Is High-Speed Rail really that horrible of an idea?

While I am not writing a column for the Post this quarter, I would like to keep writing a bit while I'm venturing through the last quarter of my college career.

Today, I officially start the interview process for my "big girl" job. I am interviewing with the US P.I.R.G. for a position somewhere in this country as a Campus Director - basically instilling the campus community with P.I.R.G. knowledge. In preparation for my interview, I decided to brush up on my current favorite environmental policy - a high-speed railway in the United States.

For those of you who read my blog while I was in Wales, I mentioned the train a countless amount of times. The train was our only real means of transportation while in the UK. And it never once let us down while we were there. It was quick, easy and took us exactly where we needed to go. And although it took a bit of planning on our part, we soon got the hang of it and were able to navigate pretty much anywhere we needed to go.

I really enjoyed my experiences on the train and found the travel to be relatively inexpensive since I purchased my pass in advance. I sincerely believe that the American people would be overwhelmed with gratitude if we were to have a high-speed rail system installed to connect us to one another in an easier, safer and more fuel-efficient way.

This past winter was one of the worst I've seen in Ohio that I can really remember. It was long, cold, bitter and of course, littered with all types of frozen precipitation. The thing I remember most, however, is the condition of the roads and the reports that, with the downed economy, cities were not able to pay the high prices for salt and were also refraining from doing any repairs until after the winter was over. Thus, we were driving on treacherous roads covered in the previously mentioned precipitation and potholes the size of craters.

However, while I was in Europe, I don't really remember noticing this problem because so many of the citizens used the rail systems. I even knew some people who didn't own a car at all! So what is so wrong with President Obama's goal to begin construction on a rail system of our very own (aside from the serious lack of funding) to make our national infrastructure just that much better?

Check out this video and decide for yourself: