The debate over “high-speed” rail has come to Raleigh as neighborhoods are now fighting to keep the proposed train route away from their homes. In this piece, JLF’s Michael Sanera responds to the debate and refutes the often-repeated myths about the train — including that it will be “high-speed.” Sanera concludes with this discussion of an underlying goal of the plan and the impact on average Americans:
Besides transportation, the federal government has other objectives for this rail line. Federal Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has proclaimed that his transit regulations will include an effort to “coerce people out of their cars.” Thus, state and local governments will likely be forced, via federal regulations, to diminish further the property rights of landowners near the rail line.
With all of these negatives, who does support the system? Who benefits from it? Average taxpayers who will be paying the multibillion-dollar bills certainly are not benefiting. Since the rail lines are designed to connect center cities, the beneficiaries are wealthy business and government elites — lawyers, bankers, and bureaucrats — who live or work downtown. They see an advantage to traveling center city to center city, rather than using faster air travel and then renting a car to drive to meetings downtown. And they are not shy about sticking us with the bill for personal convenience.
Add “moderate-speed” rail to the already very long list of “Robin Hood in reverse” policies coming out of Washington and Raleigh.
