Lawmakers blast Trump for his move to sink Hudson rail tunnel plan to add new links b

[gamewell45]

In a rare show of bi-partisan support, lawmakers from both NY and NJ have criticized President Trump over his move to urge House Majority Leader Paul Ryan to rescind funds for the NY to NJ rail tunnel project which had already been approved. This was reportedly done by Trump as a snub against New York Senator Charles Schumer who has gone head-to-head over some political issues recently.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/lawmakers-rip-trump-plan-sink-hudson-rail-tunnels-project-article-1.3853012

Republican Congreeman Peter King (R)-NY tweeted: “Can’t let feud with Schumer hurt New York & United States. Bad enough we got screwed on tax bill”

Vintage Trump playing games with infrastructure in the US. Perfect example of politicians playing games with monies agreed upon instead of doing their jobs.

[MisterVeritis]

Why should all American taxpayers be on the hook to pay for something a few people will use to move between two states? This is not our problem. If they want it let them fund it.

[Crepitus]

In a rare show of bi-partisan support, lawmakers from both NY and NJ have criticized President Trump over his move to urge House Majority Leader Paul Ryan to rescind funds for the NY to NJ rail tunnel project which had already been approved. This was reportedly done by Trump as a snub against New York Senator Charles Schumer who has gone head-to-head over some political issues recently.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/lawmakers-rip-trump-plan-sink-hudson-rail-tunnels-project-article-1.3853012

Republican Congreeman Peter King (R)-NY tweeted: “Can’t let feud with Schumer hurt New York & United States. Bad enough we got screwed on tax bill”

Vintage Trump playing games with infrastructure in the US. Perfect example of politicians playing games with monies agreed upon instead of doing their jobs.

Petty revenge is pretty much his whole reason for being.

[gamewell45]

Petty revenge is pretty much his whole reason for being.

It's sad because the American people are the one's who are negatively impacted his petty revenge. He was elected ostensibly to be our chief executive and do what is best for America and thus far that would be a far stretch to even seriously consider that.

[Crepitus]

It's sad because the American people are the one's who are negatively impacted his petty revenge. He was elected ostensibly to be our chief executive and do what is best for America and thus far that would be a far stretch to even seriously consider that.

He was elected with Vladimir Putin's personal help to do exactly what he is doing: sow chaos and discord with his every move.

[MisterVeritis]

He was elected with Vladimir Putin's personal help to do exactly what he is doing: sow chaos and discord with his every move.
This begs for a kook alert. Not that it is necessary. Everyone is already aware of just how off the rails you are.

[Crepitus]

This begs for a kook alert. Not that it is necessary. Everyone is already aware of just how off the rails you are.

No need for the kook alert, we already know you are here.

We do appreciate the consideration you show when you warn us though.

[Common]

Why should all American taxpayers be on the hook to pay for something a few people will use to move between two states? This is not our problem. If they want it let them fund it.
Trump did not kill the hudson rail tunnel, christie did it in 2010 because of the huge cost and the constant ongoing costs.

Theres many other sources for this but I purposely choose the NYtimes version so I couldnt be accused of posting from a left wing site. The overruns were outrageous they werent near done and had 11billion into it,t he debt was crushing

After christie backed out NY tried to get Obama to push it through and he did not, after trump got elected they had a meeting. NY tried to get the feds to pay for it and says the feds committed to it and the trump admin says they did not and there never was a deal.

THeres only one Truth and that truth is that the media does not tell the truth

Christie Halts Train Tunnel, Citing Its Cost

The largest public transit project in the nation, a commuter train tunnel under the Hudson River to Manhattan, was halted on Thursday by Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey because, he said, the state could not afford its share of the project’s rising cost.
Mr. Christie’s decision stunned other government officials and advocates of public transportation because work on the tunnel was under way and $3 billion of federal financing had already been arranged — more money than had been committed to any other transit project in America.
The governor, a Republican, said he decided to withdraw his support for the project on Thursday after hearing from state transportation officials that the project would cost at least $2.5 billion more than its original price of $8.7 billion. He said that New Jersey would have been responsible for the overrun and that he could not put the taxpayers of the state “on what would be a never-ending hook.”
In scrapping the project, Mr. Christie is forfeiting the $3 billion from the federal government and jeopardizing as much from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The state may also have to repay the federal government for its share of the $600 million that has already been spent on the tunnel.
The tunnel, which would have stretched under the Hudson from North Bergen, N.J., to a new station deep below 34th Street in Manhattan, was intended to double the number of trains that could enter the city from the west each day. The project’s planners said the additional trains would alleviate congestion on local roads, reduce pollution, help the growth of the region’s economy and raise property values for suburban homeowners.


The tunnel was also supposed to provide jobs for 6,000 construction workers just as some other big transit infrastructure projects in the city, like the Second Avenue subway, were winding down.
Instead, the contractors hired to dig the tunnel will soon start laying off workers.
“This was the project that I think everyone was counting on to revitalize the public-works sector,” said Denise M. Richardson, managing director of the General Contractors Association of New York (http://gcany.com/). “For construction workers that were counting on job opportunities, it’s a real blow to them.”
Mr. Christie admitted that the cancellation would be costly but he said it would be more prudent for the state to withdraw sooner rather than later. He said he also expected to be able to redirect the Port Authority’s $3 billion to other projects in the state, though he did not identify any.
When Mr. Christie told Ray LaHood, the federal transportation secretary, about his decision, Mr. LaHood demanded to meet with the governor to discuss the matter further. The two were scheduled to meet on Friday, but Mr. Christie gave no indication that he could be swayed.
Mr. Christie’s decision also packed a wallop for the elected officials and transit advocates who spent most of the last two decades cobbling together the design for the tunnel. Several of them criticized the governor for rushing to a judgment that they said would hamstring the region’s economy long into the future.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/08/nyregion/08tunnel.html


NY budget chief rips feds over Hudson rail project (https://nypost.com/2017/12/31/ny-budget-chief-rips-feds-over-hudson-rail-project/)


Gov. Cuomo’s budget chief pushed back Sunday against the federal government’s claim that there is no deal in place to fund a $13 billion rail tunnel (https://nypost.com/2017/08/20/a-new-hudson-train-tunnel-is-still-the-regions-top-priority/) under the Hudson River.
State budget director Robert Mujica wrote in a letter sent Sunday to the Federal Transit Administration that the agreement was discussed in an August meeting with President Trump, US Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, Cuomo and New Jersey Gov. ​Chris ​Christie.
The deal hinges on New York, New Jersey and the Port Authority paying 50 percent for the tunnel work and the federal government picking up the ​rest of the ​tab.
“The USDOT stepping away from the 50:50 framework now would represent stepping away from a previously agreed upon path and the entire basis for getting this critical national infrastructure project done,” Mujica wrote to FTA Deputy Administrator K. Jane Williams.
His letter came two days after a Friday missive from Williams describing the 50-50 agreement as “non-existent.”
“There is no such agreement,” she wrote. “We consider it unhelpful to reference a​ ​non-existent ‘agreement’ rather than directly address the responsibility for funding a local project where 9 out of 10 passengers are local transit riders.”


According to Williams, the proposed funding structure would actually put 100 percent of the cost on the federal government because the state burden would be covered fully by federal investment grants and loans.
“The previous plan on file with FTA presumed 83% of project costs would be funded through Federal loans and grants, so this new plan is a move towards even greater Federal dependency,” she continued.
Williams noted that Congress is poised to start discussing infrastructure legislation in “the coming weeks.”
On Sunday, Mujica shot back that Williams’ interpretation that federal loans count toward part of the federal portion of funding “would go against decades of precedent when it comes to funding infrastructure projects of this scale.”
“As an analogy, when a family takes out a mortgage to buy a house, it is the family who is responsible to pay that mortgage. The same applies here — with New York and New Jersey solely responsible to pay back the loan,” he said. “When the family pays off the mortgage, no one thinks the bank has bought and paid for the home just because they loaned the funds.”

https://nypost.com/2017/12/31/ny-budget-chief-rips-feds-over-hudson-rail-project/

[MisterVeritis]

No need for the kook alert, we already know you are here.
We do appreciate the consideration you show when you warn us though.
You lack self-awareness. That is okay.

[Crepitus]

You lack self-awareness. That is okay.

You lack active brain cells. That's not ok.

[Peter1469]

He was elected with Vladimir Putin's personal help to do exactly what he is doing: sow chaos and discord with his every move.

Wow. Very stupid.

Is this made up or believed?

[Crepitus]

Wow. Very stupid.

Is this made up or believed?

Just keep denying it Pete. I know it makes you feel safer.

[Peter1469]

Just keep denying it Pete. I know it makes you feel safer.
No. It has nothing to do with safety. I have that covered.

People who think that Putin supported Trump are stupid. Period.

[Captdon]

He was elected with Vladimir Putin's personal help to do exactly what he is doing: sow chaos and discord with his every move.

God, are you in for a surprise. You may have to change your name. Mueller knows there isn't anything there. If there were, he would have said so to Congress. You love him but think he's holding back evidence of treason.

The chaos is within the Democratic Party for not being able to beat him. It's embarrassing for you but that's the way it is and will be for 7 more years.

[Tahuyaman]

He was elected with Vladimir Putin's personal help to do exactly what he is doing: sow chaos and discord with his every move.


It’s very odd how the partisan hacks cling to that silly meme when all the evidence proves it never happened.