Staff Reports
The Biden administration found a new way to squander taxpayer dollars by dishing out over $60 million to Amtrak for a Texas high-speed rail project that has become a shining example of how not to build transportation infrastructure. With private funding drying up quicker than a puddle on a Texas summer day, the Federal Railroad Administration approved a staggering $63.9 million grant on August 2. This money was meant to revive the Texas High-Speed Rail Corridor, but with a project timeline that resembles a snail race, the chance of success looks dim.
Plans for this rail line were supposed to connect Dallas and Houston with a glitzy fast train option, and yet, since its conceptualization, it has been bogged down by delays, resignations, and the inevitable bureaucratic chaos that accompanies government-funded projects. Early efforts by Texas Central to fund the initiative proved more elusive than bigfoot. Executives are leaving the sinking ship as private investments barely scrape together $650 million, a mere blip on the supposed $40 billion construction docket.
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— Latty Kyress (@LattyKyress) August 29, 2024
Criticism of this initiative isn’t hard to come by, particularly from those who have a healthy dose of skepticism about government projects. Many observers have pointed out that this kind of spending could see more productive utilization elsewhere—like repairing schools, shoring up national security at the border, or providing essential services for veterans. All true, especially when the national debt is creeping toward an astronomical $35 trillion and the budget deficit is expected to hit nearly $2 trillion.
The strategy behind this plan is especially head-scratching when considering its origin in a partnership with Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism—because nothing screams “American ingenuity” like relying on a foreign entity for shiny, expensive transportation technology. Texas Central pitched the use of Japan’s “Shinkansen” bullet train tech, proclaiming that they wouldn’t dip into federal funding or taxes. However, that stance has shifted faster than train cars on a high-speed track, with the Biden administration stepping in to allocate significant funds that can only be described as an expensive waste of taxpayer money.
To add to the hair-pulling frustration, eminent domain powers have been invoked, meaning precious farmland—which has been in families for generations—might be bulldozed for a project that wobbles like a three-legged table. Critics underline the financial risks and implications of placing high-powered electrical lines near residential areas, fueling fears of potential disasters. In a time when fiscal prudence should be the name of the game, the Biden administration’s love affair with high-speed rails seems like a ride to nowhere, costing taxpayers dearly while promising a journey that may never even get started.
