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SINGING THE ABORTION BLUES


According to the 2020 census, approximately 30% of Americans are Evangelicals with another 12% members of the Mormon Church. That is 42% of all Americans and that number may increase to close to 50% with the addition of conservative Roman Catholics. I bring that up because of the 1st Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. It comes under thefirst portion which states that: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. “

In its landmark decision last year, the US Supreme Court said that the original Roe v. Wade decision was flawed and overturned it. That court was packed by Republicans with very conservative justices, most, if not all, can be included in the numbers I quoted above. Theirs was a political decision, to be sure, and not one of Constitutional Law as they are required. The 1973 Roe v. Wade decision was a 1st Amendment decision about a person’s right to privacy which included what happens between a doctor and his patient.

Yesterday the state of South Carolina declared that it intends to create a law which subject a woman who has had an abortion to either a prison sentence or 30 years or the death penalty! It takes absolutely no genius to figure out who is I abehind such a draconian statement.

I am someone who for his lifetime has been against abortion, however, I also realized that it would never be my body in play. This is the exclusive territory of women. Therefor, I became an anti-abortion/pro-choice man. It was my feeling that far too many abortions were simply a matter of convenience and not one of necessity.

The pro-life movement wants all embryos to be allowed to grow until birth. But it is at that point that they take a hands-off position. That baby born to a 13-year-old who lives in poverty is now that family’s problem. That is quite simply unacceptable. If you are to win the pro-life argument, you must take responsibility for all fetuses brought to term until that child is in a safe and secure situation that does not include any individual state taking responsibility for that child’s welfare by putting it into the fostFer parent style system. It should be that if you are going to be pro-life that you must give $250 a month to the state to care for these children who are born to parents who are unable to care for the child.

Furthermore, these pro-lifers have no consideration for the costs heaped upon low-income families who simply cannot afford either the costs of birth and then the costs of child care. The pro-lifers are single minded. They first shut down Planned Parenthood which is a 90% educational institution and 10% abortion. They have taken away the education these poor women need to prevent conception and thereby eliminate the need for abortion.

Our nation is now in a crisis of life. They call themselves pro-lifers but in reality, they are simply imposing their religious beliefs upon people who do not share that belief which means they are in violation of the 1st Amendment to the Constitution. The SJC’s decision was one of religious belief and not one of law as required by their position.

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Wither the Republican Party?


Since 1854, the United States has had a strong Republican party and with the exception of 1912, when the party was split by Teddy Roosevelt and his Bull Moose party, and again with Ross Perot’s Reform Party in 1996, the party has stood strong. But this next election cycle could once again split the party in a matter that will affect it for many years to come.

I find it stunning the 60% of registered Republican votes support Donald Trump and this despite a latinity of his bad acts. And he is buttressed by Marjory Taylor Green who is on the far-right wing. Should Trump win in Iowa, anything is possible. But the party, where most of its elected representatives are centrists, needs to take control. And that can only come via it taking control of the narrative be played to Republicans and Independents who are right leaning. To date, the RNC has done nothing to take back the narrative of a “stolen election,” “the big lie,” and by owning its mistakes by refusing to partake in the January 6th Committe hearings and then allowing two of its leaders to fall to challengers. One more member, who I have called a “Fascist,” is Ron DeSantis and his campaign to control the thoughts and minds or the people of Florida. I do not, for the most part, agree with Liz Cheney’s politics but I gained great respect for her standing by principles that all members of Congress should adhere to, and I include Adam Kinzinger in that narrative.

Political parties win when they are run by the centrists of their party. These centrists are the deal makers of our nation. These are the people who actually make our government run smoothly; not as Congress is being run today. But make no mistake, each party needs its members who are more conservative or more liberal than the majority to bring in opposing thoughts to caucus discussions.

I do hope the Republican Party finds a way to make amends with Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger by finding a place for Cheney and backing Kinzinger as its choice for the seat he once held. It is the right thing to do. I ask of the Repulican Party leaders to do one thing and one thing only, just do the next right thing.

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Slashing Programs is NOT the Answer: Republicans Take Note!


I read in today’s (March 9, 2023) Boston Globe how many Republicans are looking at slashing our foreign aid programs, making medicare receipients pay more and other cuts which only affect those on fixed incomes or of limited means. For my entire adult life I have paid into Medicare, and I continue to do so at age 74. This is NOT an entitlement; this is an investment I made for help exactly at this time in my life when I am no longer a part of the workforce.

We are the richest nation in the world, and it is not even close. Supporting Ukraine in its battle and supporting disadvantaged countries is something we owe the world.

President Biden has suggested increasing the tax rate for anyone who makes over $100,000 a year and yet Republicans are complaining! They can afford it! Republicans need to remember that the darling of their party, Ronald Reagan put a 20% minimum tax on such people and his threshold for such a tax was much lower.

Taxes are not the boogeyman Republicans make them out to be. Nowhere in the industrial world are its citizens taxed less. I suggest that raising the individual tax deduction to $25,000 will insure that lower income families are not affected by rising taxes. Even more, I recommend that this deduction be raised each year according to the rate of inflation.

A tax a rate that ensures those families making over $1,000,000 individually be mandated to pay the 20% minimum tax as Pres. Reagan suggested. This would be a start to reducing the national deficit. It should be, and is, that those people who make over $100 million a year pay nothing! This shows the absolute need for Congress to fix the tax code and close loopholes that favor only the very wealthy to super wealthy. That should be their focus and not cutting those things they are suggesting.

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I Plan to Live to be 105 . . . . and Maybe Longer!


As I approach my 74th birthday, March 12, I remember back about 23 years ago when I told someone that I plan to live to be 100. I said that as a sort of self-encouragement because prior to that day, I was all gloom and doom. I had had my first heart attack two years prior, and it seemed that I was going down the same path as my father who died at the age of 57 after his 3rd heart attack. But what I had failed to realize was that modern medicine had changed to such a degree that I actually had no heart damage because a stent had been placed in the occluded artery and fully opened it up.

Shortly after declaring that I was going to live to be 100, I changed my mind and set that to 101. I stuck with that amount of time for many years. It is, for any American male, a lofty desire but one which I believed to be fully possible. More recently, I changed my longevity to 105, at least! Is this wishful thinking or a possible reality?

In 2021 I had my second heart surgery during which two more stents were placed and then in 2022 another stent was placed. During all that my heart muscle remains uninjured, and this is entirely due to early detection and modern medicine. It is my belief that medicine is progressing quickly enough that it will continue to progress in a manner that it will affect my life as well and help keep me healthy.

I enjoy being active. I still mow my lawn, have a good-sized garden, and am forever looking for ways to make my yard better. Part of this year’s work has been constructing yet another above ground flower bed. And there are a few other projects which must be undertaken. This will keep me active around my house. Additionally, I love bicycle riding and two days ago I went on a 20-mile ride. Here in North Carolina that is no small feat in a state that seems to have disdain for road shoulders. Still, I am fairly innocuous to any dangers surrounding me by being aware of my surroundings. And that is in spite of almost being run over by a woman who decided she should cut me off so she could turn right into a parking lot. Thank God I have good reflexes. While this situation might dissuade others from this form of exercise, I have long viewed it as part of what happens on the roads and have accepted it, though I am still disgusted by some peoples’ disregard for the safety of the bicyclist. Remember, we lose every time when up against any motor vehicle. I will continue to bicycle as long as my body allows which could easily take me into my 90s.

I do have one exception to the above. Should I contract dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, all bets are off. Even so, as long as I have my wits about me, I will continue to soldier on hoping that medicine will assist in my situation before being forced to give in to what becomes the inevitable.

As a sort of an aside, but also a hope to all Americans, regardless of age, there are four things which I consider absolutely necessary on longevity. The first is a positive outlook on life. Next, you must not only go to your primary care doctor annually but listen to your doctor’s recommendations and act upon them in a timely fashion plus do not withhold anything and lie to your doctor. Third, stay active! Figure out what you can do to keep your body moving and do it regularly. And finally, keep your mind active, via reading for example, and do not allow negative feelings to take over your thought process. I read constantly, although that has taken a back seat to my taking a course in “Intensive Italian,” two semesters of the language compressed into one, through Harvard’s School of Continuing Education. This course taxes my mind greatly but it is certainly akin to running a marathon. You probably will not win the marathon but finishing needs to always be the ultimate goal.

Do these things and maybe you too will live to be 105, or longer!

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Governor Ron DeSantis: Officially a Fascist


I am appalled by Florida’s new law regarding books in public (K-12) schools. Such a law harkens back to pre-1930 U.S. education when religious oranizations decided what children and adults should read. But even worse, it sounds like 1938 Germany when there were massive book burnings when the government decided what the public could or could not read. That was fascism in action. Please understand that my understanding of such methods and doctrines comes from the fact that I studied U.S. history at Harvard University where I got my master’s degree in that subject. But such history studies depend upon the student’s ability to have an understanding of the world around the United States during its history.

This also reminds me of George Orwell’s 1984 where the government of the United States had become intrusive to the extreme in every person’s daily life.

DeSantis has ordered that “media specialists,” who were once known in public schools as “librarians,” review every book in the school to determine whether there is any objectionable material contained. Objectionable material such as a book a 6th grader was reading in which two boys loved each other. His reaction was one of acceptance which is exactly what we should want of our children in today’s society. So much of the hatred that exists in our country today comes from one group of people deciding that another group are something beneath them.

Florida has also outlawed all A.P. black history classes. This too is what the Nazi’s did when their crusade against Jews, Gypsies, gays, and all groups defined as “undesirables” was put into action. Is this what we are seeing in Florida? It certainly seems so. The Nazis decided that all things connected with these groups must be deleted from the public’s view and they made that happen. This sounds too much like what is happening in Florida!

And while it would be, most likely, a bad decision to put Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D. H. Lawrence on a K-8 reading list, would it be improper to allow high schoolers to read the books? Shall we then include Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beacher Stowe on such a list because its central characters are black? Or how about the high school senior who decides to do a book report on the biography of Margaret Sanger because she dealt with birth control in the early 20th Century? I can go on and on but I think I have made my point.

I did notice that the books of Raold Dahl were removed from the school library’s shelves that they may be checked for inappropriate material! Are you kidding me! You would have to be extremely ignorant to think that anything said in those books could be offensive for even the youngest grade schooler. And yet, a media specialist my review them.

And who is behind these moves, DeSantis himself? I doubt it. It is my guess, and my opinion, that if you look hard enough you will find that conservative evangelicals are the tail which is wagging the dog here. DeSantis needs this very conservative base to stay in office because Florida is not a deep red state but one which has a large strong liberal party as well.

It may seem odd to compare what is happening to Florida to the Supreme Court’s decision of what pornography is and who can watch it but the parallels are hard to ignore. In each case, a decision on the First Amendment comes into view. I do hope that there is some group in Florida that has taken the torch to fight this law in the Supreme Court on the basis of the First Amendment.

Those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it. That is a paraphrase but a most appropriate one. In 1925, the Scopes Trial in Tennesse brough a high school teacher to task for daring to teach evolution to his students. This did not sit well with conservative church leaders and their followers. At that time too, Tennessee had passed a law known as the “Butler Act” which barred the teaching of evolution. Behind the trail were fundamentalist Christians. Clarence Darrow, who was the attorney for the defense, eventually lost the case but it brought into the public’s mind what was acceptable to be taught in public schools and the controversy quickly spread across the country.

Must we have another “Scopes'” style trial to deal with this? Are Floridians’ so numb to the political machinations of the Florida State government that they oppose nothing it brings into law? Where is the outrage? Where is good judgement? Certainly not in Florida! Florida has already barred the teaching of black history so what is next? Seminole history?

It is difficult for Americans who have been allowed only a narrow view of history to make good and well-informed decisions. Yes, Ron DeSantis calls himself a Republican but in truth, he is actually a Fascist.!

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If President Biden Runs Again


This will be my shortest thought ever.

Even though I am a self-described independent, I voted for both Democrats and Republicans here in North Carolina last November, I have never voted for a Republican candidate for President. But in the next election, should Biden decide to run again, I may well vote Republican, I consider that a strong possibility. Pres. Biden has proven himself to not be up to the job.

On Face the Nation this morning, on CBS, I got to hear from Republican Governor Chris Sununu of New Hampshire speak. He is considering a run for President. And for me, Gov. Sununu is an interesting prospect. He is pro-choice, something I consider sacrosanct, but he is decidedly a moderate where he comes for a state, New Hampshire, which has changed for a red state to a blue state due to the influx of former Massachusetts residents. The irony of my wanting a pro-choice candidate is that I am very anti-abortion. However, I do not believe that government at any level should have a say over a woman’s reproductive rights.

I do not consider Pres. Biden, who I voted for, to be fit to lead our country. We desperately need young, or at least much younger, blood in our national politics. Chris Sununu is 48-years-old. I truly like that. It harkens back to JFK who took office when he was 45.

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Time For Pres. Biden to Resign? Yes!


Let me be clear, I voted for Biden in the general election, although in the primaries he was not my choice,

I have been underwhelmed by his performance as president and have been hoping he would not run for a 2nd term.

But now, with the revelation of his improper handling of classified documents, I think it is in the best interest of our government, if not the Democrat Party, for him to resign. Most recently, he cavalier attitude about the documents found next to his Corvette, saying afterall, they were in a locked location, leaves me wondering if anyone in Washington has the slightest knowledge of the proper care and storage of classified documents. As someone who has had very high security clearances, the seriousness of the proper handling of such documents was drilled into us and upon leaving the area security clearances, we were debriefed.

Left-wingers have been quick to point out that there are differences between this and Trump’s mishandling of classified documents. While that is true, the bottom line is that each mishandled these documents. Title 18 of the Code of Federal Regulations defines the proper care and handling of classified documents. It states that such documents can only be stored in government approved facilities and containers. President Biden’s garage in Wilmington DE as well as Trumps Mar a Lago home does not meet that requirement.

Furthermore, all security clearances hare granted on a need-to-know basis which calls into question either Biden or Trump’s continued need to know. It is extremely doubtful that either had a continuing need to know upon leaving office. I am not a lawyer, but I believe that in both cases laws have been broken and actions must be taken. From confidential to compartmentalized top secret, the amount of damage to the United States is spelled out with each higher level of greater damage to the United States were they to fall into the wrong hands.

In the case of Pres. Biden, I think it is clear that he must resign from office rather than bring more discredit to the office of the President and to the United States.

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What to do With the Thousands of Potential Immigrants at Our Southern Borders


President Biden has failed, at least in part, in dealing with the influx of immigrants at our boders, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Florida. His first action should have been activating FEMA, declaring a national emergency regarding these immigrants. Notwithstanding Title 42, President Biden can issue orders that might actually assuage Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas. The answer lies in multiple parts.

First, FEMA must be inserted into this dilemma to set up temporary housing and sanitation facilities at the affected areas. Next, he needs to create a robust plan for vetting those desiring asylum. To be certain, there are a lot of undesirables among the refugees. Once vetted the refugees would occupy the facilities of FEMA; a sort Ellis Island of today. For those who can provide an address of a relative living legally in the U.S., a green card would be issued and the refugees allowed to legally enter the U.S. and move to their relative’s address, this would have to be verified of course.

The next part, probably the most difficult of any, would be to confer with the governors of all states. Each governor would be asked to take in a number of refugees in that coincides with their population. The top ten states in population, Texas, New York, California, Florida, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina, and Michigan would take to most while the bottom 10, Wyoming, Vermont, North Dakota, South Dakota, Rhode Island, Delaware, Alaska, Montana, Maine, and Hawaii would take the fewest.

Such a move is not without precedent. Until 1923, almost anyone who showed up at our doors were admitted. The only ones turned away were the sickly and those with known criminal records. But one thing that is seldom mentioned about those immigrants is that about 1/3 of them returned to their country of origin.

The countries of origin for the current refugees is mostly from countries in Central America plus Venezuela. What is happening to the people in those nations in unconscionable. Death squads, constant hunger, political repression, among other things make these people flee the country they love. In the late 19th and early 20th century such immigrants came from Poland (occupied by Russia and Germany/Austria), Syria, Persia, Armenia, Croatia, Serbia and others from that region, all fleeing the Ottoman Empire. The parallels are extremely closely related.

My plan, while flawed, is at least a starting point for dealing with this human crisis.

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Why Is Government So Expensive


For decades Republicans ran for office on the idea that they could bring about smaller, less expensive government. This, of course, was largely unachievable goal. Why? From the earliest days of our country, the necessity of a strong central government was tantamount to holding together 13 diverse states. When Washington took the reins of our new country, he was what was then called a “Federalist.” It was largely the only political party in the early days of the United States. Those who opposed it were call the “anti-Federalists.” In the federal elections of 1800, Thomas Jefferson ran for the presidency against John Adams calling himself a “Democratic Republican.” Upon winning, he kept his promise by first reducing the size of our Navy to an unsustainable small size.

My expertise on this topic comes from having spent 30+ years employed by the Federal Government, 11 years of which was on active duty in the Army. Additionally, I hold a master’s degree in U.S. History. The Federal Government is responsible for working for the good of the entire nation in which the 50 states are seen as one. All government, from local to federal, exists in part to spend monies gain via taxes of all color.

How does government spend money. Let’s take the U.S. Military’s spending. For fiscal year 2023, the Federal Government has allocated $773 billion. The Defense Department must spend that entire amount by September 30, 2023 or lose it. The Defense Department has certain expenses where it can “spend” its money immediately. That is, paying for all employees to include soldiers for that year. The way all parts of the government spends money is that, in the simplest terms, it says it has given those monies to the soldiers and all DoD personnel. After that, it is sort of difficult process of contracts. In 2022, that amount was $338 billion. (www.usaspending.gov)

Throughout its history the Federal Government has relied heavily on the private sector to meet its needs. For example, from its earliest days, the military has relied upon companies like Smith & Wesson, Springfield Amory, Colt, and others for the latest advancement in guns. The DoD decided it needed a gun to replace the M-16 which the Colt company had been manufacturing since the mid-1960s. It told Colt what it wanted in the new gun, the M-4. The DoD awarded Colt a contract to do the research and development for the new rifle. In my non-accurate, for argument’s sake only, the government award Colt a contract right at the beginning of that year $10 million based on Colt’s proposal for how much that year’s R&D budget. There existed a back-and-forth conversation between Colt and the Federal Government. In June the DoD tells Colt it needs to make a major modification in$1 the specification for that new gun. Colt takes that and by year’s end the government has awarded, and Colt has spent $9 million. That $1 million dollars is required to be sent back to the U.S. Treasury. Now in the new fiscal year Colt tells the DoD that it still needs that $1 million dollars from the previous year plus another $15 million. The Federal Government later that year makes another major change and Colt says it is going to need an additional $4 million. That becomes $4 million of unbudgeted spending. Take that example and spread it among its 3.5 million budgets it spends each year and you can start to see where the excesses come in. Politicians and the public alike see this as government waste. The Federal Government has 226 separate agencies that need funding.

At its lowest level, a government contract can take 100s man-hours of work. Next, that agency puts the contract out for bid. The idea that the government must take the lowest bid is erroneous. There are hundreds of companies that via experience, the government has declared habitually underperforming. These companies are not banned from bidding on the contract, but the awarding agency can use the information to take a bid which is higher than that of the underperforming company. But there is a process by which the government is not hamstrung with annual budgeting which would allow for lower long-term costs. That is, by awarding monies to a different Federal Department the money needed to fund a project. This is called “industrial spending” but is a little used tool.

I worked at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Volpe Center in Cambridge Massachusetts. For 2/3 of my career there I worked exclusively on DoD funded projects, the last 1/3 on FAA projects. The Volpe Center does not appear on the Federal Budget for what is called “line item” spending. That is, when the DOT puts in its annual budget, the Volpe Center is not listed. That is because the entirety of the Center’s budget comes from contracts awarded to it from other agencies. When those agencies give the Volpe Center its money, the U.S. Treasury sees that as money spent and therefore not bounded by a fiscal year. That is, let’s say the DoD gives Volpe a $50 award. During the fiscal year Volpe only spends $20 of the awarded money. Because the Treasury sees this as spent money, the Volpe Center is not required to return the money to the Treasury. I am suggesting that the entire Federal Government if it found ways to “spend” its money in a matter where it does not have to budget each year for certain programs.

Another way to reduce “waste” is via a process called IV&V, independent validation and verification. This is simply an oversight by another agency to ensure that its awarded monies are being spent in the most cost-effective ways. IV&V is a method where a single person can oversee a large contract at a very low cost. That is, the cost of using IV&V far outweighs the cost were it not used.

The most visible effect of using the above processes is that waste, fraud and abuse can be easily managed if not entirely eliminated in any single contract. It would be a wise move for all portions of the Federal Government to understand exactly how the Volpe Center works and apply it to its own agencies.

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Revitalizing AMTRAK


There was a time, prior to the Interstate Highway System, that rail travel reigned supreme. Post-World War 2 saw an end to that when the Eisenhower administration took the German idea of the Autobahn and applied it to America. To be clear, this was vital to America’s growth and has proven itself over the decades. But now with oil prices constantly increasing, and the Interstate system in desperate need of a huge influx of cash for repairs alone, we must consider alternative transportation.

In 1971 at AMTRAK’s inception, the idea was to keep intercity passenger rail service alive as private railroads were abandoning service. But AMTRAK made itself unattractive from its inception as it pared the existing intercity service to about 1/4 of what it had been immediately prior. AMTRAK’s service map of 2022 shows only a small expansion since its inception.

Service is lacking to many cities which defies logic. For example, there are no trains traveling from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, an extremely popular road and air route. Why is this? There is no service from Atlanta to Florida, also a very popular road and air route. Why? And to further that point, there is no Chicago to Florida route, one which actually existed at AMTRAK’s inception. Again, why? And there are many other examples, Dallas to Los Angeles, Atlanta to Savannah and Charleston, Detroit to Cleveland, Cleveland to St. Louis via Columbus, Dayton and Indianapolis, Memphis to Atlanta via Nashville, and there are a host of other potential routes, particularly in the densely populated Northeast. For reasons not given the public, California’s inland route extending from the San Francisco area through central California stop well shy of Los Angeles at Bakersfield. Why? Worst of all, I saved the best for last, there is no service from Dallas to Houston! The state of Texas, however, is endeavoring to remedy that situation.

Some of those problems extend from non-receptive Republican controlled states who view AMTRAK as an unnecessary luxury!

Another issue with AMTRAK is its scheduling on existing routes. If, for example, you go to the AMTRAK site and query a trip from New York to Chicago you will find a single train that does not require changing trains, the Lake Shore Limited. The Sunset Limited runs from New Orleans to Los Angeles only 3 days a week. On that route sits Houston Texas and Phoenix Arizona which are the nation’s 4th and 5th largest cities respectively. To be clear, Phoenix actually has no direct connection and residents of that city must travel south to Maricopa to catch a train between the 5th largest and 2nd largest cities.

There are only four areas of the country which receive good, not excellent AMTRAK service: The Northeast Corridor, Boston to Washington DC, California, San Francisco to San Diego. and Florida, Washington DC to several Florida destinations, most notable, Miami. Finally, Chicago with destinations of Milwaukee, Detroit, and St. Louis. I left out Indianapolis, with a metro population of over 2 million people out because AMTRAK allows it a single train that runs only three days a week!

AMTRAK does virtually no advertising. When was the last time you saw a commercial extolling to benefits of rail travel over airplanes. No lines to board, no security checkpoints, and when heavy weather closes airports the trains will still complete their trips excepting the most serious of conditions, hurricanes and blizzards. And even in blizzard conditions, trains may still be able to complete their trips.

Let’s look at a trip from Atlanta to New Orleans. Right now, airlines are publishing 1 hour 45-minute flight times point to point. Add in the 2-hour preflight arrival and the 1-hour post flight from New Orleans airport to downtown, this includes exiting the aircraft, finding ground transportation and dealing with traffic. Now your 1:45 minute flight has turned into a total of nearly 6 hours! The AMTRAK schedule shows a 12-hour trip between those points. Seems to be a negative but is it. Let’s go back to the flight. If you leave Atlanta on your flight at 9AM, considering the 7AM arrival time necessary, you will arrive in New Orleans about noontime, or time for lunch. Now we are at 1PM and only the afternoon ahead. The train leaves 9AM from Atlanta, arrives 9PM in New Orleans and the cost is $39 coach compared to the over $300 coach seat on the airline! In terms of pure economics and also stress, the train suddenly looks like the far superior choice. This is not even considering the people who must go between these two cities, cannot afford the air fare and do not want to sit on a bus. And in most of America, the people who are most drawn to rail travel are those of lesser means. This excludes the Northeast Corridor where businesspeople of all sorts regularly take the train.

The main hinderance to more people taking the train is the lack of choice in trains available and a lack of trains which make truly limited stops thereby decreasing the amount of time between any two points. Right now, AMTRAK simply does not have enough trains equipment to cover the suggestions I have made. Even more, the fleet it does have is aging and in need of replacement.

If we are ever to look like the passenger rail systems Europe enjoys, we are going to have to commit to a very large outlay of money to accomplish this. I can only guess that a 10-year $100 billion commitment might fall short. But in 10 years what are gas prices going to be, and what are air fares going to be. I am also guessing that the American public will be clamoring for exactly the extent and levels of service to which I have alluded. And finally, we can no longer afford the upkeep of America’s sprawling Interstate system which much of it needs extensive repair and replacement.