Comments on: News Round Up http://seattletransitblog.com/2009/01/07/news-round-up-12/ Transit in the Greater Seattle Area Mon, 15 Mar 2010 04:07:00 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Andrew Smith http://seattletransitblog.com/2009/01/07/news-round-up-12/#comment-24548 Andrew Smith Thu, 08 Jan 2009 19:29:35 +0000 http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=1965#comment-24548 A Smart Grid isn't as complicated as it sounds, and has been studied repeatedly. The last major study was in 2006, and included engineering specs. It's just crazy expensive (>$200bn), which is why it has never been done. A Smart Grid isn’t as complicated as it sounds, and has been studied repeatedly. The last major study was in 2006, and included engineering specs.

It’s just crazy expensive (>$200bn), which is why it has never been done.

]]> By: John Jensen http://seattletransitblog.com/2009/01/07/news-round-up-12/#comment-24528 John Jensen Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:03:26 +0000 http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=1965#comment-24528 Unfortunately a lot of projects like rail, and probably even the smart grid, require years of environmental analysis and planning -- which don't employ near the same amount of folks as real construction and don't get the money into the economy at nearly the same rate. However, what's $500m in research money to do environmental review, planning, and design for a smart grid and national rail and local transit projections and other things -- that way for future spending we have the plans ready to go. Unfortunately a lot of projects like rail, and probably even the smart grid, require years of environmental analysis and planning — which don’t employ near the same amount of folks as real construction and don’t get the money into the economy at nearly the same rate.

However, what’s $500m in research money to do environmental review, planning, and design for a smart grid and national rail and local transit projections and other things — that way for future spending we have the plans ready to go.

]]> By: Andrew Smith http://seattletransitblog.com/2009/01/07/news-round-up-12/#comment-24487 Andrew Smith Thu, 08 Jan 2009 09:41:25 +0000 http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=1965#comment-24487 I'm going to talk about this in my next full-blown post on the stimulus, but Eliot Spitzer, and a number of others, are recommending a "smart grid" as a way to create jobs, lower the number of power outages, and encourage people and business's energy usage: http://www.slate.com/id/2207920/ I’m going to talk about this in my next full-blown post on the stimulus, but Eliot Spitzer, and a number of others, are recommending a “smart grid” as a way to create jobs, lower the number of power outages, and encourage people and business’s energy usage:
http://www.slate.com/id/2207920/

]]> By: poncho http://seattletransitblog.com/2009/01/07/news-round-up-12/#comment-24479 poncho Thu, 08 Jan 2009 07:52:56 +0000 http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=1965#comment-24479 what good is a $500 tax cut when you dont have a job? i can however see some sort of tax cut for businesses that add new jobs where they could really add up for the hiring company to some serious money. i'm not saying this because i'm a railfan but seriously something like building a national railroad system is of a gigantic national scope that would reach all corners and create new industries while providing an abundance of jobs. it need not necessarily be rail but effective economic stimulus has to be far reaching and ambitious that will completely alter the american landscape and way of life. i just dont think merely expansion or repair is the answer, it has to start literally from scratch. what good is a $500 tax cut when you dont have a job? i can however see some sort of tax cut for businesses that add new jobs where they could really add up for the hiring company to some serious money.

i’m not saying this because i’m a railfan but seriously something like building a national railroad system is of a gigantic national scope that would reach all corners and create new industries while providing an abundance of jobs. it need not necessarily be rail but effective economic stimulus has to be far reaching and ambitious that will completely alter the american landscape and way of life. i just dont think merely expansion or repair is the answer, it has to start literally from scratch.

]]> By: Andrew http://seattletransitblog.com/2009/01/07/news-round-up-12/#comment-24387 Andrew Wed, 07 Jan 2009 22:39:12 +0000 http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=1965#comment-24387 I was just kidding. I don't agree with the "seattle transit" characterisation. Sounder, ST express, and Tacoma Link are not seattle projects. I was just kidding. I don’t agree with the “seattle transit” characterisation. Sounder, ST express, and Tacoma Link are not seattle projects.

]]> By: Andrew http://seattletransitblog.com/2009/01/07/news-round-up-12/#comment-24386 Andrew Wed, 07 Jan 2009 22:38:12 +0000 http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=1965#comment-24386 It's a part of trying to get republicans to vote for the stimulus, it's also a part of Obama not wanting to spend the thing on relatively bad investments. If he could come up with $755 bn of awesome stimulus spending now, there would be no tax cuts. I still imagine Obama is going to spend heavily on infrastructure over his term, it just may not all be part of the stimulus. It’s a part of trying to get republicans to vote for the stimulus, it’s also a part of Obama not wanting to spend the thing on relatively bad investments.

If he could come up with $755 bn of awesome stimulus spending now, there would be no tax cuts.

I still imagine Obama is going to spend heavily on infrastructure over his term, it just may not all be part of the stimulus.

]]> By: John Jensen http://seattletransitblog.com/2009/01/07/news-round-up-12/#comment-24380 John Jensen Wed, 07 Jan 2009 22:01:05 +0000 http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=1965#comment-24380 Cool ads. RE: The Obama comment. The earliest rumblings I heard had the sizable middle class tax cut. The business tax cuts are relatively newly announced, but could have been there from the beginning. Cool ads.

RE: The Obama comment. The earliest rumblings I heard had the sizable middle class tax cut. The business tax cuts are relatively newly announced, but could have been there from the beginning.

]]> By: AJ http://seattletransitblog.com/2009/01/07/news-round-up-12/#comment-24378 AJ Wed, 07 Jan 2009 21:59:35 +0000 http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=1965#comment-24378 Tacoma Link is also a Sound Transit project. Tacoma Link is also a Sound Transit project.

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