Sounds like some people don't believe that we need jobs or a modern travel system. This helps us the economic recovery how? Chop the defense budget and shift it back home where it's desperately needed because this is ridiculous. Why are Democrats supporting this de-funding?
President Barack Obama’s high-speed passenger rail initiative may be unfunded next year after a panel controlled by fellow Democrats approved legislation that contains no money for the program.NOTE FROM JOHN: From my time working on appropriations in the Senate, I'd say one of a few things is happening here:
The Senate Appropriations subcommittee that sets the Transportation Department’s budget approved the spending plan yesterday, said John Bray, a spokesman for the panel. The full committee is scheduled to consider the bill today.
The high-speed rail program is “a casualty of the cuts mandated in the debt-limit deal” Obama and congressional Republican leaders struck in August, Senator Frank Lautenberg, a New Jersey Democrat and a supporter of the president’s program, said in an e-mailed statement. Lautenberg is a member of the transportation subcommittee.
1. Lautenberg is sticking it to the President by saying, "you wanted budget cuts, here's your budget cut - kiss your own initiative goodbye."
2. The White House, suddenly realizing that the President's budget cutting frenzy has consequences, gave Lautenberg the okay to cut it.
Either way, this looks awfully dumb. First, America's transportation infrastructure is antiquated beyond belief. I took the TGV in France last month (it's their super fast bullet-style train going a max speed of 200 mph), and it wasn't the first time I took one. I believe the first time was a good 20 or maybe 30 years ago. We are so, so behind. But that's not the only problem here. Transportation projects stimulate the economy, directly (by hiring people to do the work) and indirectly (by improving the nation's commercial infrastructure).
So brilliant idea. Setting America further back, yet again.
