• antonim@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    Every single time this meme is posted, it is pointed out that the number in the above part is delusionally low. And yet the meme is reposted again and again both on reddit and on Lemmy and god knows where else.

    • Ferrous@lemmy.ml
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      3 days ago

      500 million could buy you a fleet of 150 buses to start a bus system for a small town.

      Sure, it won’t buy you a coast-to-coast rail system, but no one said that was what the 500m was trying to afford.

      • doingthestuff@lemy.lol
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        2 days ago

        Yes but it’s talking about the US government. Cities draw their own taxes and decide how to spend it. The US government isn’t going to be running local bus routes. The US government should build a network of national high speed rail, but it would cost in the trillions. Ridiculous magnitudes more than the meme is talking about.

      • Bilb!@lemmy.ml
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        3 days ago

        I think the lack of specificity in “US Government officials” implies national, federal government and not small town municipal official. Calling the latter “US Government officials” feels weird. I guess a federal government official could approve funding for a local government somewhere, though.

        I think this is just a case of sloppy memesmanship.

      • MinnesotaGoddam@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        I’d slow that to 50 busses and that way you have reserve for accidents and maintenance. Also, they can be fancier busses if we have fewer of them

      • antonim@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        That sounds about reasonable. But how many people upvoting the meme have such a modest result in mind?

    • CombatWombat@feddit.online
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      3 days ago

      We’re having trouble finishing the light rail spur that is intended to serve my neighborhood, and our transit authority needs $300 million to complete the design. The budget shortfall is $34.5 billion on a projected $42.5 billion project. And that’s one line for one neighborhood in one city.

      • antonim@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        Yeah, the prices are mind-boggling (but worth it in the end). Hope it will work out for you.