AP/Washington Times:
President Obama is calling for a six-year, $53 billion plan for high-speed rail as he seeks to use infrastructure projects to create jobs.
An initial $8 billion in spending will be part of the budget plan Mr. Obama is set to release Monday. If Congress approves the plan, the money would go toward developing or improving trains that travel up to 250 mph, and connecting existing rail lines to new projects. The White House wouldn’t say where it would find the money for the rest of the program, though it’s likely Mr. Obama would seek funding in future budgets or transportation bills.
Mr. Obama‘s push for spending on high-speed rail is part of his broad goal of creating jobs in the short term and increasing American competitiveness for the future through funding for infrastructure, education and innovation. During last month’s State of the Union address, Mr. Obama said he wanted to give 80 percent of Americans access to high-speed rail within 25 years.
...
High speed rail is not the future we want to win. It will mainly benefit a few rich people and will do nothing to create long term jobs. It will never pay for itself. Passenger rail is the past. It does not offer the flexibility and comfort of autos or the true speed of airlines.
Image by Center for Neighborhood Technology via Flickr
Backward thinking, just like using coal as a 'new' 'clean' energy source. 19th century transportation and energy.
ReplyDeleteYes, our government knows best how to deploy the resources of our country. NOT!
No wonder the administration is not so concerned about Islamic nationalism. They want to go back to the 7th century. Just think about how much less we would pollute the Earth!