Michigan Should Reject High-Speed Rail Money

Michigan's roads and bridges are crumbling while the federal government is throwing money at states for the purpose of building high-speed rail lines. A week before the elections MLive.com reported that Congressman John Dingell announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation will award the state $150 million dollars for a high-speed intercity passenger rail program and an additional $3.2 million to pay for project planning. The federal economic stimulus plan includes $8 billion for building nine lines for bullet trains, including one from Detroit to Chicago.

Newly elected Republican governors of Ohio and Wisconsin are threatening to end their state's participation in the program. Michigan Gov.-elect Rick Snyder should do the same. The state of Michigan simply cannot afford to incur future costly expenditures in development and operation of a new high-speed rail system.

The automobile is here to stay and will continue to provide the primary means of transportation for the vast majority of Americans. Transportation dollars should be spent to make the nation's roads and bridges those automobiles use safer and more efficient, not to indulge the fantasy of the political ruling class in Washington that would like to separate Americans from their vehicles.

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