# How Do We Save Rural America.



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

From Growing Tennessee.

Regards, Mike

http://tennessee.growingamerica.com/features/2020/02/how-do-we-save-rural-america


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## VA Haymaker (Jul 1, 2014)

In my neck of the woods, population, unemployment and tax revenue wouldn't be a problem - IMHO... if...

Instead of spending millions of dollars on sports complexes, softball and soccer fields - put that money in industrial economic development.

Rather than obliterate potential industrial sites (which have access to high speed internet, natural gas and easy interstate access) with elaborate new schools, use the land for industry, save the tax payer millions on school loans (and raising taxes), fix and repair the old school (like we do with our old homes and churches).

Realize that just because it's an old neighborhood, it doesn't have to fall into disrepair via slumlord rental (which NEVER does anything to improve the property and with it, local government benefit from the increased property tax revenues that go with it). It's sad, if a developer wanted to build a low income apartment, the local governments would generally come out against it as "who wants that in their back yard", yet they will let well kept older homes, one by one, fall into slumlord rent as the older generation passes on.

I could go on....


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

leeave96 said:


> In my neck of the woods, population, unemployment and tax revenue wouldn't be a problem - IMHO... if...
> Instead of spending millions of dollars on sports complexes, softball and soccer fields - put that money in industrial economic development.


I agree with this 1000%

We as a nation, (me included) spend far too many dollars on things that have no tangible value. Enjoyment/recreation is nice, but when other things are suffering it's a very selfish ideal to uphold. Spend a BILLION dollars on a stadium while the streets leading to it are crumbling. Makes as much sense as an asshole on your elbow.

Infrastructure in the country is far out of date. I read the other day that if all infrastructure in the world that is already there was upgraded to what it needed to be, it would be in the neighborhood of $97 TRILLION dollars. That amount of money can't be found.


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

I also agree sports complexes, softball and soccer fields aren't the best investment for TAX $$$$$$$ but then high paid high school & college coaches aren't either.


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## weatherman (Dec 5, 2008)

Keep Bloomberg out of office.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

You could drive-through Lancaster' county Pennsylvania. You could get some ideas there


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

I have a lot of railroad tracks in my little rural town. Some are actively hauling freight (mostly steel). Passenger lines have been neglected for decades and left for junk. Many people around here bitch like crazy about our traffic congestion and all the "heavy trucks". I think returning commuter rail into service would help tremendously. Freight could also be moved on same tracks.

I don't understand why they dont put the tracks that have been taken out of service, back into service to take some freight tonnage off the pavement, which would maker the roads last longer. Also, replace some train stations back into service as the commuter rails they once were. I wish more emphasis would be put into infrastructure like this instead of stadiums.

I actually complained about the rails being taken out of service to my local congressman. Apparently others complained too. After 30 years one 10 mile section of our several abandoned rail lines was restored to the tune of $177 million! (That price tag includes several unsafe trestle bridges, track, catenary, train stations, road grade crossings, not just tracks).

My area is watching with hope as refurbished roadbed, trestle bridges, track and overhead catenary are being replaced. In this picture, you will see a newly installed bridge and catenary. To the right, just off the highway, a new state of the art train station is being built.  It should ease traffic congestion and make public transportation so much easier. 
The other picture is a local freight line that hauls lumber and steel through a lot of land I farm.


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## KS John (Aug 6, 2018)

JD3430 said:


> I have a lot of railroad tracks in my little rural town. Some are actively hauling freight (mostly steel). Passenger lines have been neglected for decades and left for junk. Many people around here bitch like crazy about our traffic congestion and all the "heavy trucks". I think returning commuter rail into service would help tremendously. Freight could also be moved on same tracks.
> 
> I don't understand why they dont put the tracks that have been taken out of service, back into service to take some freight tonnage off the pavement, which would maker the roads last longer. Also, replace some train stations back into service as the commuter rails they once were. I wish more emphasis would be put into infrastructure like this instead of stadiums.
> 
> ...


I for one would love to have rail service increase in this country. But while the rest of the world has invested in rail and high speed rail travel in some cases, we remove it from service. We (me included) have gotten used to just getting in the car and going, not having to wait for a scheduled train service. we seem to have made care ownership a right, not a privilege. This is also a possible reason for the USA not having much rail service.



 Maybe if we keep the government out of the process we could avoid the overspending and other obstacles that seem to be inheirant in any big construction project.


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