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Star-Telegram Op-Ed: Trains are the ideal stimulus
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
In a brilliant op-ed piece Monday in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Spending on rail would be a wise move, Andrew Warren makes the strong case that investments in commuter train systems represent an ideal form of economic stimulus, one that “generates multiple short-term and long-range benefits.” He hits on the necessarily domestically-sourced labor that would be put to work in a wide range of professions designing, building, and operating the systems, the environmental and energy efficiency benefits of trains, and the superior land use effects versus highway construction. He ends the column with this fine point on what’s worth our taxpayer money:
We could give tax breaks or refunds to be spent on Chinese shoes, Thai clothes and Korean TVs. Or we can invest in a better, cleaner, more secure future and create American jobs at the same time. Washington should fund this national security program that stimulates our economy and protects our environment.
This is essential reading as Congress and President-Elect Obama consider the optimal, most efficient uses of public funds in an economic stimulus package.
—Matthew Melzer
Posted by NARP
Tags: commuter rail, congress, economic stimulus, energy, environment, land use, president,©2010 National Association of Railroad Passengers | » NARP website
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