Nutjobs Ranting About Politics.

[Sidd Finch]

Originally posted by Not Me
Does public transportation in SF receive a subsidy or do the fares pay for the system?

Fares do not cover the cost of public transportation in SF or anywhere else in the country, nor should they. Public transportation is a common good -- if used correctly, it provides for less traffic, less pollution, and more productivity.

Now, after you finish the rant that the above will provoke, please address my inevitable reply: Why should the taxpaying public subsidize drivers but not riders of public transportation? Gas taxes and vehicle fees do not come close to paying for roads, highway police, and DMV, let alone for the cost of pollution from cars and the costs of securing oil supplies.

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by sgtclub
Subsidy

Is any public transit system not subsidized?

And you should curse its existence as you use it.

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by Sidd Finch


Now, after you finish the rant that the above will provoke, please address my inevitable reply: Why should the taxpaying public subsidize drivers but not riders of public transportation? Gas taxes and vehicle fees do not come close to paying for roads, highway police, and DMV, let alone for the cost of pollution from cars and the costs of securing oil supplies.

I'll go one up. Car drivers should pay for public transit because of the congestion costs of using cars.

[Sidd Finch]

Originally posted by sgtclub
As I recall, back in the 80s when Reagan proposed, with broad strokes, that we invest in technology that would protect us from strategic attack, including technology where by 1 missle would shoot down another. The press dubbed this "Star Wars." The Arrow project appears to fall within that category.

I knew you would say that.

Back when the Patriot missile seemed to be performing successfully, people said "that's Star Wars technology!" And the designer of the system responded that it had about as much Star Wars technology as a ballpoint pen.

Reagan said a lot of things that you can't really count on. Like the whole problem of pollution from plants and trees.

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
Is any public transit system not subsidized?

And you should curse its existence as you use it.

I think he should just start wearing a hair shirt under his work clothes. And flagellating himself regularly for his use-of-publicly-funded-stuff sins. And film it for submission to some inevitable weird-sexual-behavior day on the FB.

[Sidd Finch]

Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
I'll go one up. Car drivers should pay for public transit because of the congestion costs of using cars.

Hell, I'd gladly hand out dollar bills for people to ride the bus if it would get all the assholes out of the way of my commute.

[sgtclub]

Originally posted by Sidd Finch
But I suspect one reason no one is willing to confront Iran is that they recognize that they would not be able to count on US military support, and that they could count on popular opposition.

I think they could count on US military support, but not support comprising 80% of the forces. What I think you are implicitly saying is that the world does not have the military capability necessary to even act multilaterally. So what the world wants is for the US to supply the military, but be subject to input from the world.

Again, I don't disagree. But I do love when Repubs talk about the importance of the UN.

I only point it out because it seems to be important to the multilateral/unilateral debate. I could give a shit about the UN, those corrupt fucking bastards.

Serious question -- has the US proposed any multilateral action, or any action by the UN or the Security Council?

Serious answer. I believe this has been taken up in the Security Counsel, but I can't recall if any official action has been taken. On the military frount, I suspect Bush & Co. don't want this to be an issue, because, as you point out, we don't have the assets to do anything about it currently.

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by Sidd Finch
Hell, I'd gladly hand out dollar bills for people to ride the bus if it would get all the assholes out of the way of my commute.

Club, swing on by on your way to work. Win-Win!

[sgtclub]

Originally posted by Sidd Finch
I knew you would say that.

Back when the Patriot missile seemed to be performing successfully, people said "that's Star Wars technology!" And the designer of the system responded that it had about as much Star Wars technology as a ballpoint pen.

Reagan said a lot of things that you can't really count on. Like the whole problem of pollution from plants and trees.

You seem to be suggesting that Reagan knew anything about the technology he was proposing, and which later got dubbed Star Wars. He had no fucking clue. In fact, he got the idea from a movie decades before.

[Not Me]

Originally posted by Sidd Finch
Fares do not cover the cost of public transportation in SF or anywhere else in the country, nor should they. Public transportation is a common good -- if used correctly, it provides for less traffic, less pollution, and more productivity.

Now, after you finish the rant that the above will provoke,

I am an environmentalist and support public transportation because of less pollution. I also believe that public transportation reduces our dependance on arab oil and is good for America.

[SlaveNoMore]

Sexual Harassment Panda
What auspicious timing - on the very day Kerry accepts his nomination - within the last 10 days of July...wait, don't I remember something about this? Oh yeah...

1) It's not Bin Laden or one of his henchmen. It's the Tanzanian mastermind of the embassy bombings - so I doubt this gets any play, other than Democrats alleging "dirty tricks" for the third fucking time this week.

2) They don't catch anyone - you guys bitch and moan. They catch people - you guys bitch and moan. Never happy.

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

Originally posted by SlaveNoMore
1) It's not Bin Laden or one of his henchmen. It's the Tanzanian mastermind of the embassy bombings - so I doubt this gets any play, other than Democrats alleging "dirty tricks" for the third fucking time this week.

I have no clue what you're talking about.

2) They don't catch anyone - you guys bitch and moan. They catch people - you guys bitch and moan. Never happy.

I'd be very happy if they caught someone. That's got nothing to do with questioning the convenience of the timing.

Sorta like when Clinton shot cruise missiles into Afghanistan and missed bin Laden by 15 minutes. At the time, you guys screamed "Wag the dog!". After 9/11, you bitch that he didn't do enough to get bin Laden. How's it feel?

[sgtclub]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...ts_4&printer=1

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by sgtclub
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...ts_4&printer=1

Good to see they've got them in a "fenced-in demonstration zone." I think Scalia's bodyguards helped set it up.

[SlaveNoMore]

Sexual Harassment Panda
That's got nothing to do with questioning the convenience of the timing.

The timing actually sucks, since it will be buried on page 30 behind all the stories of the Kerry 55 minute nap..er, speech.

Better timing would be Monday - after the weekend when no one is paying attention - and at the fore of the next news cycle, to counteract any John/John convention "bump"

Sorta like when Clinton shot cruise missiles into Afghanistan and missed bin Laden by 15 minutes. At the time, you guys screamed "Wag the dog!". After 9/11, you bitch that he didn't do enough to get bin Laden. How's it feel?

I believe the "Wag the Dog" accusations were made when he sent the missiles into the Sudanese "aspirin plant", but I could be mistaken.