Patrick Simmons, head of the state Department of Transportation’s rail division, takes to the opinion pages of the News & Observer to “set the record straight” about the marvelous benefits of high-speed rail.
There’s nothing new here. Just a rehash of pro-transit arguments. But these discussions, on the big government side, are taking on a surreal nature when you take a sober look at the fiscal state of North Carolina and the nation.
The simplest, most direct reason to reject any new, fixed-rail transit projects goes like this: WE CAN’T AFFORD THEM!
We’re broke. Worse than that. We’re in hock to our eyeballs, and it’s going to get worse before it gets better.
Anyone pushing new public programs should have to answer two questions before getting the time of day from tapped-out taxpayers:
1) Would the project require higher taxes or additional debt to start up?
2) Would it require regular operating subsidies to keep it running?
If the answer to either is “yes,” then we can’t afford it. Sorry. You may have the coolest idea imaginable, but until we climb out of this fiscal canyon, we can’t afford it.
It’s almost as if bureaucrats have to create new ways to defend continued employment in the public sector.
