Comments on: Tolls Up, State Down

By: Denizen

Denizen — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 16:10:31 +0000

I was merely anticipating and preemptively dealing with their counterargument.

In other words, building a straw man.

By: Buffalopundit

Buffalopundit — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 12:29:24 +0000

Oh please Alan, it almost sounds like you’re blaming the so-called “anti-car” folk for higher gas prices. That would be pretty godamn absurd if that’s what you really meant.

Our Thruway Authority/general failboat NYS mess is largely due to the utter indifference of the voting public, not organic carrot-chompers. And even then, don’t forget about all those who don’t even bother voting in the first place.

I never blamed the anti-car folk. I was merely anticipating and preemptively dealing with their counterargument.

By: CelticTide

CelticTide — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 03:51:45 +0000

Thanks for the link to the site, it’s been awhile since I’ve visited and you helped to deliver the news that it will cost me 37.50 for a ten day pass for my three to four days that I’ll be in the canal this summer. Plus the 19.95+tax cruising guide, that’s close to sixty bucks to the great state of NY to move the last major peice of personal property that I own in NYS out of there. We were going to get it shipped down to the Chesapeake but the lure of the canal/hudson/ny harbor trip was too strong. Hope the budgets gas estimate stays accurate.

By: CelticTide

CelticTide — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 03:34:53 +0000

Actually, the fees on boaters were raised 100% over last year when the authority announced that all 2007 fees would be waived. The NYS canal system is integral within the various routes known as “loops”, or navigable routes around the eastern and northeastern US. Boat travel through the state tends to have a greater economic impact than car or truck travelelers, at least on a per traveler basis. Consider that a through canal traveler may be in the system anywhere from three to thirty days. One can imagine all of the economic benefits to canalside towns that provide the food/fuel/supplies/dockage/lodging services that the canal travelers require. The popularity of these trips, especially with retiring baby boomers is growing rapidly as a sort of kick off to retirement/first major cruise/bucket list type of event. It is often an annual trip considering the length of the trip and the seasonal advantages of the North/South routes. Where I agree with you is the wasteful and unaccountable nature of the NYS Thruway Authority and even with the question of why do they run the canal system, which by the way includes more than the Erie Canal. The routes are often referred to as “The Great Loop”, “The Great Eastern Loop” or “The Northeast Loop” and may include the Great Lakes, NYS Canal System, St. Lawrence River, Miss. River, The Inter-coastal waterway, Hudson River, Hudson Bay, Gulf of Mexico.

By: Denizen

Denizen — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:56:42 +0000

Oh please Alan, it almost sounds like you’re blaming the so-called “anti-car” folk for higher gas prices. That would be pretty godamn absurd if that’s what you really meant.

Our Thruway Authority/general failboat NYS mess is largely due to the utter indifference of the voting public, not organic carrot-chompers. And even then, don’t forget about all those who don’t even bother voting in the first place.

Joe Sixpack, (who keeps re-electing all those damn incumbents) is more to blame than those bike-riding Lexington co-op shoppers you like to demonize. Most normal people just don’t give much of a turd when it comes to politics on the state and local level. Even on the national level, only the most superficial issues get much attention from the general public.

Perhaps we need to re-examine the fundamentals of American democracy. Blame “da gumbnt” all you want, in reality a government is as good as the population who are able to make informed votes.

By: Chris Smith

Chris Smith — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 12:29:03 +0000

How long have you been waiting to use the Failroad line? Perfect use, well played.