High Speed Rail? Not In Ohio. We Like Taking Life Slow.

President Obama is going to be in Tampa this morning to announce a new 160 mph high speed rail system that will create 23,000 new jobs.  Now that is a cool idea...good for jobs, good for the environment, good for economic growth.  Why then are we talking about spending $500 million in Ohio on an 1860-technology train system on existing tracks that will go a MAXIMUM SPEED OF 79 mph?  Are the voters in Florida that much smarter than us? I don't think so. Or is it their members of Congress.  Steve LaTourette has been in Congress for nearly 16 years now, sits on the transportation sub-committee...and there has not been AN INCH OF RAIL put down in his district for commuter rail, light rail...or any other kind of rail for that matter.  Now he wants to spend the stimulus money...WHICH HE VOTED AGAINST...on a Cleveland to Cincinnati boondoggle which will undoubtedly end up as a self fulfilling prophesy.  No one will ride a train when they can get there faster in their car.   Here's some real tragedy to think about.  For the amount of money we spent building the third lane on Interstate 71, we could have had a high speed rail.  Florida ahead of Ohio in high speed rail.  OMG.