...he's very well connected and let's us listeners "in" on a lot of "behind closed doors" stuff.
So this guy "let you in" on the "fact" that $8B was in this bill for the purpose of engineering studies...
Yes.
and he "let you in" on the "fact" that these engineers are not middle class people...
No. I came to that conclusion on my own.
and employing them to study feasibility and implementation of high-speed mass transit would not stimulate the economy?
Correct, because the projects are years and years down the road. We need jobs that start Monday and repairing infastructure like schools, roads, and bridges.
Ergo the term: Shovel ready.
He's on AM radio. I wouldn't expect him to tell you the truth.
...better than Ashville Pirate Radio, I suppose...
Besides, as you know, or as you
should know stereoman, talk radio in the United States takes place on the A.M. radio band, generally.
Folks here have enough sense to recognize that creating jobs for engineers creates jobs for middle class people, that "shovel ready" does not necessarily mean ready for uneducated blue-collar workers to come along and lean on their shovel handles while one of their ten co-workers operates a machine..
! That is rude to suggest the "blue-collar" workers are "uneducated." Frankly, I'd rather work with a "blue-collar worker" than a "white-collared" worker.
...engineer spend money on their families just as much as anybody else in the middle class, that high-speed transit is crucial to our nation's future, and that before the shovels hit the ground, their work is absolutely essential to a successful project.
Of course HSR is crucial to the U.S. - but it's not crucial tomorrow as "shovel ready" school repair, roads and bridges are... (IMHO)
Apparently Mr. Gross (what an unfortunate name) is not aware of those things, and therefore it never occurred to him to make his listeners aware of them. Could that be the reason why he is on AM talk radio, rather than posting on the Rant?
Ouch. Why don't you call his show and ask him? 415-808-0810 M-F 2PM - 4 PM PDT.
I'm sure you and he can get in quite a discussion. He's not the type to cut you off either and he'll actually have a dialog with you.
I look forward to hearing the exchange of ideas...
Not according to a
UC Berkeley study:
Reich's study cited a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report found that the Cost of Living Index for San Francisco is 74 percent higher than the national average. The study also noted U.S. Census Bureau findings that showed 21 percent of San Francisco residents between the ages of 5 and 18 live in poverty.
- also see -
2008 cost of living index in zip code 94513 (East Bay): 157.4 (very high, U.S. average is 100)
Land area: 88.5 sq. mi.
Water area: 0.1 sq. mi.
Population density: 588 people per square mile
(low).
Estimate of real estate property taxes paid for housing units in 2007:
This zip code: 1.6% ($2,413)
California: 1.4% ($1,564)
- and -
2008 cost of living index in zip code 94114 (San Francisco): 197.3 (very high, U.S. average is 100)
Land area: 1.4 sq. mi.
Water area: 0.0 sq. mi.
Population density: 22192 people per square mile
(very high).
Estimate of real estate property taxes paid for housing units in 2007:
This zip code: 1.1% ($3,377)
California: 1.4% ($1,564)
Median real estate property taxes paid for housing units with mortgages in 2007 in San Francisco: $4,976 (0.6%)
Median real estate property taxes paid for housing units with no mortgage in 2007 in San Francisco: $1,957 (0.3%)
Source...and then we have the
2003 Census for San Francisco for median family incomes:
3 San Francisco city, CA 67,809 64,338 71,280
![[Linked Image from i48.photobucket.com]](http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f228/ca_rickf/BayArea.jpg)
Source ...additionally:
How People Survive in Expensive Areas
People skip essential insurance.
They take on a lot of credit card debt.
They band together as a family unit under one roof.
They rent out living space.
They delay having children.
They work several jobs.
They do work shifts within the family.
They live off their home equity.
Source 
