STIMULUS FUNDS

MISSED THE TRAIN

Even after more than a year has passed since the Federal government began a massive bailout of Wall $treet and Democrat state and local leaders at taxpayer expen$e, I am still in disbelief. Are we really able to print $1.3 trillion dollars, with nothing backing those dollars, without throwing the nation into financial ruin? As I said at the time, should it be proven that our government can print funny money in any amount without catastrophic debt and inflation, we will have entered a new era of possibilities. We could print endless funds to end homelessness, disease, and...



Well, I don't believe it is possible to do this with no consequences today or in the future. But, considering that many on the left - in the post-Creigh Deeds era - now realize that having a JOB is the top priority of the American people, I am shocked that we didn't at least waste money in a productive fashion.



Such as finally updating our nation's transportation infrastructure. It's hard to avoid those taxpayer-funded campaign signs for "Governor Martin O'Malley" on the highways, posted where roads are being repaved.



That's work that should have been done years ago, when taxpayer funds went to Big Government schemes.



Imagine the results had we spent even $100 billion, or $500 billion on high-speed rail nationwide.



Results including not only the obvious - reduced travel times and reduced pollution - but many collateral results, as well. These include higher profits for businesses from business and tourist travel, increased output from American industries such as steel and coal, greater efficiency and productivity, lower airline fares (if you haven't noticed, cheap air travel is harder to come by in recent years, as Southwest and others became old-style airlines) due to competition, and...



Jobs, Jobs, JOBS



Next to tax cuts, nothing creates high paying jobs better than railroad expansion.



Aside from Amtrak's Acela, we have no high-speed rail in America. And the Acela is speed-limited by the current configuration of the Northeast Corridor, Big Government regulation, and its equipment's weight, which is substantially heavier than its European counterparts.



Our embarrassing transportation position is typical of the new culture of laziness some elements are attempting to paper over old-fashioned American daring and achievement. Why? Because the money required for those ventures is now needed by special interests, after tax-and-spend politicians reached a taxation ceiling in areas like our own.



So, no H1N1 vaccine, no manned or womanned flight to Mars, and no high speed rail. Meanwhile, forget about Europe; China is outdoing us in high speed rail today.



After all of the talk in Washington, the truth is that only $8 billion will be spent on high speed rail, and not until the beginning of 2010.



What can we afford at this point? That is an important question. And can rail transit be profitable? Many experts have concluded it cannot be, and will always be subsidized by government. I recognize that the evidence for that conclusion is credible, but I have not given up on the idea that rail transit can turn a profit. It will require private involvement, however, and the highest levels of service and efficiency.



We did have a chance to be the first in the nation to have a Maglev rail line from Washington to Baltimore, here in Maryland. Democrats in Annapolis turned down the Federal government's offer of free money to do it.



Now we're hearing about a second stimulus package, to "create jobs." Considering that high speed rail would create jobs, are we going to miss the train again?