🚀 go-pugleaf

Hello,

John Gilmer wrote:
> 
<snip requoted material>
> 
> I don't understand why you super-pro-railroad types keep beating the dead
> horse of "government support" of planes and trucks.

How 'bout because you don't get the point?
> 
> Both the governent highway system(s) and the air traffic control/regulation
> system(s) return more money to the government by direct fees charged to
> users than the government spends.   The money the US spends generating
> weather reports is down in the noise but I am sure the other transportation
> profits will more than cover it.

This is because Congress, in its wisdom, uses surpluses in the
so-called "Trust Funds" to cover its deficit in the operating
budget.  Agreed that weather prediction is "in the noise".
> 
> You may have a good point in regard to the railroads paying real estate tax
> on the right of way.    However, operating railroads have it in their
> collective and individual power the ability to change this and for their own
> reasons have choosen not to.
> 
> If a railroad things it's right of way is overtaxed, then request that the
> government purchase these rights of way and run the rail network on a
> highest bidder/first come first served basis!   The railroads aren't doing
> this do they think the real estate taxes they pay are no big deal.   So why
> do you think it is?

Since you probably use your back yard for much the same uses
as a Public Park would be used, why not save on taxes by selling
your back yard to the county/state/fed, and save a fortune on
your property taxes?  Oh, would you not want the public in
your back yard?  So why do you think that is?  Just to put things
in perspective...

> 
<snip back of the envelope calculation of RR taxes>
> 

Let's see... property taxes are by category, and RR property
is a category without too many voters in town, so why not
take the big ol' RR for all it's worth?

> Also, on the whole the railroads have done quite well in the real estate
> business.   This is another reason I suspect they are happy with RE taxes
> the way they are now run.

So you've never tried to purchase right-of-way have you?
Railroads don't have emimnent domain, you know.  Have you
paid for an environmental impact study lately, not to mention
taking the resulting lawsuits thru appeals?  Time is money.

<snip requoted material>
 
> Those units (counties or independent cities) that claim that improvements to
> a major highway injure their tax base are just trying to extort more money
> from VADOT and the Feds.   Even if a highway has no exits in a town, the
> town realestate interests benefit from the sale of bill board space.

Why do you suppose I-66 doesn't go thru even one square inch of
Falls Church?  (To protect the tiny tax base.)

<snip sigs>

-- 

Cheers!
Dan Nagle		dnagle@erols.com