Tuesday, June 24, 2008

They Invest Whilst We Wither

Here is something interesting and frustrating from Bloomberg...

June 23 (Bloomberg) -- Network Rail Ltd., the government- backed owner of Britain's train tracks and stations, may build as many as five more railway lines to help boost capacity as passenger numbers climb to the highest in more than 60 years.

Network Rail will examine the case for constructing new lines to the north and west of London, it said in a statement today. Capacity will be reviewed on the West Coast, East Coast, Great Western, Chiltern and Midland Main lines, the company said.

Passenger journeys have increased 40 percent over the past decade to 1.13 billion, the highest since 1946, when the network was twice the size. The U.K. government predicts numbers will rise by an additional 30 percent over the next 10 years.

And we are we? We're spending nearly half a BILLION dollars a day on a useless and unnecessary war. We've lost over 4,000 American soldiers to this war. We've wasted over $500 billion, and we're still spending over $100 billion every year. The total cost is expected to reach over a trillion dollars - or even several trillion, if you add all the veterans' costs in as well.

China and India continue to grow, and where are we? Pouring money down a hole while our economy grinds to a halt, and we face a world of permanent $4 or more a gallon gas. Hello! That's 3 times the price AFTER September 11. Been grocery shopping lately? Bread, milk or butter or anything else that is coming to your local store by truck, train or plane is being burdened by the price of energy. This is Bush's legacy. A world where we are spiraling into a has been country with millions unable to meet the cost of basic living and millions of children with poor nutrition that will affect their ability to learn and function for the rest of their lives. The rest of the world is looking forward with improved infrastructure, national healthcare, improving nutrition and environmental practices. Not us under the GOP. Anybody ready for a change in direction?

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