Comments on: Last Thursday’s Streetcar Debate http://stopandstart.wordpress.com/2009/02/19/last-thursdays-streetcar-debate/ Whatever I feel like! Thu, 24 Sep 2009 23:51:27 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Kris Sommer http://stopandstart.wordpress.com/2009/02/19/last-thursdays-streetcar-debate/#comment-169 Kris Sommer Sat, 28 Feb 2009 20:52:46 +0000 http://stopandstart.wordpress.com/?p=469#comment-169 well, I watched the debate at UC and then saw it again, thanks to Travis for posting the video. Jason Haap seemed to be, admittedly so, an idiot. A mere decade ago, he was able to buy a house, but not find a fuse box. Jason also mentions that we get more energy from coal versus some other fuels, but the carbon footprint is much larger. This is true, based on the time frame the carbon was "fixed". Some millions of years ago (coal) versus a few years (soybean, corn or other oil from a crop) ago. Jason also fails to mention that SORTA has been using soy fuel for years. Yes, the streetcar will be on a grid (along with all of Cincinnati) using electrisity from mostly coal, some hydro power (talk about expensive investments... check http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2008/09/22/story3.html). Oh, and he mentions the upkeep costs of running a streetcar and interperts it as needing to replace the whole shebang every so many years... but does not talk about fleet reapirs and replacements for the busses. These incomplete items go on and on.. John Schneider also has a lot of faults on his presentation... mostly in assuming the audience is a friendly one and does not offer any counters to the efficiency, "greenness" of mass transit, or a detail to the total costs involved or why this link is good for all of Greater Cincinnati. I've followed this movememt for development of a streetcar for quite some time and was shocked to find out our city will actually move forward on something we can use to make our city better, only to be faced with the reality that the small group of opponents will most likely put a ballot initiative together and hamstring the progress already in motion for the city center. Jason Haap, the unqualified "Dean" of Cincinnati (no Ph.D) has over the years done some good things, but true to form for most of the mindset in Cincinnati, is a naysayer and is a new face to the tired old guard which has kept Cincinnati on the "20 years later" track that Mark Twain wrote about. Jason possibly would have been one to oppose our rail tracks to go east and west and push to focus more development on the north-south lines. When Cincinnati did just that and Chicago went east and west, Chicago was a town of about 40 people. well, I watched the debate at UC and then saw it again, thanks to Travis for posting the video.
Jason Haap seemed to be, admittedly so, an idiot. A mere decade ago, he was able to buy a house, but not find a fuse box. Jason also mentions that we get more energy from coal versus some other fuels, but the carbon footprint is much larger. This is true, based on the time frame the carbon was “fixed”. Some millions of years ago (coal) versus a few years (soybean, corn or other oil from a crop) ago. Jason also fails to mention that SORTA has been using soy fuel for years. Yes, the streetcar will be on a grid (along with all of Cincinnati) using electrisity from mostly coal, some hydro power (talk about expensive investments… check http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2008/09/22/story3.html).
Oh, and he mentions the upkeep costs of running a streetcar and interperts it as needing to replace the whole shebang every so many years… but does not talk about fleet reapirs and replacements for the busses.
These incomplete items go on and on..
John Schneider also has a lot of faults on his presentation… mostly in assuming the audience is a friendly one and does not offer any counters to the efficiency, “greenness” of mass transit, or a detail to the total costs involved or why this link is good for all of Greater Cincinnati.

I’ve followed this movememt for development of a streetcar for quite some time and was shocked to find out our city will actually move forward on something we can use to make our city better, only to be faced with the reality that the small group of opponents will most likely put a ballot initiative together and hamstring the progress already in motion for the city center.

Jason Haap, the unqualified “Dean” of Cincinnati (no Ph.D) has over the years done some good things, but true to form for most of the mindset in Cincinnati, is a naysayer and is a new face to the tired old guard which has kept Cincinnati on the “20 years later” track that Mark Twain wrote about. Jason possibly would have been one to oppose our rail tracks to go east and west and push to focus more development on the north-south lines. When Cincinnati did just that and Chicago went east and west, Chicago was a town of about 40 people.

]]> By: The Dean of Cincinnati http://stopandstart.wordpress.com/2009/02/19/last-thursdays-streetcar-debate/#comment-166 The Dean of Cincinnati Sun, 22 Feb 2009 16:59:10 +0000 http://stopandstart.wordpress.com/?p=469#comment-166 Wow... You streetcar advocates really like to fixate on pictures... Just because your boy lost the debate doesn't mean you need to pretend I did things that I didn't actually do. Really, this just makes you look childish. Wow… You streetcar advocates really like to fixate on pictures…

Just because your boy lost the debate doesn’t mean you need to pretend I did things that I didn’t actually do.

Really, this just makes you look childish.

]]> By: Travis http://stopandstart.wordpress.com/2009/02/19/last-thursdays-streetcar-debate/#comment-165 Travis Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:17:31 +0000 http://stopandstart.wordpress.com/?p=469#comment-165 If any is interested in watching the video version of the debate (without our added "spin!"), I just posted it online this morning: http://explorecincinnati.com/2009/02/19/streetcar-debate-video/ Thanks for the mention! If any is interested in watching the video version of the debate (without our added “spin!”), I just posted it online this morning:

http://explorecincinnati.com/2009/02/19/streetcar-debate-video/

Thanks for the mention!

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