We all know that America's infrastructure is either failing or can't meet the capacity of a globalized economy. In an age where the speed at which goods and services are delivered is essential for a healthy economy, we cannot afford to not have a national network of high speed rail.
With airports increasing overcrowded and highway gridlock now an economic hazard, high speed rail would free up other sectors of our infrastructure network to operate more smoothly and ultimately with a longer lifespan due to lower capacity and therefore lower wear and tear.
This program could be partly paid for by placing a tax on non-renewable energy sources, thereby lowering demand and giving us more time to transition to renewable sources of energy, while ending dependency on Mid-East oil sources.