What bothers me about the whole thing is that, yes we do have a portion of the highway built right now, I don't see that as justification for building more. Especially when the data shows it's severely under-utilized. Putting more money towards a project that is giving no return on the investment even in the foreseeable long term makes no business sense. If corridor h with hard data facts show that traffic usage was going to grow at rates of 15% for the first year, 23.9% the second, and so forth, then that could present possibly a valid argument. But since 2003 when the first section opened till now, I drive it daily and it's deader than a doornail.
Speaking from a business perspective, lets say with my business I decided to go out and build a new office/shop. But instead of just doing a single story building, I aimed for a 20 story tower, with no hard facts to show the other floors would be rented out asap. Thus giving me no hope of recouping my capital investment ever. Imagine if I had hundreds of investors giving me money to pursue that project and it resulted in a 5 employee business using an empty 20 story building we just built. Those investors would be calling for my head and their money back. It's no different with the state and federal government with our tax dollars being that same investment. I'm a firm believer that the government has no capabilities of understanding business principles when it comes to using money that it doesn't have to worry about being held accountable for managing correctly. Thus leading to massive pork where there might be a much smaller legitimate need and turning it into a full blown, over developed and created monstrosity that wouldn't serve a full purpose for 60+ years.
I personally wouldn't mind leaving corridor h as is... as a reminder to corrupted power at it's worst and just abandon the project. While many of us here would love to see a faster way to Canaan/TL, that in the end has no justification for the extent of spending and construction that has gone on so far. Mainly because once again, even 1000 extra drivers on the highway going to Canaan and TL still doesn't generate enough tax revenue in that area to even put a dent in the cost of repayment of the highway.
Somewhere in there is a lie, an exaggeration, something left out, etc.
You know you just described MSNBC, CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN, AP Press, and more!! If you want to keep the label you gave to Fox news and the Hannity show, you can't leave out Chris Matthews on MSNBC who nearly had an orgasmic reaction claiming he had fervering feelings going up and down his leg when a particular politican spoke at a convention, you can't get anymore exaggerating, biased, and or willing to lie for a particular agenda as Mr. Matthews did there. So definitely be sure to include all of that next time in your post too!
I have nothing against projects that creates jobs. But when only a few hundred construction workers are working a temporary project that ends in a few years before many of those people are hunting for jobs once more because the highway itself isn't self generating revenue to reinvest into employee expenses, it's a false hope. A temporary job with the government as a employeer (or contractor) and since we know the gov is so wonderful at fiscal business practices, I'm just waiting for the explanation of how a few hundred jobs here, a few hundred there that only last for a year or two is saving the economy? Isn't restricting the extremely government based limitations on current businesses so that they keep their money, re-invest it because they know how to do that for their own survival sake the best long term strategy? Those are more shovel ready now than even Corridor H is. Take off tax burdens, limitations, and let business... run their own businesses, market their products, sell massively popular products which then creates more jobs to keep up with product demand. In many cases lifting those tax burdens, restrictions, and limitations would give an immediate breath of life into the economy that would endure for decades if left that way. Leaving the government to actually shrink and take a very hands off approach. It's basic economics 101.
Oh, and for Scott that's watching, this IS ski related because I mentioned Canaan and TL in here.