In the national government there are variety of policy issues that involve the expenditure of money. One of the most important government issues involving the expenditure of money is transportation funding. The nation’s transportation system includes the highways, transit, and rail systems that the people use. It is critical to the economy and affects the lives of the American people. However, the system has its flaws. The cost to repair and update the transportation system to meet future and current demands is exceeding billions of dollars. The 18.4 cent-per-gallon tax on gasoline enacted,more than 20 years ago is not worth as much today. This trend will continue as there are more fuel-efficient and alternative fuel vehicles. Funding
Have you ever thought about the impact the Transcontinental Railroad had on the United States? The railroad changed the United States economically, politically and socially. It brought more culture in, helped us import and export things, and made cities. All in all the railroad changed the United States economically the most because it helped us import and export things, made products cheaper and brought in more culture which means more jobs and money.
Organizations are constantly being challenged to identify ways to reduce operating cost, increase equipment capacity and utilization. There are many variables in why we see continued increases. One of the major effects is raising fuel cost. Companies are constantly battling this variable. This is not the only issue facing companies today. But it is certainly a concerning one to companies who rely on fuel for their company to thrive. These challenges are aligned with rising material costs as well. The economics of transportation affects the lives of all U.S. citizens and citizens of other nations. The
While the Federal-Aid Highway act of 1956 created the U.S. Interstate system and brought a nation together, the Federal-Aid Highway act of 1973 would later create division in federal and state political parties over future funding concerns. In the short run, President Nixon considered this act as a positive step for transportation and the economy. However, in the long run, this act led to the eroding of HTF’s, leaving both state and federal government debating over how to proceed in funding a transportation infrastructure that is at present time slowly crumbling. Political differences between federal and state agencies have brought the modernization process of the transportation infrastructure to a snail’s pace. In addition, the lengthy
The idea of advancing an economy has been a staple in political ideology since the dawn of democracy and politics itself. We as citizens of California are becoming global leaders in climate consciousness, and our efforts are involved in the advancement of eco-friendly systems, in this case, an eco-friendly mode of transportation that will theoretically increase the convenience of interstate travel as well as boost an economy that is already ranked the 8th most prosperous economy in the world. On both ends of the spectrum, both pro and con proponents of high-speed rail travel in California agree that the economic advancement of California is our best
The Transcontinental Railroad was one of the most ambitious engineering projects, economic stimulants, and efficient methods of transportation in the early United States. If completed, the United States would be truly be united from east to west. The purpose of this paper is to examine how the Transcontinental Railroad helped develop new opportunities for many aspects of American life.
The California High-Speed Rail is a high-speed rail system currently under construction in California and is a bad idea for the state. During the November election in 2008, Californians were asked to approve a $45 billion bullet train. Proposition 1A passed, but just barely. Since then just about everything the voters were promised in 2008 about the rail system has changed. With a $45 billion price tag, and with far from an overwhelming mandate at 52% of the votes, this project is far from being built. The first phase of the system could be completed by 2029, provided that additional funds are obtained. Phase 2 (which has no timetable yet) was originally planned to extend the system northerly in the Central Valley to the Sacramento Valley Station in Sacramento, and southerly (through the Inland Empire) to the San Diego International Airport in San Diego. That too has changed, Sacramento and San Diego are now not even mentioned in future planning.
Black and white, right and wrong; do decisions that simple and clear even exist? Does a decision ever mean gaining everything without giving anything up? Many characters in To Kill A Mockingbird are forced to make difficult, heart wrenching decisions that have no clear right answer. Harper Lee presents many of these important decisions in To Kill A Mockingbird as ethical dilemmas, or situations that require a choice between two difficult alternatives. Both of these alternatives have unpleasant aspects and question morals and ethics. A person is put in an awkward position, with their mind saying contradicting things. These dilemmas are presented in many different ways. The
This book titled Flu details the struggle of scientists searching for what in fact caused the 1918 Influenza epidemic and how to prevent another massive Flu outbreak. The 1918 Flu epidemic (also known as the Spanish Flu) which killed twenty to forty million people (about 3%-5% died) from every corner of the world. Unlike most flu strands which kill the extremes of the age spectrum, the flu in 1918 would kill males more than females, the very young, the very old, and surprisingly the healthy adults (between ages twenty to forty). Also, this strand would kill not just the ones living in undeveloped regions of the world, but also developed regions such as the United States where 25% of Americans were infected and 600,000 thousand died. The mortality
Despite the tremendous economic success in Texas and its overall well-being, the state continues to face its nonstandard set of challenges that must be addressed immediately. Certainly, the most pressing issue is a deteriorating transportation infrastructure, which requires innovation, long-range planning and, of course, investment (Button & Reggiani, 2011). The following study focuses on the deteriorating transportation infrastructure as a major issue facing the state of Texas. The report will also discuss the positions of two major Texas political parties (Republican and Democratic) on the issue. It further explains the ways of their addressing it. Next, it will discuss the overall goals, the position, the level of lobbying and the
Comparing the financial cost of the interstate with the cost of having to reallocate funding or stopping programs in an effort to decrease traffic congestion will create a greater economic downturn if not done in moderation as well as a decrease in confidence in lawmakers. The lawmakers will feel the decrease in confidence by citizens during elections. Unless the local government can generate and use other sources of revenue to continue highway improvement, the decision to remove the city’s funding is not practical.
The money goes towards building an efficient mass transit system that gives about 4 million rides a day, and it makes car buyers think twice before purchasing a vehicle that is going to cost them a fortune (Source B). Although the idea of using the money to build a mass transit system seems controversial to reducing air pollution, mass transportation, such as Singapore’s, actually emits about 62 percent less pollution per passenger mile compared to a single operating vehicle, according to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). If the U.S. government were to carry out a policy similar to this, the amount of pollution emitted by roadside transportation would drastically decrease due to the limited access of cheap vehicles and unlimited access of mass transportation.(does this work?). The positive effects of green policies have already been seen in the U.S. through the Clean Air Acts of 1970 and 1990, which were set to control pollution and are upheld by the EPA and the White House Administration, . This act
Nineteenth century America was a time of rapid growth and expansion. The movement of settlers further and further west accompanied by technological advances led to the major growth of cities and industries across the American frontier. However, it was the major innovations of transportation that had the most significant impact on the expansion of Midwestern and western America. The construction of canals and roads led to the increase in the use of stagecoaches, steamboats, and ultimately railroads.
In the late sixties and early seventies, California was haunted by dozens of unsolved murders. The offender remains unknown to this day. The murderer, who referred to himself as "the Zodiac," made contact with the police and area newspapers throughout his reign of terror through a series of menacing notes. Although the police were never able to apprehend Zodiac, they were able to gather information about him via the letters. Zodiac boasted of killing up to forty victims, however, police estimated he may have killed over 50.
Automobiles play a major role in today's society. Almost every American owns at least one motorized transportation vehicle. Some say they make our lives better by reaching places faster than before. Others say they are a harmful to the environment. Have they made our society better or worse? They may be fast, but do we as humans want our environment to suffer because of time. Face it, cars pollute. And they release destructive chemicals into the air. Air pollution can threaten the health of many subjects in the environment including human beings.
Along with hover boards and flying cars, high-speed rail is one of the most iconic futuristic technologies discussed today. With great success, European and Asian countries such as Germany, France, Japan and China have been enjoying bullet trains for decades. Japan has been a leading innovator of high-speed trains, and has currently developed a train capable of 315 mph (Shadbolt). This MagLev is revolutionizing public transport and changing how the world view trains forever. The average European high-speed train can travel at speeds in excess of 220 mph (“The 10”). The United States is falling behind in this highly efficient, safe, and environmentally friendly high-speed train race. With the amount of traffic congestion between