• antonim@lemmy.world
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    22 hours 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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      22 hours 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.

      • MinnesotaGoddam@lemmy.world
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        10 hours 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

      • Bilb!@lemmy.ml
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        19 hours 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.

      • antonim@lemmy.world
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        18 hours 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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      22 hours 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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        18 hours ago

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