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High school kid faster than Usain ‘Lightning’ Bolt

The Spin Meister

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An altered state
Kid in Louisiana recently ran a. 19.49 in the 200 meters which is a half second faster than Bolt’s best time as an 18 yr old. His time would have won gold at the last Olympics and is the fourth fastest in history.

 
Nyckoles Harbor, a 2023 5-star football recruit who has been offered by PSU and many other major programs is a terrific track athlete also at 6'5" and 225#.

He has run 10.29 100m and 20.76 200m. What a sight coming down the track.

 
Nyckoles Harbor, a 2023 5-star football recruit who has been offered by PSU and many other major programs is a terrific track athlete also at 6'5" and 225#.

He has run 10.29 100m and 20.76 200m. What a sight coming down the track.

He had a slow start. Imagine his time if he started strong! Should be a tight end or wideout....if he has hands. ....better than Megatron!
 
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He had a slow start. Imagine his time if he started strong! Should be a tight end or wideout....if he has hands. ....better than Megatron!
TSM, not sure where you live, but if you're a true track fan, you should take in the Penn Relays run in late April in Philadelphia. Action galore and the Jamaicans turn out in large number to celebrate their teams. Lots of fun.
 
TSM, not sure where you live, but if you're a true track fan, you should take in the Penn Relays run in late April in Philadelphia. Action galore and the Jamaicans turn out in large number to celebrate their teams. Lots of fun.
Haven't been since the 80s, but for an enjoyable afternoon, it has a lot going for it, not least of which are the Jamaican kids.
 
TSM, not sure where you live, but if you're a true track fan, you should take in the Penn Relays run in late April in Philadelphia. Action galore and the Jamaicans turn out in large number to celebrate their teams. Lots of fun.
One of my favorite events of all time. The Jamaicans make for a wonderful atmosphere.
 
TSM, not sure where you live, but if you're a true track fan, you should take in the Penn Relays run in late April in Philadelphia. Action galore and the Jamaicans turn out in large number to celebrate their teams. Lots of fun.
W Pa near the Ohio line. A long drive for me. But does sound like fun,
 
Just looked it up. From the Ohio border to Philly it’s $42.80 with EZ pass. It’s $86.60 without EZ pass!

From the Ohio border to New Jersey border is $49.50 and $100.20 (!!!) respectively.

That’s just ridiculous.
Yikes. Grew up in PA but haven't lived there since 1986.

But I recall even going way back the Turnpike and Turnpike Authority was considered inefficient and crooked.
 
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Yikes. Grew up in PA but haven't lived there since 1986.

But I recall even going way back the Turnpike and Turnpike Authority was considered inefficient and crooked.
Wasn’t the TA that screwed the pooch here. It was the state legislature. They forced 5he turnpike to pay the state $450 billion per year on top of their operating costs. F’ers did so knowing they would get payoffs while the pike got the blame.
 
Wasn’t the TA that screwed the pooch here. It was the state legislature. They forced 5he turnpike to pay the state $450 billion per year on top of their operating costs. F’ers did so knowing they would get payoffs while the pike got the blame.
Believe that's $450 million, which is bad enough.

The details aren't pretty. (this piece from 2019, so things could be worse)


...But Monday finally brought some good news: The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, which hadn’t been able to make payments to PennDOT (and, by extension, SEPTA) ever since April 2018, unanimously decided it would issue $800 million worth of bonds to alleviate the backlog. Roughly three-quarters of that money will go to SEPTA, which should both make up for this year’s lost funds and keep the agency’s budget afloat for the next year.

SEPTA’s been hugely reliant on Turnpike Commission funds ever since state legislators passed a law called Act 89 in 2013, which mandated that the Turnpike pay $450 million each year to PennDOT to fund public-transportation-related infrastructure projects. The Turnpike had already been paying PennDOT $450 million annually since 2007, but this new legislation earmarked the money exclusively for transit, benefitting SEPTA greatly. In fiscal year 2017, for instance, SEPTA’s total budget for capital improvements was $550 million — $300 million of which came from the Turnpike.

The problem with this arrangement is that the Turnpike is billions of dollars in debt and can’t actually afford to make these Harrisburg-mandated payments. So year after year, the Turnpike’s been paying just $50 million of its obligation in cash — and issuing $400 million worth of bonds to cover the rest. Now it’s got $6.8 billion dollars worth of debt — not counting interest — just from these bond issuances alone.

Making matters worse, the Turnpike was sued in federal court last year by a group of trucking advocates, who alleged that the Commission’s tolling practices were unconstitutional. Due to the risk the lawsuit posed to the Turnpike’s revenue stream, investors didn’t consider it a safe place to stash their money via bonds, which meant the Commission couldn’t raise its $400 million of funds. Thus, the Turnpike stopped making payments to PennDOT — and the hit to SEPTA’s budget began.

Last month, a judge ruled in favor of the Turnpike. But the trucking groups have appealed the case, which is still ongoing. At any rate, SEPTA projects had remained on hold because Turnpike officials weren’t sure they’d be able to get a favorable interest rate on yet another bond issue, given the Turnpike’s two-front war of the ongoing lawsuit and its massive debt obligations.

It turns out, fortunately for SEPTA, that those fears were unfounded. Turnpike officials determined on Monday that there’s sufficient demand for another bond issue. This new $800 million influx will make up for the lack of payments going back to April 2018, as well as the Turnpike obligation to PennDOT for fiscal year 2020. (It will also, by the way, raise the Turnpike’s total debt burden to $12 billion.)

The Turnpike plans to issue its new bond in mid-June, which means SEPTA’s money should begin rolling in soon. The 37 projects SEPTA had paused should be back on track by the start of July. In the end, it was only a six-month delay. “It sets things back a little bit, but we think it’s manageable,” says SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch.

But here’s the ominous news: According to Act 89, the Turnpike has to keep funding $450 million to PennDOT until 2022 — which amounts to an outstanding IOU worth $900 million. The trucking lawsuit appeal could take years to finally resolve, and with the Turnpike only getting further mired in debt, who knows if the funding-through-bonds approach will work in the coming years. If that’s the case, there’s not much SEPTA or the Turnpike can do. “It wouldn’t be feasible without doing a bond deal,” Turnpike spokesperson Carl DeFebo sa
ys of the payments. “It’s no secret,” he adds, “that the Turnpike has been seeking relief from this.”
 
Believe that's $450 million, which is bad enough.

The details aren't pretty. (this piece from 2019, so things could be worse)


...But Monday finally brought some good news: The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, which hadn’t been able to make payments to PennDOT (and, by extension, SEPTA) ever since April 2018, unanimously decided it would issue $800 million worth of bonds to alleviate the backlog. Roughly three-quarters of that money will go to SEPTA, which should both make up for this year’s lost funds and keep the agency’s budget afloat for the next year.

SEPTA’s been hugely reliant on Turnpike Commission funds ever since state legislators passed a law called Act 89 in 2013, which mandated that the Turnpike pay $450 million each year to PennDOT to fund public-transportation-related infrastructure projects. The Turnpike had already been paying PennDOT $450 million annually since 2007, but this new legislation earmarked the money exclusively for transit, benefitting SEPTA greatly. In fiscal year 2017, for instance, SEPTA’s total budget for capital improvements was $550 million — $300 million of which came from the Turnpike.

The problem with this arrangement is that the Turnpike is billions of dollars in debt and can’t actually afford to make these Harrisburg-mandated payments. So year after year, the Turnpike’s been paying just $50 million of its obligation in cash — and issuing $400 million worth of bonds to cover the rest. Now it’s got $6.8 billion dollars worth of debt — not counting interest — just from these bond issuances alone.

Making matters worse, the Turnpike was sued in federal court last year by a group of trucking advocates, who alleged that the Commission’s tolling practices were unconstitutional. Due to the risk the lawsuit posed to the Turnpike’s revenue stream, investors didn’t consider it a safe place to stash their money via bonds, which meant the Commission couldn’t raise its $400 million of funds. Thus, the Turnpike stopped making payments to PennDOT — and the hit to SEPTA’s budget began.

Last month, a judge ruled in favor of the Turnpike. But the trucking groups have appealed the case, which is still ongoing. At any rate, SEPTA projects had remained on hold because Turnpike officials weren’t sure they’d be able to get a favorable interest rate on yet another bond issue, given the Turnpike’s two-front war of the ongoing lawsuit and its massive debt obligations.

It turns out, fortunately for SEPTA, that those fears were unfounded. Turnpike officials determined on Monday that there’s sufficient demand for another bond issue. This new $800 million influx will make up for the lack of payments going back to April 2018, as well as the Turnpike obligation to PennDOT for fiscal year 2020. (It will also, by the way, raise the Turnpike’s total debt burden to $12 billion.)

The Turnpike plans to issue its new bond in mid-June, which means SEPTA’s money should begin rolling in soon. The 37 projects SEPTA had paused should be back on track by the start of July. In the end, it was only a six-month delay. “It sets things back a little bit, but we think it’s manageable,” says SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch.

But here’s the ominous news: According to Act 89, the Turnpike has to keep funding $450 million to PennDOT until 2022 — which amounts to an outstanding IOU worth $900 million. The trucking lawsuit appeal could take years to finally resolve, and with the Turnpike only getting further mired in debt, who knows if the funding-through-bonds approach will work in the coming years. If that’s the case, there’s not much SEPTA or the Turnpike can do. “It wouldn’t be feasible without doing a bond deal,” Turnpike spokesperson Carl DeFebo sa
ys of the payments. “It’s no secret,” he adds, “that the Turnpike has been seeking relief from this.”
Yes, you are correct. Million. It is disgraceful how the state pulled this off. And once again, most went to Philly and the south east quadrant.
 
Believe that's $450 million, which is bad enough.

The details aren't pretty. (this piece from 2019, so things could be worse)


...But Monday finally brought some good news: The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, which hadn’t been able to make payments to PennDOT (and, by extension, SEPTA) ever since April 2018, unanimously decided it would issue $800 million worth of bonds to alleviate the backlog. Roughly three-quarters of that money will go to SEPTA, which should both make up for this year’s lost funds and keep the agency’s budget afloat for the next year.

SEPTA’s been hugely reliant on Turnpike Commission funds ever since state legislators passed a law called Act 89 in 2013, which mandated that the Turnpike pay $450 million each year to PennDOT to fund public-transportation-related infrastructure projects. The Turnpike had already been paying PennDOT $450 million annually since 2007, but this new legislation earmarked the money exclusively for transit, benefitting SEPTA greatly. In fiscal year 2017, for instance, SEPTA’s total budget for capital improvements was $550 million — $300 million of which came from the Turnpike.

The problem with this arrangement is that the Turnpike is billions of dollars in debt and can’t actually afford to make these Harrisburg-mandated payments. So year after year, the Turnpike’s been paying just $50 million of its obligation in cash — and issuing $400 million worth of bonds to cover the rest. Now it’s got $6.8 billion dollars worth of debt — not counting interest — just from these bond issuances alone.

Making matters worse, the Turnpike was sued in federal court last year by a group of trucking advocates, who alleged that the Commission’s tolling practices were unconstitutional. Due to the risk the lawsuit posed to the Turnpike’s revenue stream, investors didn’t consider it a safe place to stash their money via bonds, which meant the Commission couldn’t raise its $400 million of funds. Thus, the Turnpike stopped making payments to PennDOT — and the hit to SEPTA’s budget began.

Last month, a judge ruled in favor of the Turnpike. But the trucking groups have appealed the case, which is still ongoing. At any rate, SEPTA projects had remained on hold because Turnpike officials weren’t sure they’d be able to get a favorable interest rate on yet another bond issue, given the Turnpike’s two-front war of the ongoing lawsuit and its massive debt obligations.

It turns out, fortunately for SEPTA, that those fears were unfounded. Turnpike officials determined on Monday that there’s sufficient demand for another bond issue. This new $800 million influx will make up for the lack of payments going back to April 2018, as well as the Turnpike obligation to PennDOT for fiscal year 2020. (It will also, by the way, raise the Turnpike’s total debt burden to $12 billion.)

The Turnpike plans to issue its new bond in mid-June, which means SEPTA’s money should begin rolling in soon. The 37 projects SEPTA had paused should be back on track by the start of July. In the end, it was only a six-month delay. “It sets things back a little bit, but we think it’s manageable,” says SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch.

But here’s the ominous news: According to Act 89, the Turnpike has to keep funding $450 million to PennDOT until 2022 — which amounts to an outstanding IOU worth $900 million. The trucking lawsuit appeal could take years to finally resolve, and with the Turnpike only getting further mired in debt, who knows if the funding-through-bonds approach will work in the coming years. If that’s the case, there’s not much SEPTA or the Turnpike can do. “It wouldn’t be feasible without doing a bond deal,” Turnpike spokesperson Carl DeFebo sa
ys of the payments. “It’s no secret,” he adds, “that the Turnpike has been seeking relief from this.”
basically a ponzi scheme is what PA is doing. The debt load was so high that PA was having trouble getting loans/bonds for more and more debt. So basically tell the PA Turnpike that they have to pay the Penn Dot bills (because PennDot and PA were having trouble borrowing money) because PA turnpike can then go borrow money to essentially give to the PA govt. So a way of massively increasing the debt ceiling of PA without going through the official channels and finding a work around with less restrictions. And of course the PA turnpike higher up go along with it because obviously they get paid off to keep everything hush-hush.
 
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He had a slow start. Imagine his time if he started strong! Should be a tight end or wideout....if he has hands. ....better than Megatron!
We used to say that about Steve Smith, sprinter from San Diego State back in the 70s. Was one of fastest in the world but was a poor starter because of his height. It hurt his consistency.
 
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Just looked it up. From the Ohio border to Philly it’s $42.80 with EZ pass. It’s $86.60 without EZ pass!

From the Ohio border to New Jersey border is $49.50 and $100.20 (!!!) respectively.

That’s just ridiculous.
You have to pay to drive the freeway in Pennsylvania. No wonder they call it the "Turnpike" instead of the "freeway."
 
Speaking of impressive track performances by high school kids, check out this PA schoolboy runner

High School Student Breaks 57-Year-Old Record With Sub-Four-Minute Mile​

A Pennsylvania teenager broke a track and field record that stood for almost 60 years. Gary Martin, a senior at Archbishop Wood High School ran a mile in under four minutes without a pacer, becoming the first high schooler to do so since Jim Ryun in 1965.

Martin pulled it off at the Pennsylvania Catholic League Championship, crossing the finish line at an official 3:57:98.
Martin said seeing everyone at the meet to cheer him on and see him break the record was a great moment.

 
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