drivers would rather head downtown, where there were lots of people looking for taxis, than cruise a larger area for the few fares that might need a ride.  Street hailing simply isn’t efficient without a dense population of taxi riders.  And while you could theoretically call a taxi to your house, this was a highly unreliable means of transportation.  More than once, I have had to press my retired mother into emergency service for a ride to the airport, because my car simply never showed up.

I’ve always thought that in terms of letting you do something you couldn’t do before, Uber provides the biggest benefit to people who live in lower-income neighborhoods, not in rich ones.  That’s where dispatch is often unreliable, where street hails are rare, and where many residents don’t have a car.

Then, adding insult to injury, the InstaPundit says:

But Uber offers insufficient opportunities for graft.  Negotiating the creation of those opportunities is what the controversy over Uber is really about.

Have I mentioned Mr Hernando de Soto's book, The Other Path?

Regards  —  Cliff

A Compromise to Allow Tax Collection and Road Repair

For John, BLUF:  Right now we are collecting no taxes on overseas profits.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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In today's issue of The Boston Globe there is an Associated Press item by Mr Stephen Ohlemacher, "Proposal for business tax would fund road repairs".

This cannot be good.  It was written in a bipartisan way, by Democrat Senator Chuck Schumer of New York and Republican Rob Portman of Ohio.

Actually, it is good.  It will encourage repatriation of profits from overseas ventures of American firms and it will free up money for transportation infrastructure improvements.  Money for such things is due to run out in a month.

Let us hope that the Lower House goes along.

Regards  —  Cliff

Is Mr Pacheco Standing in the Way?

For John, BLUF:  Unions are necessary in our economy, but so is reasonable competition.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Here is The Boston Globe, back in 2011, editorializing about the Pacheco Law.

One wonders if this particular law will interfere with efforts to make the MBTA more effective and efficient.

I guess at some level this doesn't really make any difference, except that the MBTA is important to the economy of Eastern Massachusetts.  When the weather is good, that the MBTA usually works well and there are no problems, but if next Winter is as bad as this last one, or worse, and if the MBTA breaks down more than this last year it might well be very disruptive.  For one thing, those with access to automobiles may abandon the MBTA, taking to the highways, slowing everyone's commute.  That is tolerable, but for those who have no alternative to the "T" breakdowns mean late to work or not making it to work, which might lead to firings, which leads to extra costs for the Commonwealth, and more important, possible loss of housing.  Bad in any weather, it would be worse in the Winter.  We need the MBTA to work.

Regards  —  Cliff

Down to the Sea in Ships

For John, BLUF:  Global Trade means shipping by sea.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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I found this 1:40 video pretty interesting.  From NPR, it shows a snapshot of shipping around the world.  One thing it shows is the heavy concentration of shipping traffic in Southeast Asia, where the video begins.

And, there is this:

It's a good reminder that about 90 percent of all the goods traded globally spend at least some of their transit time on a ship.

Regards  —  Cliff

Bridge Over Rowing Waters

For John, BLUF:  In a way, Infrastructure Investment can be like building blocks.  Each one allowing the next to be placed.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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On Facebook yesterday Professor Robert Forrant posted this item:

Anybody see the article in today's Globe about Olympics venues needed outside of Boston and the rowing coming to Lowell on the Merrimack?  One interesting bit in the story was the statement that for this to work, the Rourke Bridge would be torn down!  Missing was any discussion about when a new bridge would be built.  So, imagine the crazy town traffic we always have at 4:00pm, running through Drum Hill, but wait where the hell is the bridge???? I know this is a long way off - - but can we rely on anyone in the legislature looking out for us with the Olympic gold blinding them?  Because they've all done such a wonderful job making sure the trains run on time we can expect something good here, right?

Yes, that bridge.

A Bailey Bridge.

So I responded as follows:

OK, I finally have a reason to welcome the Olympics. A permanent FOUR LANE bridge in place of the current Rourke. FOUR LANES so that future planners can take advantage of the capacity and not excuse not making traffic improvements because it is only a two lane bridge. Did I mention FOUR LANES?

To which Professor Forrant responded:

Clifford R Krieger you beautiful dreamer!

I think that sums it up.

Regards  —  Cliff

Mass Transit Is Unsafe

For John, BLUF:  Every solution has the seeds of a new problem.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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MASS TRANSIT KILLS! Infected commuter could have exposed thousands to measles. If all those people had been safely cocooned in individual automobiles, they’d have no worries now.

So maybe the MBTA isn't so bad after all.  BART may have exposed 50,000 traveling from Contra Costa County.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Is the T Up To The Olympics?

For John, BLUF:  .  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Over at MassterList was this article, which we are all free to publish.

Regards  —  Cliff

It will take more than an Olympic effort to deleverage the T

JANUARY 14, 2015
By George Donnelly

Here’s an interesting coincidence about the Olympic price tag of roughly $4.5 billion: That’s about how much the commonwealth’s public transportation system is in debt. But the T’s $5.4 billion in obligations is a moving target, and really a lowball number. When one factors in interest on the debt (almost $4 billion), repairs from years of deferred maintenance (at least another $2.5 billion), unfunded pension obligations (estimated at $700 million). That’s almost $13 billion, and doesn’t count the extra operational costs that will come with the planned extensions and improvements on the Green Line and the Fairmount Line.

Boston already has won the gold medal for the most indebted public transportation system in the country. As Boston begins to ponder the Olympic dream, one that compels the city to conjure an array of new investments, it already has failed to properly invest in one of the most basic services.

Of course, one of the selling points of the Olympics is to force the region to confront its infrastructure shortcomings. But the T’s woes, even when considering John Fish’s impressive power of persuasion and fund-raising, require far more than Olympian treatment. They require new revenue, and the restructuring of crushing debt.

The T has been trapped in financial quicksand for almost 15 years, burdened with debt and interest payments that eat up over 20 percent of the annual operating budget. It operates deeply in the red, despite significant fare increases over the past few years. Without $100 million-plus subsidies from the state budget every year, the T would have to significantly hike fares and radically reduce service.

One would think that a state with an economy whose future hinges on the brains of young workers who often depend on subways and buses wouldn’t let such a critical economic tool fall into disrepair. The state came to the rescue in 2013 with a transportation financing plan – the 3-cent gas tax increase is mostly paying for it – and fresh money has begun to flow to address some of the T’s pressing maintenance issues and other neglected transportation infrastructure. The state also took on a heap of transportation debt last year. The T, however, can’t afford to pay its share of the repair budget without piling on even more IOUs.

The T has been on the wrong track since 2000, when, tired of runaway costs, the Legislature gave the system a new funding source – 20 percent of the sales tax. It also transferred about $3.3 billion in debt to the T, and the transit authority has since borrowed another $2 billion since for capital improvements. The sales tax failed to grow at the anticipated rate, and has never generated enough revenue to allow the T to balance its books. Thus the T has been running a deficit, still beholden to the Legislature to write it a check. This year that number has been budgeted at $135 million.

The result of the year-to-year tin cup rattling is a massive system that is fraying at the seams, one that is unworthy of Boston and its image of itself as a 21st century city. It’s beyond bizarre to descend into Park Station on a pleasant June evening, only to marinate in temperatures underground in the mid-80s, thick with humidity, as if ventilation had never been invented. Add in sardine-like conditions, commuter rail cars that lack air conditioning in the summer, and the constant screech of ancient steel on ancient steel, and far from appearing primed for 2024, the T looks like it’s trying to escape from the 1970s.

Our public transportation system is the nation’s fifth largest. It serves 1.3 million daily riders with an annual budget of about $1.9 billion (debt service this year will be about $424 million, or 22 percent of the operating budget). A look at the T’s capital improvement plan from 2013 tells a complex story about a large, multifaceted, needy system. It owns about 1,000 buses, 630 subway cars, and 490 commuter rail cars. The plan notes that some of those Green Line cars date back to 1946.

The T has been asked to generate more revenue — fare increases are now limited to 5 percent per year, and you can bet the T won’t miss a chance to raise them. The cost of expanding service, such as the Green Line extension, are being covered by the Feds and the state. But they promise to strain the T’s budget once they’re operational.

The answer is to steadily retire the T’s debt with new, dedicated funds. With gas prices plummeting, perhaps the Legislature could tack another 3 cents on the gas tax that would be dedicated to paying down the T’s debt. No one would notice, right? One way or the other, Boston’s public transportation system must get out of the red and have the resources to begin to think about the future – Olympics or not.

George Donnelly, former editor of the Boston Business Journal, is a regular contributor to MASSterList. Reach him at gdonnelly67@bizjournals.com.