IF McCain Hates Transit - Can Palin Change His Mind? Maybe!

[Ocklawaha]

We've all seen McCains horrible record on transit. He's never met a transit project he liked. Well his running mate is aparently not afraid to get in his face about oil on the North Slope, and perhaps transit either...

September 3, 2008
Sarah Palin, Transit Advocate?
by Brad Aaron

John McCain may not be big on public transportation, but as mayor of a small town in Alaska, his running mate Sarah Palin secured millions in federal earmarks for rail and bus projects.

The Washington Post reports that during Palin's two terms as mayor of Wasilla, when it had a population of 6,700, the town enjoyed a number of transportation-related funding successes, including:

$1.9 million for the Wasilla Intermodal Transit Project, to realign rail and bus routes to increase use of public transit in the region.
$15 million for a rail project to connect Wasilla with Girdwood, the home town of Sen. Ted Stevens (R).
$600,000 to upgrade bus stations.
The story contrasts Palin's skill at lining up earmarks -- with the aid of a lobbyist law firm now tainted by federal corruption charges -- against McCain's professed distaste for "pork barrel" spending. The Post says Palin once supported the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere," a $223 million structure that was to replace ferry service between the town of Ketchikan and Gravina Island, but that she later "reversed course."

Despite her accomplishments for public transit in Wasilla, Grist says Palin has "developed an anti-environmental reputation" since she was elected governor of Alaska less than two years ago. Palin has proposed eliminating the state's gas tax, and in June told a national TV audience that McCain was "wrong" to oppose drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge:


"I think he's going to evolve into eventually supporting ANWR opening ... I'd like the opportunity to change his mind about ANWR."

OCKLAWAHA

[gatorback]

good post. It's her job to get earmarks at the local level and deny them at the federal level... LOL

[kramer2k]

Good post indeed Ock. 

And I wish she would change his mind on ANWR.

[copperfiend]

$15 million for a rail project to connect Wasilla with Girdwood, the home town of Sen. Ted Stevens (R).

$15 million?

[kramer2k]

$15 million for a rail project to connect Wasilla with Girdwood, the home town of Sen. Ted Stevens (R).

$15 million?

I'm genuinely asking here: is that a lot?  I'm not too schooled on the costs of transportation projects today.  What could that do, theoretically, if spent here in Jacksonville?

[thelakelander]

A few hundred feet of skyway expansion...or
A 0.75 mile light rail line...or
A one mile "no-frills" streetcar line...or
A two mile "no-frills" commuter rail line....or
A small bridge for a two lane road....or
pay for consultant fees.....

[Tripoli1711]

Federal support for rail is important, but haven't you all enlightened me that the real way to pursue it is without having to beg the Feds for money?  Like most everything else, doesn't involving the Feds just muddle everything up and take time and endless studies?  What if McCain won and was as anti-rail as you could be in the White House?  Doesn't Congress handle funding anyway?  Would McCain veto a bill as president because it had rail funding in it?  If he did, wouldn't the private initiative success stories I have read on here over the past several months still take place?

[KenFSU]

She got big, big heat over that rail line that practically ran to Ted Steven's front door.

[Ocklawaha]

A few hundred feet of skyway expansion...or
A 0.75 mile light rail line...or
A one mile "no-frills" streetcar line...or
A two mile "no-frills" commuter rail line....or
A small bridge for a two lane road....or
pay for consultant fees.....

Let's add or pay for about 6 miles of trolley bus catenary.

PAY FOR CONSULT WHAT?

As one told me, "I WOULDN'T SHARPEN A PENCIL FOR $5,000 DOLLARS!"

LOL!

OCKLAWAHA.

[JeffreyS]

I heard someone say that a billion dollar mass transit system would save a city five billion in road work and road expansion.  Do you think that rings true?

[tufsu1]

I heard someone say that a billion dollar mass transit system would save a city five billion in road work and road expansion.  Do you think that rings true?

that sounds about right...but only if the development patterns are changed to be more transit friendly...without that, people still use their cars.

[copperfiend]

She got big, big heat over that rail line that practically ran to Ted Steven's front door.

I am sure it will get bigger.