Never Trust A Christmas Present From Washington

Incoming governors of Wisconsin and Ohio, Scott Walker and John Kasich, have announced that they’ll be rejecting federal funds for new rail projects in their states. The federal government could leave that money unspent; saving the taxpayers untold millions, but this administration doesn’t believe in fiscal responsibility.

So they went looking around for someone willing to take the money, and Governor Pat Quinn stuck Illinois’ hand out as far as it could reach, happy to accept such a generous gift this Christmas season on behalf of his panhandling state.

But why did Wisconsin and Ohio turn it down? Surely they could use money too. They send plenty of cash to Washington; they’d certainly like some of it back. Are these newly elected governors stubbornly refusing money their constituents need? Or do the badgers and buckeyes know something that their neighbors in Illinois do not?

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Nevertheless...Ohio will be spared billions in the expenses of follow-on costs, as will Wiconsin. Illinois, already arguably the most bankrupt state, greedily sucks down more obligations along with the kool aid, mortgaging their children's future even more.

I heard about the Florida Tampa-Orlando rail today-- half the length of the Ohio run, and despite fed start-up dollars, it will cost billions more to complete and run. God bless John Kasich and all who voted him into office.

The feds have printed more currency than they can store in Washington, so they offer pallets of the stuff to Wisconsin and Ohio, to spur a new rail line or two. Light rail, heavy rail, bullet… whatever they’ll accept. Part of Amtrack or apart from it; an extension of existing lines or something entirely new. Just as long as it involves laying a lot of track where there was none before, just as long as it furthers the dream of moving people from the freedom of their cars into a single defined route.

This is Washington at its most insane.

In one hand they are shoveling out money to the states to tear up rail lines with their “Rails To Trails” program which gives the states and locals money to buy up old no longer used light rail/commuter (trolley) rail lines and convert them to hiking/biking trails.

While with the other hand they are shoveling money out to the states to build new light rail or high speed rail lines.

When will the people learn that government is not your friend? It is all about power. They are taking our money at the point of a gun and using it to buy power and influence.

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