Posted by Spending-Chinese-Money-Lowers-SAMTRANS-Costs, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Jan 22, 2013 at 11:39 am

> The hybrid bus purchase is being financed with a $4.9 million

> American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant. In order to

> keep costs lower,

No .. the costs for these vehicles is not lower because Federal money, half of which is borrowed from the Chinese and must be repaid with interest--it simply reduces the cash outlays from SAMTRANS. This is another cost-shifting trick that forces the American taxpayer to pick up the tab for subsidizing public transportation and its clients.

Dependig on the interest, the total cost of the busses will now be more than that cited in the article. This is how America is going backrupt--one transaction at a time, endorsed by a media that does not understand how finance works.

Posted by A Noun Ea Mus, a resident of the Professorville neighborhood, on Jan 22, 2013 at 2:41 pm

Gee, then all the weaponry for our military, military pay, wars not paid for, all done with (gasp) CHINESE MONEY! That we borrow (now at ridiculously low rates).

Instead Caltrans should buy rickshaws and go to the Home Depot parking lot to hire the rickshaw drivers.

But this is how America gets Dumb and Dumber....one ridiculous point at a time.

Posted by Anon, a member of the Walter Hays School community, on Jan 22, 2013 at 3:41 pm

This reminds me of a movie called "Idiocracy", in which intelligent, highly educated people are too busy to have children. This leaves only undereducated, underemployed people to reproduce, and so the nation gets dumber and dumber and dumber until it becomes a country run by idiots.

Posted by No agendas, a resident of the College Terrace neighborhood, on Jan 22, 2013 at 4:09 pm

"No .. the costs for these vehicles is not lower because Federal money"

Please read the article again:

"In order to keep costs lower, SamTrans has also formed a buying consortium with other agencies for the purchase, Dunn said. "

Posted by common sense, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Jan 23, 2013 at 5:48 am

The reporter should find out how much 25 non-hybrid buses cost, and compare the savings in fuel costs over the increased cost for the buses over the 10 years.

And althought they pollute less nitrogen oxide, what of the battery replacement?