No, no. This train ride has nothing to do with the "Yes we can" or "Change for the Future" slogans that Obama's previous celebrity train rides have earned him. This one is somewhat possible, and only costs us hard-working taxpayers a dozen or so billion dollars. Sounds pretty cheap compared to all the other stuff the president is shoveling us eh?On Thursday, the president outlined plans for a network of rails for a high-speed train idea. He says that, "Would change the way Americans travel". This outlandish idea is similar to the 1950s creation of the interstate highway system that earned the government a lot of disapproval until the wonderful highway was actually built and put into use. Maybe this will be sort of like that.... Maybe. I mean, Japan and other practical countries have done it, so why can't we?This plan could connect Chicago and St. Louis, Orlando and Miami, Portland and Seattle and dozens of other cities around the country with high speed trains. Sounds pretty cool for the daily commuter who travels hours a day and spends no small fortune on gas huh? Some think that the nation doesn't have the will; Congress has often tried to reduce support for Amtrak, and the hundreds of billions of dollars and decades it would take to build a fast rail system."This is not some fanciful, pie-in-the-sky vision of the future," Obama said at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, near the White. "It is happening right now. It's been happening for decades. The problem is, it's been happening elsewhere, not here." Pretty bold stuff Mr. President.The United States pales in comparison to other well developed countries in public transportation. The Spanish can travel the 386 miles from Madrid to Barcelona at speeds averaging almost 150 miles per hour. Japan's "Shinkansen" links its major cities at speeds averaging 180 mph and France's TGV train averages about 133 mph in carrying passengers from Paris to Lyon. That's awesome. So why don't we follow their lead?The only U.S. rail service (Federal Railroad Administration's) can reach only 110 mph, which is Amtrak's 9 year old Acela Express route connecting Boston to Washington, D.C. The regional transportation offices have compete for the $8 billion included in the stimulus spending package for high-speed rail.The $8 billion is part of $64 billion in the stimulus package for roads, bridges, rails, and transit, which Obama calls, and quote, "The most sweeping investment in our infrastructure since President Eisenhower built the Interstate Highway System in the 1950s." (unquote)Obama said the first round of money would go to upgrading existing lines where people could quickly be put to work. The second and third phases would be put into high-speed rail planning and money to jump-start areas that aren't yet ready for construction. The Transportation Department should be announcing first-round grants before the end of the summer. Obama said a mature high-speed rail system would reduce demand for foreign oil and eliminate more than 6 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a year — equivalent to removing 1 million cars from the roads.Howard Learner is president of the Chicago-based Environmental Law and Policy Center. This group promotes the rail network, and they said that, "With about $2 billion of the stimulus money they could complete or upgrade lines linking Chicago with St. Louis, Detroit and Milwaukee-Madison. It's a way of solving our global warming problems that also creates jobs and provides a boost to the economy," he said.However, there is going to be major competition trying to debunk the craze for a new rail system. One that comes to mind is the oil companies. Once they aren't able to keep we proud Americans under their belt of suffocating and expensive rule, they will lose billions of dollars. So, they will be fighting for what they think is an honorable cause... filling their already enormous wallets with greedily and dirtily obtained money.Well, I think that this is a pretty good idea. Especially for those commuters who have to travel hours a day and spend all of their money that they spent all day working for on gas. Although, there will have to be many small, but very useful, train stations that a commuter from say Shelby County could get on and get to Omaha in 20-30 minutes for a moderately cheap price. This will greatly boost the morale and feeling of independence for many. I say go for it Obama. For once you and I actually agree on something, but that doesn't mean i necessarily like you or think you should be president just yet.
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