So since I last posted, an election has taken place and new Republican administrations have been set up in the midwestern states of Ohio and Wisconsin. These administrations followed-through on campaign promises to stop high-speed rail corridor development in their respective states, seriously damaging the progress of building modern passenger rail infrastructure in the midwest.
The federal government diverted most of their money to ongoing projects in California, New York, Illinois and Florida, where faster and more beneficial projects are in progress. In the mean time, I'm sure the fiscally conservative governors in Wisconsin and Ohio have found responsible ways to budget.
Next up comes a serious challenge to the high-speed rail line in Florida that may see the $2.3 billion dedicated to building a Tampa-Orlando train diverted to other states. I am beginning to think that federal passenger rail funding should only go to the states that deserve it most: Illinois, California and New York. Why should our federal tax dollars go to developing states that don't want to be in the 21st century?
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