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[quote user="oltmannd"][quote user="Falcon48"] Given differences in population density in this country vs foreign countries with HSR, [/quote]The eastern half of the US and California are not dissimilar to Europe.[quote user="Falcon48"]Any HSR lines actually built will drain money away from existing transit and regional rail services.[/quote]Not really. It's the non-discretionary portions of the budge that will sink all discretionary spending. Non-discretionary spending is Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid (this is the 900# gorilla) and debt interest. Federal spending has typically been about 20% of GNP for the past 40 years. Non-discretionary spending is currently about 60% of the Federal budget and will exceed 20% of GNP in the next 40 years, leaving nothing for defense, education, transit, highways or anything else. I wouldn't expect taxpayers to support my hobby, my travel or my commute unless doing so was in the overall interest of the country. [/quote] Your assessment of non-discretionary vs. discretionary federal spending is spot on.  However, you left out two items of the non-discretionary spend that are worth mentioning.  They are the unfunded military and federal retirement promises.  Unlike firms offering a qualified pension plan, the government does not have to determine the actuarial value of the retirement benefits for its employees (military and civilian) and fund them on an on-going basis.  It just takes the money from the yearly operating budget, which is course is paid for by the taxpayers.  The amount of unfunded military and federal employee retirement benefits is nearly as great as the amount of unfunded Social Security obligations. What do you think would happen to a candidate for Congress if he or she promised to modernize the military retirement plan, which was put together in 1866, when male life expectancywas approximately 45 years?  Or touch the civilian retirement plan?
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