Explanation of this affirmative
Turn: Current Republican actions kill HSR
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Turn: Current Republican actions kill HSRRepublicans killing HSR projects hurt job creation and competitiveness; must invest to create jobs and meet competition goalsBrown 2011 (Hon. Corrine, Representative from Florida, THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION’S HIGH-SPEED AND INTERCITY PASSENGER RAIL PROGRAM: MISTAKES AND LESSONS LEARNED (112–65) HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED TWELFTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION DECEMBER 6, 2011 http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/ committee.action?chamber=house&committee=transportation Ms. BROWN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I am glad we are holding this hearing today to focus on progress and pitfalls of implementing high-speed and intercity passenger rail in the United States. All of our international competitors are beating us to the punch. They have invested billions of dollars in passenger rail systems that have significantly reduced highway and aviation congestion. While here, in the United States, we fail to provide adequate fund- ing for passenger rail, and waste $115 billion a year in fuel and lost time sitting in traffic. Let’s step back and look at this committee progress, or lack thereof. Over the past year we have no surface transportation bill, no FAA bill, no water resource bill. And to top it off, we are here today arguing about a High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail Program that has already been defunded by the Republicans. Our country is building huge infrastructure projects in Iraq, giving tax credits to the company, taking jobs overseas, and building massive bridges in the United States with Chinese steel. Yet, the committee leadership here today is trashing a program that would improve passenger rail throughout the country and put thousands of people to work. Since today’s hearing is titled, ‘‘Mistakes in FRA High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail Program,’’ I thought I would make a list of a few mistakes that I have seen since enacting the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 and Recovery. First of all, we fail to dedicate any significant funds for passenger rail. Our main competitor, the Chinese, have invested $350 billion in rail. Let me say that again: $350 billion. They see the im- portance of moving people, goods, and services. Then we invite private companies that I have had several meet- ings with over the world, including some of the biggest rail opera- tors and manufacturing business today to invest time and re- sources into vying for parts of the U.S. high-speed rail market, only to slam the doors in their face by canceling projects and cutting Federal funds. Look at Wisconsin. Just yesterday, Talgo announced it is going to shut down its Milwaukee train manufacturing operations in 2012, killing over 4,700 jobs because Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker rejected Federal funds for the high-speed line between Mil- waukee and Madison when he took office. It is worth noting that— talking about mistakes—that the government later reapplied for a portion of the funds he rejected. That is absurd. And let me talk about the poster child of mistakes, my home State of Florida. The mistakes started when Governor Jeb Bush shut down the high-speed rail authority in Florida before they were able to study the most desirable Orlando to Miami route. Our current Governor, Rick Scott, was able to come up with one of the big- gest acts of stupidity—returning $2.4 billion in awarded funds. A ridership study which was paid for by taxpayers’ dollars indicates that it would have made money. The study estimates that the ridership, at more than 3 million the first operating year, would increase to 4.7 million in the 10th year. Revenues were estimated at $4.2 million in the first operating year, rising to $38 million in the 10th year. And with respect to jobs, something we have all been talking about and are supposed to be focusing on, 30,000 jobs. You know, well, what kind of jobs are we talking about? We are talking about engineering firms, steel, cement factories, and construction jobs. Those are real jobs. What a loss. What a loss. I want to welcome Secretary Ray LaHood, and thank him for his efforts in working out the agreement that averted a possible rail strike during the holiday season. I really think you are one of the bright spots in transportation. And I welcome you here today. And I want to thank you for your leadership. HSR projects are popularObama administration committed to HSR; past bipartisan support has pushed HSR; will boost competitiveness in several waysLahood 2011 (Hon. Ray, Secretary of Transportation, US Dept. of Transporation, THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION’S HIGH-SPEED AND INTERCITY PASSENGER RAIL PROGRAM: MISTAKES AND LESSONS LEARNED (112–65) HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED TWELFTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION DECEMBER 6, 2011 http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/ committee.action?chamber=house&committee=transportation High-speed rail is a signature initiative for President Obama and this administration. But most of all, it is an important initiative to the American people, whose representatives have submitted more than 500 applications requesting $75 billion to build high-speed rail projects. And all that since 2009. In fact, when Florida’s Governor decided to send back his State’s $2 billion of high-speed rail money, 24 States and the District of Columbia and Amtrak submitted requests for $10 billion. Another powerful testament to America’s enthusiasm for high-speed rail. So, I am looking forward to our conversation about President Obama’s vision, President Obama’s plan, and 3 years of successes achieved and progress to build on. The fact is, high-speed rail has been a priority for decades at the local, State, and Federal levels. And among members of both parties. Let me read you something that I just came across. And I quote: ‘‘It is the policy of the United States to promote the con- struction and commercialization of a high-speed rail transportation system.’’ That is a quote from the 1991 transportation bill signed into law by President Herbert Walker Bush. Just 1 year later, one of my outstanding predecessors, a Repub- lican, former Transportation Secretary Andy Card, designated the first five high-speed rail corridors during a recession. And if you think this was an historic anomaly, I remind you that the Repub- lican House and Republican Senate passed another transportation bill reiterating America’s commitment to high-speed rail in 1998. I remember, because I was one of 337 Members of this body who voted for it. So, what has changed today is that we have a President and a Vice President who are putting their money where their mouth is. We are not just asking—we are not just writing reports and filing them away. We are hiring workers, laying track, and building sta- tions. High-speed rail is coming to America. It is here. Three years ago, President Obama started with a vision. He envisioned an American in which 80 percent of the people can have access to high-speed rail. And we know that as this system emerges, jobs, economic de- velopment, and economic competitiveness will follow. In the short term, we are creating manufacturing construction jobs. These are American jobs building the next generation of America’s infrastructure. Once track is laid and stations are built, we are spurring economic development, quality jobs, and American- owned small businesses all along the United States rail corridors. What is more, our investment in train tracks, in train sets, don’t just give travelers more option, they improve existing rail lines for freight cars. We have invested in the last 3 years a half-a-billion dollars in our Class I freight rail system in America. Now we have done that selfishly, because that helps us get into high-speed rail. But that is the first time that anybody can remember that kind of invest- ment was ever made in what is the best rail—freight rail—system in the world: ours. A half-a-billion dollars. President Obama’s administration is working every day to elimi- nate bottlenecks and choke points in America’s freight rail. I have been to tower 55 in Texas. I have been to the CREATE program in Chicago. All over America we are making investments in freight rail. One-third of our competitive TIGER grants went to projects that speed delivery of products from factories, farms, and busi- nesses to customers across the United States and around the world. Directory: files files -> Answer True False 2 points Question 2 files -> Integer programming and game theory files -> 4 Integer Programming files -> Bpa vehicle Window Repair Scenario #1 task: Procure vehicle window relacement. 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