The Dough Train

So this is what you can do with a 3.5 trillion dollar budget!

I have been increasingly taken back by the litany of bold plans and promises of President Obama and his administration, the most recent being a $13B investment into high speed railways. Add to that a pledge of replicating the "Harlem Children's Zone" in 13 major U.S. cities, the bailout of nearly every state budget in the country, a pledge to cut off weapons supplies to Mexico, grand plans of healthcare reform... the list goes on.

There's a note of optimisim in my voice, even if I am a little dubious. I like big plans. I don't know if I like deficits. Sometimes things just need to get done. As it is, 13 Billion for our outdated rail system is merely a shot in the arm.

 

A Sad Sad Sight

While sailing in the 505 Midwinters Regatta at Ft. Desoto I noticed a number of boats like the one above. Low tide presented a particularly distressing sight, as the abandoned boats rolled on to their sides. This is apparently becoming a common thing all around the country as boat owners can no longer afford slip or storage fees. See this NYT article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/01/business/01boats.html?_r=2&ref=business