How the Koch Brothers Are Killing Public Transit Projects Around the Country

Honolulu is proving incredibly incompetent at building a single rail line as well. Funny to think that we once had a private industrial railroad going around the Big Island and it wasn't even impressive at the time. As land gets increasingly developed and regulated it becomes nearly impossible to build even the simplest infrastructure, even with billions of dollars.

https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2017/07/honolulus-rap...

Houses near metros should be more expensive. It's higher quality living. That's the point. I fail to see a problem with that. But it would also make commutes easier for everyone, rich and poor, just by building it. Bus routes, etc all point to metro.

Build more public transit would bring those costs down, though. Which was the idea.

And some of the stations on the silver line are most certainly not rich. Some are, yes. Others, no.

>If you put that money into a fund, you could pay every impoverished kid in the entire state $1,000 per year in perpetuity.

Not saying I disagree with the rest of what you are saying, but if everyone thought that way then nothing would ever get done. Infrastructure matters.

>If you put that money into a fund, you could pay every impoverished kid in the entire state $1,000 per year in perpetuity.

Then it's still a good deal. Those kids grow up and 1000 a year isn't enough for a car, is it.

In addition, infrastructure projects are a long-term investment for this AND future generations. The long-term aspect outlives political terms, and combined with a general myopia around 'government spending' we have an incredibly backwards public transit infra. I live in the most densely populated piece of the US and have a background in countries with top notch transit (and far better roads, incidentally) and that's my perspective. I can only assume people (who aren't millionaires desiring less taxation) who are against transit just haven't traveled very much.

The money isn't the most significant factor for these at all, and our taxes might as well go to something that benefits easier movement - for all classes - of multiple generations. Especially because if we see it from the point of view of them being created instead of blocked, the companies that excel in constructing these projects would start to understand the complexities and navigate around the problems that increase cost and cause the projects to take longer, that happen with those projects. It's a longer term investment that pays off in my opinion, as these complexities aren't solved in the short term, but we need to see past our own shadows.

I don't think the second point stands up either if these metro projects were actually allowed to go through, the more metros, the less the increased cost of housing located close to terminals by it being abundant enough. Also, it could be a constructive effect for worse areas, if we can imagine the benefits that can happen in reverse of increasing the status of people already located around those areas, just build in areas that will benefit at a greater level, from those after effects.

The other thing I found was that drinking and driving was not as much of a problem, just take the train/bus when you're going to be drinking. It's odd how this is never part of the discussion.

Easier to keep produce fresh when you shop more regularly, too.

Coming from the US, I assume? Would you recommend the move?

I have found that American life is very different from cities like London or Paris. I prefer the American cities. People live in single family homes far away and travel upto 50 miles for work every day. Different people have different choices as to what kind of environment they want to live in and also school district matters. If you work in Silicon valley you can either live in downtown for astronomical rent, in Los Gatos hills, in Mountain-House/Tracy plains for very low housing cost, in Urban small houses in South San Jose or immigrant ghettos in Fremont. Each offers you a different life. If you have really smart kids move to Cupertino school district is good too.

Occasionally you might want to visit LA or Mount Shasta or your old parents living in Santa Barbara or you might want to drive to Vegas through death valley. Having a good car in USA is not just fun but essential to have a good life. You can live in Lodon and borrow your parents car sometimes or just get the tube. That is not possible in bay area because geographically it is large, people have different needs and so on.

"The Kochs’ opposition to transit spending stems from their longstanding free-market, libertarian philosophy. It also dovetails with their financial interests, which benefit from automobiles and highways.

One of the mainstay companies of Koch Industries, the Kochs’ conglomerate, is a major producer of gasoline and asphalt, and also makes seatbelts, tires and other automotive parts. Even as Americans for Prosperity opposes public investment in transit, it supports spending tax money on highways and roads."