G8 wants tax on airline tickets to help world poor

On 13 Jun 2005 09:54:47 -0700, wrote:



Part of the problem is that air travel is far more heavily subsidized
than trains. If flight and train prices reflected the real costs to
government and the environment, then trains would be much more
competitive pricewise, if not actually cheaper than the planes over
short distances.

What do you mean air travel is subsidized?

On Mon, 13 Jun 2005 19:30:21 -0500, (Miguel Cruz)
wrote:

Go Fig wrote:
wrote:
I agree with that, and also California and the Midwest should have
high-speed rail systems. The problem is that our Republican government
doesn't care about global warming or oil conservation, and won't fund
intercity rail or practical mass transit within cities,

That is because the Federal Government is Constitutionally prohibited
from making such expenses.

A fact that will come as no surprise to anyone who remembers the
incarceration and eventual execution of everyone involved with planning and
implementing the interstate highway system.

miguel

The interstate was a military project.

George Max wrote:

The interstate was a military project.


Yep...it was ostensibly designed to quickly evacuate folks from major
metropolitan areas and to speed military traffic cross - country...

I do hope Miguel remembers this whenever he is in DC visiting and the
"alarm" sounds - he will of course immediately be magickally whisked from
Adams - Morgan or wherever to safety via the Beltway ;-)

Speaking of nutty 50's US civil defense projects, anyone remember the plan
to have "mobile" nuclear missile launchers mounted on camoflouged rail
freight cars, the rail cars would of course be able to be shuttled into
tunnels or hardend bunkers so as to protect them from pesky Soviet
bombers...

IIRC the plan was to have these missile cars randomly dispersed among all
the rail cars in the nation, that way the Soviets would not be able to
"track"* them so as to knock them out during an attack...

When I was a kid I had a Lionel or whatever rail set that had one of these
top sekret missile launcher train cars...

[*via SPIES!]

--
Best
Greg

Lennart Petersen wrote:

Problem is that whatever you do everything seem to be wasted in local
corruption or incompetence. We've provided foreign aid to Africa now
for
40y or so and everything seem to disappear just in a black hole (or more
likely someone's pocket)
I know some people working for foreign aid in an African country. Was
mainly
to improve and advice on mail distribution. The locals provided the
usual
X-mas list of wanted projects.
One such was a hangarsize store building for parcels.
"Why do you need that ?"
"to store parcels"
"aren't they to be forwarded to the destination?"
"yes but we must store them"
"why ?"
"the railway accepts only a full car-load to a destination"
"have you been in discussion with the railway"
"no,but we know about their rules"
"have you met the railway management?"
"no"
Next day was a visit to the railway:
"is it necessary to book a full freight car for goods to a specific
destination ?"
"no"
"so if you've goods to various destinations?"
"no problem, you can book part of a car if you so like"
"have you met the mail management ?"
"no"
"would you like to meet them?"
"they're so welcome"
Third day that meeting was arranged and no more talk about the hangar.



Perfect summation of the problem, Lennart :-)

--
Best
Greg

Lennart Petersen wrote:

As I've seen almost the same scene in many African countries: "hard
working
women providing responsibility for house and children while the men are
drinking beer sparing the power for the hard work of making children "
I've
got the idea that women only should for one or another decade be allowed
to
vote and have power. Men excluded until they've learnt better.
Could see an intersting report today on TV, was from Bangla-Desh and about
a
small scale organization providing "micro-loan" for women only. They
had
made real good progress with their loans used for small business,
increased
farming production and other good things.


This micro - loan programme is pretty effective, it puts the money in the
hands of those who need it. In the case of these women, a loan of only a
hundred or so dollars/euros can enable them to buy a sewing machine, some
cloth, cooking/agricultural equipment, or whatever so they can immediately
start working from their home in able to improve their lot...

The results are immediate...and these women are able to break the ancient
cycle of dependency...


97% was paid back on time which probably compares well with big business.


Or even better...

--
Best
Greg

Go Fig wrote:
Miguel Cruz wrote:
Go Fig wrote:
wrote:
I agree with that, and also California and the Midwest should have
high-speed rail systems. The problem is that our Republican government
doesn't care about global warming or oil conservation, and won't fund
intercity rail or practical mass transit within cities,

That is because the Federal Government is Constitutionally prohibited
from making such expenses.

A fact that will come as no surprise to anyone who remembers the
incarceration and eventual execution of everyone involved with planning and
implementing the interstate highway system.

How foolish or ignorant:

National Interstate and Defense Highways Act of 1956, was
Constitutionally justified.

The same silly justification could be applied to rail. Just dust off some
of those ICBM trains, put some old school justices back on the Supreme
Court, and you're in business.

miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos from 36 countries on 5 continents: http://travel.u.nu
Latest photos: Queens Day in Amsterdam; the Grand Canyon; Amman, Jordan

In article , Miguel Cruz
wrote:

Go Fig wrote:
Miguel Cruz wrote:
Go Fig wrote:
wrote:
I agree with that, and also California and the Midwest should have
high-speed rail systems. The problem is that our Republican government
doesn't care about global warming or oil conservation, and won't fund
intercity rail or practical mass transit within cities,

That is because the Federal Government is Constitutionally prohibited
from making such expenses.

A fact that will come as no surprise to anyone who remembers the
incarceration and eventual execution of everyone involved with planning and
implementing the interstate highway system.

How foolish or ignorant:

National Interstate and Defense Highways Act of 1956, was
Constitutionally justified.

The same silly justification could be applied to rail.

The rail lines and right-of-ways are already in place, but nobody wants
to use them.

jay
Mon Jun 13, 2005



Just dust off some
of those ICBM trains, put some old school justices back on the Supreme
Court, and you're in business.

miguel

In article ,
George Max wrote:

The interstate was a military project.

Which has become vital to the civilian economy.

"Gregory Morrow" gregorymorrowEMERGENCYCANCELLATIONARCHIMEDES@eart hlink.net
wrote:

anyone remember the plan
to have "mobile" nuclear missile launchers mounted on camoflouged rail
freight cars, the rail cars would of course be able to be shuttled into
tunnels or hardend bunkers so as to protect them from pesky Soviet
bombers...


Yep. The Mx missle program.

IIRC the plan was to have these missile cars randomly dispersed among all
the rail cars in the nation, that way the Soviets would not be able to
"track"* them so as to knock them out during an attack...

Not exactly. The objective was to address a concern as the Soviet Union was
breaking apart, the leadership would launch a preemptive attack on the US. By
building a mobile launcher, the missles could be moved *after* the incoming
missiles had lauched and had fixed their targets, allowing a response to
launched.

While the logic was somewhat convoluted, one shouldn't underestimate the impact
of potentially having a nuclear bomb go off on someone's homeland, regardless of
whos it is...

"George Max" skrev i meddelandet
...
On 13 Jun 2005 09:54:47 -0700, wrote:



Part of the problem is that air travel is far more heavily subsidized
than trains. If flight and train prices reflected the real costs to
government and the environment, then trains would be much more
competitive pricewise, if not actually cheaper than the planes over
short distances.

What do you mean air travel is subsidized?
-----------
No tax on fuel.