Another Small Step Towards High Speed Rail

If you haven't heard, Barack Obama is taking the train from Chicago to Washington as part of inaugural procession (as opposed to a quick closed-car trip around the White House that Bush took). That doesn't just mean he's taking it slowly getting there, it equals big news for mass transit and particularly train travel in this country that has been neglected for far too long. And just this week, Congress showed continued interest in getting a high speed rail line started between the political capitol and the financial capitol of the nation.

From The Washington Times:

Congressional transportation leaders plan to announce today that the federal government is seeking contractors to build a new $30 billion to $40 billion high-speed rail line between Washington and New York that would be used exclusively by passenger trains.

Amtrak's current Northeast Corridor rail line is shared with freight and commuter trains, which can significantly increase the length of time it takes for passengers to arrive at their destinations.

The rail line for which Congress seeks contractors is the first of a series of nationwide high-speed passenger rail lines the government is considering funding, according to a congressional aide.

That is just the beginning. Other regional high speed rail links are slated for the future (though it really should be sped up, places like Texas and Florida need networks desperately).

Now letting Amtrak operate the lines could be a good or bad thing. Current commuters know that the slow trains cost a hefty price ($63 each way offpeak for starters) between NYC and DC. One can imagine the cost of a train that cuts the time in half. So what they need to do is not only fund the new tracks, but continue to give assistance to the national railline to make ticket prices competitive, just not to the degree where they're BoltBus competitive. Then when there are enough networks onboard and the volume of business can sustain Amtrak, federal subsidies can be lessened.

Mass transit is an essential part of our 21st century economy, and we need to believe in it with our dollars. Even if it costs a hundred or two hundred billion in the long run, it is still a much wiser investment than what we have given to the financial services sector in the last few months.

Taxation With Representation Could Be A Reality In D.C. Soon

Since its inception as a Federal District, Washington, D.C. has been the home to our national government but the people who live there have no real representation as do the states in our union. Eleanor Holmes Norton has been a delegate to the House of Represenatives for quite sometime now but cannot vote in the legislative body. With Obama coming to town and a much more Democratic Senate in place, she might just get the Colbert bump she's been looking for.

From The Washington Post:

Voting rights in Congress for the District of Columbia is another example. Legislation to expand the House of Representatives from 435 to 437 seats by giving the District and Utah an additional vote each were three votes shy of the 60 needed to end a filibuster in September 2007. Eight Republicans voted with the Democratic majority, which is 51 to 49 and includes two independents.

Come January, seven Republicans who voted against the compromise plan to allow Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) to become a full-fledged member of the House will be replaced by Democrats. Aides said they are not clear when the legislation will be reconsidered, but some District voting-rights activists are so confident of passage that they are advocating a push for two District seats in the Senate. Norton, however, favors seeking just the House seats.

Well, incremental change is better than none at all. Adding two Senate seats is virtually impossible, because there is no room for compromise with the filibuster-happy Republicans. Unless Utah, Wyoming or Idaho is willing to split itself to create two "red" seats, there's no way Joe Lieberman and the GOP will vote for that. Tis' much better to stick with obtaining representation in the House.

DC Vote has been hard at work to get Congress to recognize the half-million or so that live in the District for a long time now, but Congress has been unwilling to budge. Now is the time for a change and a large push from the community might just be able to make it happen. The big question is, what will they put on their license plates once Norton becomes a full-fledged Congresswoman?

Rocketing Down The Rails To D.C.

For me personally, the only way to get anywhere between Boston and D.C. is by train. It can be a little more costly, but far more economical when you look at the big picture and of course much better for the environment than driving a car and more comfortable than a bus. There's something about riding a train that is..not to sound hokey....a part of the American spirit and whatnot. Anyways, we've got the train and currently the regional service takes 3.5 hours to go either to Boston or D.C. The "high speed" Acela isn't much faster but it costs considerably more. In these times of high gas prices and a sinking economy, something must be done. Something, like a rocket train.

From The NY Sun:

A two-hour rocket train between New York and Washington is the goal of new legislation that cleared a key hurdle in Congress last week, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Mayor Bloomberg is scheduled to meet with one of the sponsors of the legislation, Rep. John Mica, a Republican of Florida, on Friday to discuss a proposal that would create an American equivalent of Japan's Shinkansen and France's TGV bullet trains, which can travel at speeds of more than 300 miles an hour. The mayor in recent months has been promoting the idea of increased federal investment in infrastructure.

"We're interested in hearing from the congressman on the idea," a spokesman for Mr. Bloomberg, Andrew Brent, said.

If passed, the legislation would require the U.S. Department of Transportation to solicit requests for proposals from private developers to create a two-hour "door-to-door" high-speed rail service.

The thing will most likely not have actual rockets on board, but the technology is certainly out there to make the commute two hours between cities. High speed rail is essential for our country in these times and starting with NY and DC is an excellent way to do it. If one can go between London and Paris at nearly 200 mph and other destinations at over 300mph, then we can appropriate the funds for high speed rail in America, just as long as we get rid of the current President that opposes it.

Pope Coming To America, Snubs Bush And Scolds Him On The War

It is a good thing for George Bush that he isn't a Catholic, or else the Pope might have excommunicated him for war crimes among many other things that is unbecoming a human being good Christian. Instead, his holiness is coming to America and specifically New York and Washington D.C. to speak at the U.N. against war and in that, George Bush's lust for war and the fear that drives it. On top of that, Pope Benedict will be snubbing the President for a dinner that is being held in his honor.

From RawStory:

Benedict's schedule does not indicate any events that would conflict with his ability to attend the 7:30 p.m. dinner that Wednesday. He is just scheduled to return to the Vatican embassy in Washington at the same time after a meeting with US bishops at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington.

It's unclear why the Pope won't be attending the dinner in his honor, but he is expected to touch on issues upon which he and President Bush disagree during the visit, especially the Iraq war.

During his visit to the United Nations a few days later, the Pope will address "the false notion that might makes right," according to a Vatican representative.

Some experts also predict the Pope would criticize the "culture of fear" in the United States. The Rev. David Hollenbach, director of Boston College's Center for Human Rights, said recently that this culture is seen as integral to the US involvement in Iraq.

"Fear can lead to angry responses," Hollenbach said, according to the Connecticut Post. "I think the pope's message is going to be 'Don't be afraid.' I think the overcoming of fear can take away the impulse for war."

The only thing to fear is fear itself. Unfortunately for the legacy of F.D.R. George Bush is the epitome of fear and those that use it for their selfish and blatantly evil purposes. It isn't unclear why the Pope won't go, it is because he is repulsed by our President...and for the leader of the Catholic Church, that says a lot.

Rev. Yearwood Talks About Being Beaten By Capitol Police

Conservatives Protesting Live Earth

Get ready for a lesson in lunacy. Conservative activists (all 15 of them) descended upon the Live Earth event in Washington to protest for global warming. Apparently they like that our planet is getting hotter and the climate becoming more erratic. It seems our Al Gore haters don't pay attention to the devastating effects of this change. Whats a few islands being swallowed up by rising sea levels anyways (Not to mention stronger hurricanes, deathly heat waves, catastrophic floods and devastating droughts)?

Bring On The Live Earth!

I know there are plenty of detractors out there who are calling this event inconsequential or even counter-productive for the environment. Despite their claims, the producers of the event are going to extraordinary lengths to make it a green event and raise awareness of the peril of our climate, all while having eight nine amazing concerts all in one day across the world. The surprise ninth event is going to be held on the National Mall down in Washington. Even if you don't have tickets, check it out free on the internet.

I am happy to say have already said that I'll be at the one outside NYC tomorrow. I was one of the lucky ones to volunteer in the morning so I can see the show in the afternoon. I'll be working the credentials area, so all of you media people be nice to the kid with the cane (still recovering from knee surgery unfortunately). If you are among the thousands headed out to Giants Stadium tomorrow, check out this handy Survival Guide from The North Jersey Record.

It is going to be a great time, but remember the mission. We all need to live on the planet in a more globally-conscious way. Make sure you take mass-transit to the event, stop using plastic bags at the market and think about eliminating your carbon footprint altogether.

Highlights From Gore's Speech Yesterday

Al Gore has been touring the country to promote his new book, "An Assault on Reason." He was in New York before the holiday and in Washington, D.C. last night. The speech lasted for over half an hour, but PoliticsTV has been kind enough to put the highlights together in under eight minutes. It is well worth your time.

Tensions Explode In Hillary's Camp

Being a Senator of New York but living in Washington has its challenges as does many elected officials who represent areas far from D.C. When you compound a Presidential race on top of that, things can get tricky and often messy. That is exactly what happened with Hillary and her staff. The D.C. crowd can have over-inflated egos I hear, which in turn can anger locals when the Beltway Boys and Girls leave district on their campaign field trips.

From The New York Post:

"Her New York crew is fighting like hell with her D.C. folks, and it's worse than the normal stuff, real serious tensions," said a Democratic Party source. "The New York folks are the ones who got her elected to begin with. They've done it and know what to do. The D.C. folks are the 'geniuses' who do 'national elections' and think everyone here is a rube.

"The Washington types hold meeting after meeting and then send a group of fatheaded 27-year-olds to do events in New York, and they wind up fighting with her staff here," continued the source, who is in day-to-day contact with party activities.

The source said the tensions exploded at Clinton's endorsement event with Gov. Spitzer and other high-ranking Democrats earlier in the month at the Capitol. "The New York locals were incensed that so many of these outsider kids were sent in from Washington and they were trying to run the event and they couldn't even make a contribution to it."

It is true, D.C. staffers tend to think they are better than others who work the political field no matter where they go. I saw it plenty of times working local elections when I used to live in Tucson. Getting on the "Advance" staff is a hard thing to do and is generally reserved for the well-connected. So ego can definitely find its way into the heads of the young people that get these positions.

Locals always know what they are doing on their own turf. That is just common sense. If the regulars in New York helped her get elected to the Senate, you can bet they know their game. So if Hillary wants a smooth operation, she better get her top campaign staff to allow the D.C. people to do D.C. things and let the locals handle theirs. It works that way in any national race, not just Hillary's.

I Hope...

The Dixie Chicks "I Hope" set to video from the massive January 27, 2007 protest in Washington, D.C.