The State of the Union – After Spain down financial ruin drain via high-speed rail service

It seems that one of the priorities and supports this administration and some members of Congress is to implement high-speed rail lines in this country. He came again in the final speech of the Union and the Democrats in Congress have already allocated taxpayer funds several projects for high-speed rail across the country. Included in these projects is a high-speed rail line from Tampa to Orlando, but a little more about later.

Given this setting, consider an article in January 18, 2011 version of the magazine The Week. The article summarized in a room El Pais, a Spanish publication, which was written by Cristina Vazquez and was titled, "a bankrupt country Snazzy With Trains." Remember, Spain is one of European countries like Greece, which is rapidly approaching a financial collapse and failed states due their heavy debt. The information contained in the article the following:

• According to Ms. Vazquez, "in recent years years we have (Spain) spent unprecedented amounts on transport improvements.
• Spain now has more miles of roads than any other European country. "
• With the recent opening of the Madrid-Valencia high-speed rail, Spain ousted France as the holder of Europe's largest high-speed rail network.
• However, at the expense of six billion euros, this line High speed will be covered only 3.5 million passengers per year, less than 10,000 people per day and serve only those who need to get between these two cities. However, 400 million people go to work on commuter rail each year in Spain and over 1.1 million per day. Thus, billions of euros spent serve less than 1% of rail users in Spain.
• While high-speed rail supporters claim that trains are better the environment, the cost of high speed rail is such that most people use their car to Madrid / Valencia trip because it is much less expensive, virtually destroying the argument of the environment.

The big problem is that we will find ourselves in the same boat (or train) that Spain: wasted billions and billions of dollars on high-speed trains that nobody uses, but becomes an ongoing burden for U.S. taxpayers. We can ill afford to waste the money now, especially on high speed rail given the history and facts in the following way:

• The Congressional Budget Office announced yesterday that the deficit for this year's budget Federal government will be much higher than expected up to more than $ 400 000 000 000. This will increase the total deficit this year to close 1.5 trillion dollars, about $ 13,000 of the additional tax burden on every family in the United States.
• The State of California wanted to train at high speed along almost its entire length, but after 14 years and spending nearly a quarter billion dollars, not a piece of track was planned. Given the failure of the political class is full, just this week a rail, which makes us think they can complement a national network on time and on budget that serves the citizens of this country?
• As mentioned above, the federal government wants to build a line high-speed rail from my Tampa Bay to Orlando. It is a very stupid idea of any number of perspectives including time, convenience and costs. Consider some of the comments by St. Petesburg Times writer, Tampa Bay Living Howard Troxler, who has written 12 December 2010: "Hey, take the kids to Disney (Orlando) We will drive from our home in downtown Tampa, and find a park. ride lot, pay $ 30 each for us and the children for train tickets, wait for the train and get there when we could have anyway for the cost of gas money. Then, after an exhausting day, we will negotiate our way to Disney back to the station, waiting for the train, get off at the station back to Tampa, then get in the car and go home! "
• Each time a customer goes Amtrak first class on an Amtrak train, it costs the American taxpayer hundreds of dollars to subsidize this traveler. Imagine how much money we will lose if the concept Amtrak is deployed nationwide.

That our infrastructure must be repaired? Sure. Remember what happened in Boston and Minnesota a few years ago. A passenger was killed in Big Dig tunnel in Boston where a concrete slab broke free and crushed as she drove by. In Minnesota, a road bridge actually collapsed from neglect. But we must take all the money that Obama and Democrats want some of this madness high-speed train and use it to Americans do not die simply because of travel.

Do we need high-speed rail lines? Not today. Not when:

• Our budget deficit is now disabling and profit, if any, for high-speed rail is likely decades on the road (see the above example of California). In the meantime, the country could be financially bankrupt and the ordinary, infrastructure overnight, infrastructure that most Americans use, could have really collapsed. It is a question of priorities and financial survival.
• The political class has shown no ability to profitably manage any type of track, either build a new one (eg California) or operation of an existing (eg, Amtrak).
• Lines such as Tampa and Orlando high-speed rail line will not be achieved any form use desirable. Americans love their cars and Americans love to drive and Americans like to do things quickly. Who in the Everyone thinks that people in Tampa and Orlando, will use this line, or any high speed line like it, which costs more, takes longer, and eliminates the freedom of the road that Americans love?

It is this latter concept which is so painful when it comes to our politicians. It is just another example, and unfortunately, it could become a very expensive and unnecessary example, politicians are completely out of contact with the rest of the country and understand the root causes of situations. And it's the same symptoms that take this country down the drain financial ruin. The parallels Spain, who hit the first rat hole is so strong. Spending money for the sake of ego and interest spending money. Ms. Vazquez concludes his article by observing: "The big difference between Spain and other European countries is that other services regime, while we just spending plan. "

Given our TRILLION deficit 1.5 billion this year, it seems that our politicians and Spain have the same trait or gene: expenditure planning, not the needs of Americans. Hope we do not suffer the same fate likely financial Spain as a result.

How can we fix the infrastructure of everyday face this crippling deficit? Consider some approaches:

• First of all, spending time all-Rail High speed, regardless of what politician deflated ego, including that of president, and divert that money to real repair programs infrastructure so that fatal Minnesota bridge and the concrete panels in Boston will not happen again.
• Secondly, do not let Joe Biden or a politician determine what infrastructure needs to obtain funding from the Associated Press has found at the end of 2009, despite the responsibility Surveillance Joe Biden economic recovery spending, the money was diverted to the States of origin of politicians and districts where about half the money was spent on the infrastructure of bridges to repair the bridges that do not require repair. Appoint a commission of experts in infrastructure to make the call, independent of Congress, the White House and lobbyists.
• Third, the additional funds that Obama needs for a daily, ongoing infrastructure repairs, is a "4 in 1" setting. For each dollar it cut the federal budget to help restore financial sanity to the waste of our government, it maintains a dollar for improvement infrastructure, up to a predetermined amount. In this way we protect Americans when they travel Today, while reducing the budget and delay the expenditure likely to be high, low yield of high-speed train that our political class we stick to.

Priorities of parameters, called, something our politicians stink at most of their inability to understand the causes root of a situation. They need 1) to plan much less in their jobs, 2) focus much more on a much smaller efforts that affect Most American families and 3) do so with a much smaller budget. High speed rail, such as Spain discovered, fits none of these requirements.

About the Author

Walter “Bruno” Korschek is the author of the book, “Love My Country, Loathe My Government. – Fifty First Steps To Restoring Our Freedom and Destroying The American Political Class,” which is available at www.loathemygovernment.com and online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Our daily dialog on freedom in American can be joined at www.loathemygovernment.blogspot.,com.

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