Originally Posted by
Airhoss
The speech was just another version of the mythical "hope and change" election slogan. I am all for hope and change but please give me some concrete to build upon, not just a bunch of rainbow crystal fairy dust.
When I listen politicians and read between the lines now days it scares me as nobody is offering any solid plans for a recovery only vague allusions to an economic and social fantasy wish list.
Hoss: Well-said.
High-speed rail: I don't remember the particulars, but when the high-speed between St Louis and Chicago was announced, I looked at the proposed price...for a train that would be about 18-20% faster!! It quickly became obvious that it was a feel-good jobs program for cronies in the construction industry, disguised as "public good" or "going green." California? Same thing. Florida? the one I remember (and wrote to my Congressman about) served the busy Orlando-St. Petersburg corridor. YGBSM. Even if the train could do Mach 1.69, how much time would really be saved....for the money involved? It would be cheaper...and do more good..to buy more conventional trains, with increased frequency. Hey, more train engineers, conductors, porters, ticket agents, and more jobs!! Hmmmm...maybe low-tech is good?
Terrorism: schools, shopping malls, churches, airports, libraries, busses, hospitals, gas stations...you name it: someone can walk in and blow themselves up, or drive next to it and blow up a car or truck. The more public a conveyance, or institution, the more attractive a target it becomes to the fanatical. AMTRAK is just as vulnerable, high-speed or not.