Zombie Bride of Stimulus Thread

[Ben Kenobi]

Do you even know what "pork" means?

It means public spending with little to no public benefit in proportion to the cost.

MagLevs to Duluth would fit the definition of Pork.

[Darius871]

It means public spending with little to no public benefit in proportion to the cost.

no

[Naked Gents Rut]

Ben's obviously wrong, but restricting the definition of "pork" to only encompass earmarked spending is also pretty dumb.

[Darius871]

restricting the definition of "pork" to only encompass earmarked spending is also pretty dumb.

That's always been the definition, as well as the origin of the term's popular use.

I might be willing to include in the definition spending that legislatively appears to be across the board "on its face" but is in practice implemented by the executive to so blatantly benefit very specific and localized constituencies that a behind-closed-doors quid pro quo might be fairly inferred, but that's as far as it goes. It's too early in implementation to tell if any of the stimulus overlaps with even that broadened definition.

[Jon Miller]

AS, could you post that image in higher resolution?

JM

[Naked Gents Rut]

Page 35...

http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/projects/state/docs/prwg-report.pdf

[DinoDoc]

Do you even know what "pork" means?

I always liked CAGW’s seven criteria to identify pork. It must satisfy at least 1, but most of the one's they list satisfy at least two:

Requested by only one chamber of Congress;
Not specifically authorized;
Not competitively awarded;
Not requested by the President;
Greatly exceeds the President’s budget request or the previous year’s funding;
Not the subject of congressional hearings; or
Serves only a local or special interest.

[Victor Galis]

So the plan actually... exists?

Not for a full Missouri River Corridor from Bismarck to St. Louis, no. The Passenger Rail Working Group has planned for a line running from Duluth to St. Louis via Minneapolis, Omaha and KC, though. Almost as dumb...

Wow... I'd have put it through Milwaukee and Chicago, and by put it through Milwaukee and Chicago, I mean I'd have just made several short lines from Chicago to nearby cities.

Page 35...

http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/project...rwg-report.pdf

If I were allocating money, I'd concentrate the money on fewer routes at higher speed. A bunch of long-distance low speed routes won't do anyone any good.

[chequita guevara]

Do you even know what "pork" means?

Be fair. He doesn't know what anything means.

[Theben]

Wow... I'd have put it through Milwaukee and Chicago, and by put it through Milwaukee and Chicago, I mean I'd have just made several short lines from Chicago to nearby cities.

Strange they still haven't proposed St. Louis as a major rail hub. I think the power of Daley may be involved.

If I were allocating money, I'd concentrate the money on fewer routes at higher speed. A bunch of long-distance low speed routes won't do anyone any good.

QFT. OTOH, I remember reading about some technology that would allow conversion of regular rail lines into high-speed lines with minimal cost.

[Theben]

I like how in that graph 3 proposed lines end in Tennessee and North Carolina, but don't connect. Probably so they'll have an excuse for later earmarks.

[Darius871]

Be fair. He doesn't know what anything means.

But he could at least pretend!!!

[Dinner]

It's maglev too?

To my knowledge no one has ever actually proposed maglev.

[chequita guevara]

But he could at least pretend!!!

That's the actual problem. He does pretend. If he admitted to himself and others he was a complete tool, then at least we'd be spared his idiocy.

[MikeH]

Where's the zombie sex stories? Disappointing thread.