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hunter

(40,698 posts)

21. 60 desalination would be an even greater boondoggle.

Sat Jan 3, 2015, 02:07 AM

Jan 2015

Burning fossil fuels to desalinate water is a dumb idea.

If you say they could be powered by renewable energy, then building these renewable energy plants has to be factored into the already unbearably expensive cost of the desalinization plant, making the water utterly unaffordable.

Minimizing the environmental impacts of desalinization plants isn't a trivial problem either.

Both water and transportation could be much better managed in California, but there are too many greedy and politically powerful people who already have theirs, so screw everyone else.

The high speed rail plan seems a little less offensive to me than our worship of the automobile and the absurdities and inconveniences of short-hop air travel. Flying or driving between San Francisco and Los Angeles is literally a pain in the ass.

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California leaders set for high-speed rail groundbreaking Tuesday [View all] Eugene Jan 2015 OP

It WILL NOT be "high speed" rail and will cost enough money to build SIXTY DESALINATION PLANTS. cherokeeprogressive Jan 2015 #1

Nice wiki link you got there citing 3 conservative organizations. Luminous Animal Jan 2015 #3

Damn I HATE when I get p'wned this way... with all kinds of refutations, debunks, and shit... cherokeeprogressive Jan 2015 #13

I don't waste my time debunking libertarians. And yes, I've driven back and fourth between SoCal and Luminous Animal Jan 2015 #23

Actually, we voted for it. And I for one still want it. Live and Learn Jan 2015 #25

What we voted for is nowhere near what we are getting ripcord Jan 2015 #41

So sayeth the RW propaganda radio stations out here. Live and Learn Jan 2015 #43

i think it's a wonderful idea CatWoman Jan 2015 #42

Anthropogenic Global Warming Codeine Jan 2015 #69

Damn autocomplete! cherokeeprogressive Jan 2015 #72

I caught and pointed out your questionable usage of the word in my reply to you. Luminous Animal Jan 2015 #74

Oh man, I'm sorry I didn't give you credit for finding it... consider yourself credited. cherokeeprogressive Jan 2015 #81

Thank you. Credit where credit is due. Luminous Animal Jan 2015 #93

"Columbus, you should give up, you're gonna sail off the edge of the earth" tularetom Jan 2015 #4

Man might not have wings, but airplanes do. Sen. Walter Sobchak Jan 2015 #6

You wanna talk subsidies and you bring up air travel? tularetom Jan 2015 #66

And the subsidies for roads... Luminous Animal Jan 2015 #76

Everybody needs roads, Precious few can even use Amtrak, much less need it. Sen. Walter Sobchak Jan 2015 #83

3.93 million riders in 2013 on 2 of California's lines Luminous Animal Jan 2015 #88

"Caltrans provides $109 million annually to its cooperative arrangement with Amtrak..." Sen. Walter Sobchak Jan 2015 #90

Caltrans budget is 10 billion a year. $109M 0.010900% of it's budget. Luminous Animal Jan 2015 #91

And for that they're moving approximately 10,500 people a day Sen. Walter Sobchak Jan 2015 #97

Similarly, the Bay Area's ferry service has low ridership compared to other modes of transportation. Luminous Animal Jan 2015 #98

I am comfortable asserting there is no intercity travel deficiencies in California Sen. Walter Sobchak Jan 2015 #99

And as I have pointed out. The unmet regional needs need to be addressed by the region. As did the Luminous Animal Jan 2015 #100

This is a funding issue, not a bureaucratic one. Sen. Walter Sobchak Jan 2015 #101

The state won't step up until there is a local will to make it happen. It's seems you want all Luminous Animal Jan 2015 #102

No, I just think State priorities should reflect actual needs Sen. Walter Sobchak Jan 2015 #103

Needs are reflected by the will of the people The people said, "Make it so." Luminous Animal Jan 2015 #104

That's a dangerous line Sen. Walter Sobchak Jan 2015 #105

I don't have a problem with subsidies, I have a problem with subsidies for trains Sen. Walter Sobchak Jan 2015 #82

60 desalination would be an even greater boondoggle. hunter Jan 2015 #21

+1 Luminous Animal Jan 2015 #34

You're stuck on burning fossil fuels. I'm not. You're anti-nuclear energy. I'm not. cherokeeprogressive Jan 2015 #47

Nuclear power doesn't excite me much anymore, pro- or anti- hunter Jan 2015 #73

Yeah... tell that to the Israelis. cherokeeprogressive Jan 2015 #59

Nuclear-powered desalination would work just fine. nt Codeine Jan 2015 #70

Getting high-speed rail done is like finally getting the ACA done brush Jan 2015 #65

Waste of money sakabatou Jan 2015 #2

just like roads, airports, bridges, and tunnels! MisterP Jan 2015 #9

*facepalm* sakabatou Jan 2015 #10

chintzing out on one transport type doesn't really leave more money for the others MisterP Jan 2015 #19

I'm not going to play with your childish behavior sakabatou Jan 2015 #40

all right, let's assume that "facepalm" is how one asks for a reasoned, mature discussion MisterP Jan 2015 #77

Hmm... you do have valid multiple points sakabatou Jan 2015 #79

groovy MisterP Jan 2015 #80

Excellent post. Thank you MisterP. Luminous Animal Jan 2015 #87

I don't have trouble getting from Orange County to San Francisco Sen. Walter Sobchak Jan 2015 #5

Herb Kelleher and his lobbyists made sure, for years, Ron Green Jan 2015 #7

That is a regional issue. The San Francisco Bay Area has done a pretty good job solving that problem Luminous Animal Jan 2015 #35

Another big money pit like the Oakland span of the Bay Bridge. demosincebirth Jan 2015 #8

One of the dumbest projects ever. Jesus Malverde Jan 2015 #11

$2 billion???!!! gratuitous Jan 2015 #12

Or... we could pay for 4 desalination plants that would be online in 3 years or less... cherokeeprogressive Jan 2015 #14

So make your case for that if you can gratuitous Jan 2015 #15

.... CatWoman Jan 2015 #44

People like you, who are more concerned with the legacies of public servants than the public good. cherokeeprogressive Jan 2015 #46

You've certainly convinced me! gratuitous Jan 2015 #68

Good one...nt Jesus Malverde Jan 2015 #17

there's a lot of dickering about Central Valley vs. urban-focused MisterP Jan 2015 #20

I have no idea why the first legs can't be in the bay area or LA Jesus Malverde Jan 2015 #22

Bay Area up the 80 corridor to the foothills is some of the busiest rail in the US already. LeftyMom Jan 2015 #30

So what stops are you willing to eliminate on that HSR line? You can't have an HSR line and make Luminous Animal Jan 2015 #37

Here's the current route: LeftyMom Jan 2015 #38

Again. HSR is a means of getting to one highly populated transit center to another. Luminous Animal Jan 2015 #45

Fine. My point is that that's one of the busiest rail routes in the country, LeftyMom Jan 2015 #54

Try selling that story to the rest of the world that has highly successful HSR systems. Luminous Animal Jan 2015 #57

I'm not opposed to HSR if it's planned well. The proposed routes are painfully stupid. LeftyMom Jan 2015 #60

If the point of an HSR system is to move the population from one major urban center to another�. Luminous Animal Jan 2015 #94

The rest of the fucking world ISN'T riding a train from L.A. to San Francisco. cherokeeprogressive Jan 2015 #63

3.93 million riders currently using Amtraks pokey long distance train system. Annually. Luminous Animal Jan 2015 #96

There will be express trains with few stops Piedras Jan 2015 #78

The reason it is the first segment starting construction is that it is the first segment that Luminous Animal Jan 2015 #24

Still a dumb route. Jesus Malverde Jan 2015 #26

When the routes were being debated, every town nearer to the coast wanted a stop. Luminous Animal Jan 2015 #33

Yes, route 5 is faster but zappaman Jan 2015 #84

We do the same! I love the coastal route. If we have the time, we'll do it in 2 days Luminous Animal Jan 2015 #86

Same with us, but Los Angeles. zappaman Jan 2015 #89

the reason it has been approved by all agencies? It's the first flat part. cherokeeprogressive Jan 2015 #48

And? We just spent close to a billion for a new computer system in LA County. Live and Learn Jan 2015 #27

Whats the computer system do?...nt Jesus Malverde Jan 2015 #29

Still to be proven but supposedly a new Welfare and Children and Family services System. Live and Learn Jan 2015 #31

Damn! Thought I was reading a thread on FreeRepublic! Xolodno Jan 2015 #16

Crazy the hatred for mass transportation in this country. Just crazy. Luminous Animal Jan 2015 #28

We're mostly not very good at doing useful, pleasant mass transit projects. LeftyMom Jan 2015 #36

Yep, LA has done a poor job too. Live and Learn Jan 2015 #39

I worked at the OC County Registrar of Voters and rode the Metrolink from Mission Viejo to Santa Ana cherokeeprogressive Jan 2015 #56

It's not about "mass transportation". It's about a convoluted definition of "high speed rail". cherokeeprogressive Jan 2015 #49

In 1994, UC Berkeley predicted by 2010 that HSR would divert 15.7 million passengers miles Luminous Animal Jan 2015 #55

LOL I guess they got that wrong... non? cherokeeprogressive Jan 2015 #58

So you are questioning the integrity of Berkeley's scientific analysis but buying the libertarians Luminous Animal Jan 2015 #92

Leading by Example 1step Jan 2015 #18

Good, California leading the way. Live and Learn Jan 2015 #32

I don't, I won't, and that fact means those people who want it will pay more for the privilege. cherokeeprogressive Jan 2015 #50

Fine by me. Live and Learn Jan 2015 #51

No reason you can't meet me NEAR it. You start at the Norwalk Station; I'll meet you in SF cherokeeprogressive Jan 2015 #53

Well, it will take me quite a while to get to Norwalk. Live and Learn Jan 2015 #61

Just point the gun at my head and pull the trigger... cherokeeprogressive Jan 2015 #62

So it will take a while to complete and you personally won't benefit. Live and Learn Jan 2015 #64

I know, right? With Cherokeeprogressives attitude, the interstate would never have been built... Luminous Animal Jan 2015 #95

Remember the dumb a$$ teabaggers complaining about the D.C.Metro? yortsed snacilbuper Jan 2015 #52

I hope the construction goes more smoothly than the planning has Recursion Jan 2015 #67

I would be happy with some rail service...high speed is optional. MindPilot Jan 2015 #71

Hopefully it will be on time and on budget like the Bay Bridge! Throd Jan 2015 #75

It could be on time and on budget Brother Buzz Jan 2015 #85