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Taxpayer money goes to fund the Airline industry in a wide number of ways, just a few would be that fact that most airports are government run, many operating a

by syshum 6y ago

Taxpayer money goes to fund the Airline industry in a wide number of ways, just a few would be that fact that most airports are government run, many operating at net loss when proper accounting is used. We also subsidize security (tsa), traffic control (faa), and do not get me started on the billions and billions in bailouts the airlines get with every economic down turn. So to say the economic part is not obvious one has to be willfully ignorant of government spending, just listing the obvious source of government subsidy there are many other less obvious one including special tax exemptions, and many other programs that have indirect benefits to the industry

enriquec 6y ago
And rail would literally not exist without way more government intervention (eminent domain), subsidies, and bailouts. On the eve of self driving it is actually obvious that rail is economically inferior by several orders of magnitude.
closeparen 6y ago
This report [0] suggests significantly higher passenger-mile costs in both fares and subsidies for Amtrak vs. air travel. It looks pretty off the cuff, I’m sure you could dispute the methodology, but... let’s see yours. [0] https://urbanreforminstitute.org/2019/09/transport-costs-and-subsidies-by-mode/ https://urbanreforminstitute.org/2019/09/transport-costs-and...
- syshum 6y ago
  OK, and? I find it amusing that in this thread if I make a statement opposing government funding of trains people point out that Airplanes get government funding, and if make a comment opposing government funding of airplanes people point out that trains get government funding It seems that the 2 groups are completely unable to fathom that a person could simply oppose government funding of both Planes and Trains.... Neither Amtrak nor Air Travel should get ANY tax payer money, for any purpose or reason..
  - closeparen 6y ago
    Do you have this confused with a different subthread perhaps? The argument you made above is that rail is obviously more economically efficient than aviation, and that to doubt this is willfully ignorant.

by syshum 6y ago

enriquec 6y ago

And rail would literally not exist without way more government intervention (eminent domain), subsidies, and bailouts. On the eve of self driving it is actually obvious that rail is economically inferior by several orders of magnitude.

closeparen 6y ago

This report [0] suggests significantly higher passenger-mile costs in both fares and subsidies for Amtrak vs. air travel. It looks pretty off the cuff, I’m sure you could dispute the methodology, but... let’s see yours. [0] https://urbanreforminstitute.org/2019/09/transport-costs-and-subsidies-by-mode/ https://urbanreforminstitute.org/2019/09/transport-costs-and...

syshum 6y ago
OK, and? I find it amusing that in this thread if I make a statement opposing government funding of trains people point out that Airplanes get government funding, and if make a comment opposing government funding of airplanes people point out that trains get government funding It seems that the 2 groups are completely unable to fathom that a person could simply oppose government funding of both Planes and Trains.... Neither Amtrak nor Air Travel should get ANY tax payer money, for any purpose or reason..
- closeparen 6y ago
  Do you have this confused with a different subthread perhaps? The argument you made above is that rail is obviously more economically efficient than aviation, and that to doubt this is willfully ignorant.