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LOUISA VIRGINIA
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Home| About Us| Background | Related Links | Issues | Events | |
LOUISA VIRGINIA
The Problem:
America has a Transportation System not well suited for the 21st Century. While our highway system is substantial in miles covered, it is badly in need of repair and upgrade. Our airports are all over crowded and our rail system is a national disgrace. Local commuting is overly dependent on private cars. We are way behind most other industrialized nations and many developing nations are investing heavily in this vital area that helps support our competitiveness in a growing global economy.
Background:
For many years, we in America have ignored needed improvements to our Transportation System and have been overly reliant on the automobile. While the automobile provides a “convenience” preferred by most Americans, it does little toward energy efficiency or to our global competitiveness. China, our current primary global competitor, has been and continues mass development of their transportation system. Today, China is building 98 new airports - we are building none. China is building high-speed rail line between all of it large cities. Actually, China’s improving economy is resulting in more people owning cars so they are only now being faced with problems such as smog and traffic jams.
Europe has a trans-continental rail system that is the envy of the world. Few people living in New York City even want to own an automobile because public transportation is much more convenient and less expensive.
The Solution:
If we are to be economically competitive and environmentally sensible in the 21st Century, we must make massive investments in our transportation NOW! To do so without adding to our insane national debt will require that it be paid for by simple user fees such as greatly increased fuel tax and airport user fees. Such fees not only would provide badly needed funding but would also promote energy efficiency. Rail travel might be subsidized to encourage this mode of travel.
Those that criticize this process as “tax and spend” politics must realize that this could have done much less expensive if it had been done as our needs grew. Now it has become “tax and spend – OR ELSE!”