This page was last updated on July 17, 2004.

Deliver maglev jobs - now; Eugene V. Atkinson; Beaver County Times; July 13, 2004.

Mr. Atkinson, a Democrat, was in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1979-1983.

"President Bush, Vice President Cheney and Sens. Kerry, Edwards and Specter all want Pennsylvania votes on Election Day but are in power to deliver jobs for Pennsylvania now."

[RWC] Sorry, government can't deliver jobs, especially by funding a losing proposition.  If maglev is such a good idea, why isn't the private sector all over it?  It's simple.  Even the most optimistic estimates show huge government subsidies (read: taxes) would be necessary to construct and operate a maglev system.

"Pennsylvania desperately needs innovative ways to create new employment vital for our future.  At the same time, America today needs a clean alternative energy saving form of transportation."

[RWC] Wrong.  Pennsylvania merely needs to make itself an attractive place to do business and live.  The jobs will follow.

We may need a clean, energy-saving form of transportation, but it must also be convenient and economical to be successful.  No alternative transportation method will succeed unless it can survive in the free market.

"The next generation of high-speed ground transportation for the United States has been an ongoing activity for more than 10 years known as the Maglev Train Project.

"Legislation is required right now to deploy a high-speed maglev train for commercial service in Pennsylvania.  Maglev is an environmentally clean alternate source of transportation that offers competitive trip-time savings to auto and aviation means in the 40 to 600 mile travel markets."

[RWC] Note that Mr. Atkinson didn't claim maglev is economically competitive, because it isn't.  The current proposal requires $950 million from the federal government and another $2.5 billion from other unnamed private and public sources, and this is just to build it.  This doesn't include the ongoing subsidies required to operate the system.  Keep in mind that our public bus and train systems are a lot cheaper and simpler and they are not self-sufficient.

"The private/public operating structure and organizations, plus innovative financing, and long-term precision fabrication skills are required to construct the Maglev Guideway."

[RWC] Interpret "private/public operating structure and organizations, plus innovative financing" to mean taxpayer-funded subsidies.

"This will create the employment we need to serve Pennsylvania into the 21st century."

[RWC] Who says the project would generate long-term PA jobs?  Anyone doing the project would want it done at the best cost/quality point and would put the project up for bid.  Maglev manufacturers already exist and none are in the United States.

"These candidates from both parties need no longer make political promises since all are in office today.

"We are four months from Election Day; I suggest Kerry and Edwards, along with Specter, stop chatting rhetorical promises. The time is now to introduce and pass legislation that Bush and Cheney must support to bring maglev to Pennsylvania.

"If billions were given to Chrysler in the 1970s and billions more to the airlines in the 2000s, all to save jobs, why not a few billion to meet America's 21st century transportation requirements and Pennsylvania's job needs before Election Day?"

[RWC] This reminds me of the quote, "A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking real money."  Socialists love to spend other people's money.

Mr. Atkinson needs to get his history straight.  Billions were not given to Chrysler.  The government only provided loan guarantees in 1980.  Chrysler paid back the loans by 1983.  The government would have provided funds only if Chrysler had defaulted on its loans.  Mr. Atkinson's memory should be better on this topic.  He was in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1979-1983 and voted on this loan guarantee.

"If they crave Pennsylvania votes on Election Day, I challenge them to pass maglev for Pennsylvania jobs now.  If not, why vote for them?

[RWC] The reverse is true.  Any politician who supports this boondoggle better have a lot of other things going for him.

© 2004 Robert W. Cox, all rights reserved.