Earth Equity News

High Speed Rail Effort Proceeds with Caution. By Josh Voorhees, Greenwire, October 22, 2009. "President Obama billed the $8 billion in stimulus funds for high-speed rail as the 'first step' toward a nationwide system of European-style bullet trains linking the nation's largest cities. But now his administration must take the second step: figuring out how and where to spend the cash among more than $50 billion worth of proposals from across the country. It is a tricky endeavor. If Federal Railroad Administration officials pick too many projects, they risk spreading the cash too thin, leaving little tangible evidence to point to when it comes time to ask for the next round of federal investment. Choose only one or two larger projects, and they could alienate needed political allies that hail from states that are overlooked."