en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/618318 Comments by Fumanchu_Green http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Iowa-City-Officials-Reinforce-Support-for-Local-Money-Going-to-Passenger-Rail-118204154.html#IDComment136463206 Ridership is a valid point. And it's good you brought it up. It's estimated that an average of 65,000 people use trains for traveling to and from Iowa per year. Currently there is no service to major cities in Iowa unless you count Burlington/West Burlington (est pop. 35,000) and Ottumwa (est. pop. 35,000). All the other towns currently serviced are 10,000 - 15,000 or less. It also should be noted that ridership in Iowa has risen over the last decade by about 16%. Now consider rail service to IA City with a population of 50,000+ with CR just 20 miles away with a population of 120,000+. Seems that ridership would dramatically increase. And if they connect it to Des Moines in the future with a popuation of 500,000+, it really seems as though it would increase ridership even more. Mon, 21 Mar 2011 13:06:59 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Iowa-City-Officials-Reinforce-Support-for-Local-Money-Going-to-Passenger-Rail-118204154.html#IDComment136463206 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Iowa-City-Officials-Reinforce-Support-for-Local-Money-Going-to-Passenger-Rail-118204154.html#IDComment136305308 I did a google search on parking rates at O'Hare. I was off. But not by much. I found that I could park for $31 per day - I probably should have specified in my post above that was the rate I was thinking of. After all, if you fly out of an airport, how often are you back 4 - 6 hours later. And at the CR airport, it's almost $10 per day. Sun, 20 Mar 2011 21:52:26 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Iowa-City-Officials-Reinforce-Support-for-Local-Money-Going-to-Passenger-Rail-118204154.html#IDComment136305308 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Iowa-City-Officials-Reinforce-Support-for-Local-Money-Going-to-Passenger-Rail-118204154.html#IDComment136304321 You talk of fiscal responsibility. But have you considered the cost of our current transportation systems. Our highway system is not self-sustaining. Airline travel is not self-sustaining. If you're for fiscal responsibility, then you should also champion the elimination of subsidies for airline travel and highway systems. Sun, 20 Mar 2011 21:44:45 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Iowa-City-Officials-Reinforce-Support-for-Local-Money-Going-to-Passenger-Rail-118204154.html#IDComment136304321 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Iowa-City-Officials-Reinforce-Support-for-Local-Money-Going-to-Passenger-Rail-118204154.html#IDComment136303859 Actually, here in Iowa 17% of our transportation budget comes from the general budget. That means income taxes, sales taxes, corporate taxes and the like. The fact of the matter is that rail is much more affordable than our current high cost transportation systems. Consider this point. Just a couple of years ago, we resurfaced I380 to IA City - a total of about 19 miles if you believe the signs. This was done at a cost of about $800,000 per mile. Now consider the IA City to to QC route that the want to put in. Estimated distance of 70 miles at a cost of about $500,000 per mile. Now if you consider the quality of materials used. Steel rails will last decades longer than the asphalt surface used on 380. Additionally, every year the state has to keep the roads cleared in the winter which means paying snow plow drivers and purchasing sand, salt and de-icing solutions so that we can keep using them. Rail will need repairs and upkeep from time to time, but if you compare the costs, rail is much more cost efficient than our highway system. Sun, 20 Mar 2011 21:41:23 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Iowa-City-Officials-Reinforce-Support-for-Local-Money-Going-to-Passenger-Rail-118204154.html#IDComment136303859 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Iowa-City-Officials-Reinforce-Support-for-Local-Money-Going-to-Passenger-Rail-118204154.html#IDComment136082140 Where the heck are you parking?? Last time I was in Chicago, it cost me $50 for only 4 hours. And at O'Hare, I think it might be $35 or $40. Sat, 19 Mar 2011 17:24:17 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Iowa-City-Officials-Reinforce-Support-for-Local-Money-Going-to-Passenger-Rail-118204154.html#IDComment136082140 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Iowa-City-Officials-Reinforce-Support-for-Local-Money-Going-to-Passenger-Rail-118204154.html#IDComment136081360 Actually on existing rails the train maxes out at 79. But you're right that's not high speed. I consider high speed something in the range of 120 - 150 mph or faster. Sat, 19 Mar 2011 17:21:32 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Iowa-City-Officials-Reinforce-Support-for-Local-Money-Going-to-Passenger-Rail-118204154.html#IDComment136081360 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Poll-Less-Than-Half-of-Iowans-Approve-of-Gov-Branstad-116574063.html#IDComment129608175 I thought I heard Fox put his approval at 52%. I'm not sure on that number, just what I thought I heard. However, I visited my dad over the weekend and he wondered why no R's have announced they are running for president. My theory is that they are milking Fox for free air time. My dad had a different take on it. He suggested that the current batch of possible R contenders knows that they can't defeat him at this time. Which is interesting because I did hear that his numbers right now are higher than both Clinton's and Regan's at this point in their presidencies. Mon, 21 Feb 2011 13:35:46 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Poll-Less-Than-Half-of-Iowans-Approve-of-Gov-Branstad-116574063.html#IDComment129608175 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Poll-Less-Than-Half-of-Iowans-Approve-of-Gov-Branstad-116574063.html#IDComment129607351 I have to disagree with your fact about closing the unemployment offices. Culver had already closed several UI offices across the state, so this is hardly new. Secondly, there will be no loss of services as Iowa Workforce can be accessed on the internet. And direct connections to Iowa Workforce are being made available at public libraries and ISU extension offices throughout the state. I was laid off for almost 17 months and I only went to the unemployment office twice. Everything else, I did online. Mon, 21 Feb 2011 13:29:51 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Poll-Less-Than-Half-of-Iowans-Approve-of-Gov-Branstad-116574063.html#IDComment129607351 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Bill-Allowing-UI-To-Sell-Pollock-Painting-Moves-Ahead-116314074.html#IDComment128367502 Let me get this straight, you favor selling a work of art that is known throughout the world in order to fund art scholarships so students can learn about world famous artwork? Talk about shooting yourself in the foot. Wed, 16 Feb 2011 18:38:01 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Bill-Allowing-UI-To-Sell-Pollock-Painting-Moves-Ahead-116314074.html#IDComment128367502 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/WATCH-RAGBRAI-Include-Overnight-Stay-in-Coralville-114884144.html#IDComment125775781 A thumbs down? Really? Someone must not appreciate A) the positive aspects of this event, B) the Iowa landscape, C) Iowa hospitality, D) Home-made pies, E) Friendly farmers, or F) Bonfires. Hmmmmm. EditDelete Report Thu, 3 Feb 2011 22:26:36 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/WATCH-RAGBRAI-Include-Overnight-Stay-in-Coralville-114884144.html#IDComment125775781 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/North-Liberty-Bike-Shop-Gearing-Up-for-RAGBRAI-114916214.html#IDComment124983127 It's funny you mention that you pray for killer heat and lots of rain. My favorite RAGBRAI was the one where it rained everyday. You get to a point where you're wearing wet clothes, you set your tent up in the rain, you sleep in a soggy sleeping bag and in the morning you put on fresh wet clothes, take your soaking wet tent down and roll up your soggy sleeping bag and do it again the next day. And after all that, you just stop caring about the little things which allows you more freedom to have a better experience. Don't get me wrong. I don't pray for rain, but it's really not as bad as you think. Mon, 31 Jan 2011 21:16:50 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/North-Liberty-Bike-Shop-Gearing-Up-for-RAGBRAI-114916214.html#IDComment124983127 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/WATCH-RAGBRAI-Include-Overnight-Stay-in-Coralville-114884144.html#IDComment124770623 Not sure what you mean by 'featured rides.' The event itself is a week long. It consists of 7 rides that start each morning in one town and then finish in another town - each town being further across the state. Rides generally average about 60-70 miles. And typically, I've heard estimates that there are about 10,000 to 12,000 riders each day. It would not make any sense to use bike trails as that many users at 1 time would totally overwhelm a bike path. The route comes out the last week of January and mainly sticks to secondary roads - primary and gravel roads are also utilized, but only where necessary. Sun, 30 Jan 2011 19:21:12 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/WATCH-RAGBRAI-Include-Overnight-Stay-in-Coralville-114884144.html#IDComment124770623 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/WATCH-RAGBRAI-Include-Overnight-Stay-in-Coralville-114884144.html#IDComment124769633 It's true you can't please everyone. And while I haven't ridden RAGBRAI in several years, I stand in support of the people that do and the people that organize such an event. When I was in college, I was introduced to the term 'Fly-over state' in regards to Iowa. Having been on RAGBRAI, I've seen Iowa real close up. And Iowa is much better than that. We have lakes, rivers, and unique features that we should be proud of. Additionally, we have great people. People that turn out to see the riders through their towns. They wave, cheer and shout encouragement. In overnight towns, I've even had some locals offer warm showers free of charge. They've set up lawn chairs, visited with us and in a few times have even offered home made pies to us. One farmer had even lined his ditch with plastic and then filled it with water so that we could 'take a dip before we got to the mighty Mississipp.' I would argue that Iowa is a hidden gem and RAGBRAI is an event that shows our nation and the world that we have a good looking piece of land between 2 rivers as that our hospitality is second-to-none. Sun, 30 Jan 2011 19:12:21 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/WATCH-RAGBRAI-Include-Overnight-Stay-in-Coralville-114884144.html#IDComment124769633 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/WATCH-RAGBRAI-Include-Overnight-Stay-in-Coralville-114884144.html#IDComment124755615 It actually covers quite a bit. The Register takes 8,500 people. And there are numerous other clubs that take dozens if not several hundred riders. When I last rode it, it was estimated there were between 10,000 and 12,000 riders. And on top of that there are support personnel and day riders. The fee for a rider is $150 per week and mathematically that works out to $1.25 million if you only count the 8,500 that the register takes. And if we go with a conservative 10,000 riders you come up with $1.5 million. The fee for a non-rider is $35. I've never heard an estimate given for non-riders, but I'm willing to bet there's quite a few. And if you want to ride just 1 day it's $25 per day. And there are quite a few of those. I've done 2 daily rides with RAGBRAI in addition to my 7 full rides. Additionally, the Register sells RAGBRAI merchandise - T-shirts, jerseys, hats, keychains, posters, patches, etc. which brings in more revenue. I would hazard a guess that the Register brings in between $2.5 and $3 million for this event. Sun, 30 Jan 2011 17:20:07 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/WATCH-RAGBRAI-Include-Overnight-Stay-in-Coralville-114884144.html#IDComment124755615 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/WATCH-RAGBRAI-Include-Overnight-Stay-in-Coralville-114884144.html#IDComment124750808 Actually, I do know better. I've ridden RAGBRAI 7 times and have traveled with a group of about 150 riders. We pay fees to our club to haul our gear and get us transported to the starting town and from the ending town. Additionally, we have 3 people that get paid to come along with us to secure our campgrounds, get ice and cold drinks and the are responsible for the placement of arrows so that we can find our campground after we get in. And after we leave in the morning they comb through our campground and make sure that A) we didn't leave anything behind and B) making sure that all of our garbage is picked up. Sun, 30 Jan 2011 16:54:13 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/WATCH-RAGBRAI-Include-Overnight-Stay-in-Coralville-114884144.html#IDComment124750808 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/WATCH-RAGBRAI-Include-Overnight-Stay-in-Coralville-114884144.html#IDComment124741415 RAGBRAI is privately funded through registration and rider fees. Sun, 30 Jan 2011 16:16:13 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/WATCH-RAGBRAI-Include-Overnight-Stay-in-Coralville-114884144.html#IDComment124741415 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Police-Man-Reported-Himself-too-Drunk-to-Drive--112498299.html#IDComment118452618 I think you answered your own question. The law isn't supposed to be a taxi service. And yes it does indeed state "to protect and serve". However if that's the case, then one could drink as much as one could and just call the cops for a ride home. Sure beats taking the responsible way out of finding your own designated driver or pony up for your own taxi cab. Tue, 28 Dec 2010 22:04:53 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Police-Man-Reported-Himself-too-Drunk-to-Drive--112498299.html#IDComment118452618 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Police-Man-Reported-Himself-too-Drunk-to-Drive--112498299.html#IDComment118267953 Thanks. I didn't know that. And I bet a lot of people didn't know that. Mon, 27 Dec 2010 18:46:02 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Police-Man-Reported-Himself-too-Drunk-to-Drive--112498299.html#IDComment118267953 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Police-Man-Reported-Himself-too-Drunk-to-Drive--112498299.html#IDComment118254912 I had not heard of a situation like that. A friend of mine knew someone that got it and the police waited until he started the car. Mon, 27 Dec 2010 16:52:40 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Police-Man-Reported-Himself-too-Drunk-to-Drive--112498299.html#IDComment118254912 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Police-Man-Reported-Himself-too-Drunk-to-Drive--112498299.html#IDComment118254716 I agree. I'm glad that everyone including him is safe. My only point was that since the car was running the police can get him for operating a vehicle while under the influence. Had he not started the car, they couldn't have prosecuted him. Personally, I agree with the above poster that suggested that he should be billed for his taxi and let go. Mon, 27 Dec 2010 16:51:20 +0000 http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Police-Man-Reported-Himself-too-Drunk-to-Drive--112498299.html#IDComment118254716