The US federal government is NOT flush with cash. In fact, it is in debt to the tune of $21 trillion plus (as seen below):
Visit USADebtClock.com to learn more!
But, within the span of about 24 hours the federal government handed $75 million to the City of Albuquerque for the ART bus system which nobody wanted in the first place. The feds also gave New Mexico $29.4 million (the first installment of what will be an expected $50 million expenditure) to help the State of New Mexico comply with federal “Positive Train Control” regulations.
Of course this all comes on top of the $50 million that our Senate delegation secured to keep the lightly-used and money losing Southwest Chief Amtrak train rolling.
Sadly, while New Mexico taxpayers may appreciate the debt-fueled federal largess, none of these projects will do much to improve the actual transportation network of New Mexico. Sadly, even under Trump the federal government seems happy to keep throwing money at these LOSERS.
The Southwest Chief was the second largest money loser of all Amtrak routes in 2014. There is nothing Amtrak can do that Greyhound can’t, and Greyhound goes more places and pays income taxes while Amtrak gets taxpayer subsidies http://reasonrail.blogspot.com/2014/11/amtrak-routes-by-2014-cost-recovery.html
This is what happens when your senators are focused on lobbyists wants and not what the state needs. It doesn’t help that Heinrich doesn’t even live in the State. His focus is not New Mexico. Except to lockup more land so that resources can’t be developed. Ineffectual people like Lujan/Grisham spend all those years in DC and don’t even get one thing written, sponsored, or passed, useless performance. To bad all this money is not for our highways. We’ve got to change the political representation in New Mexico.
It is probably a good thing that Lujan-Grisham hasn’t gotten one thing written, sponsored or passed in DC…