[soerxpso]

The entity you're implicitly proposing should take the money doesn't have a good track record of spending it wisely. I'd much rather let the startup founders keep their money and build rockets with it, than spend another few trillion on building 100 meters of high-speed rail.

[patagurbon]

The whole problem with CalHSR is precisely that they can’t spend any real money… There were governmental barriers like CEQA and local NIMBYs but the primary cost culprit is that the legislature has continuously kicked fully funding the project down the tracks for the past two decades. Funding it fully with a 10-20 year construction timeline in the early 2010s would’ve far cheaper at this point.

Every American economic miracle has been precipitated by the government building basic infrastructure and doing basic research.

[anon291]

So it's pretty clear it's not the billionaires but random thousandaire loudmouths that are the problem then.

[ericd]

Does this contradict the comment you're replying to, somehow, or are you trying to prove their point?