A trillion isn’t much

Ten trillion dollars. Joe Biden oversaw the expansion of the federal debt to the tune of $10 trillion. What could we buy with 10 trillion bucks? I’m not going to argue with you that we shouldn’t spend it because we already have. The U.S. national debt increased $10 trillion in the past four years. Yes, it was used to ease the country’s affliction from COVID, but we got no hard assets from that, only temporary relief and permanent inflation. So what could we have bought with that money?

For instance, the Apollo program cost $25.8 billion. Adjusted for inflation, that is $257 billion in today’s money. That is roughly 38 Apollo programs for our $10 trillion investment. Or how about the U.S. interstate system? Total cost, inflation adjusted, of $597 billion. You could buy 16 of those. 

I’m going to commit heresy now. U.S. presidents don’t spend much money, that duty falls on Congress. The national debt is a two-party blame game. Neither party is doing anything about it because we are gluttons. They blame each other but are equally responsible. Yet the question remains, what (other than down the debt, a silly notion) can we do with $10 trillion?

I’d like to suggest high-speed rail. I’ve run the numbers and we could have a more impressive high-speed rail system than our vaunted interstate system. It’d make liberals’ heads spin, but Elon Musk could build the system in less than 10 years to completion, five years to initial coverage. Construction would employ construction workers, engineers, tech, manufacturing, and lawyers (lots of lawyers). Permanent employees would be mechanics, conductors, engineers, waitstaff, cooks, etc.

The system would use a hub-and-spoke model similar to our interstate model, thus minimizing stops in every town along the way. From Macon, you’d take a commuter line to Atlanta. Then via high-speed train with stops in Birmingham, Memphis, Oklahoma City, Albuquerque, Flagstaff, and then L.A. Using $4,000,000 per mile, which is double the current expected cost, we’d still be able to fund 2,500,000 miles. The United States’ entire interstate highway system is 160,000 miles.

One of the knocks on high-speed rail is that tickets would be too expensive. But that is based on paying for the capital costs of construction and implementation of the system. Since we are gifting ourselves the money, the cost of a ticket would be minimal, covering only labor, office overhead, power, and such. 

Using state of the art apps, customers would plan, pay, and ride all from their phone or handheld device. Don’t have a device? We’ll give you one, or let you call the office. Free wireless would be included on the system. Extra-wide, comfortable seat upgrades, sleeping chairs, overnight rooms, dining rooms, and more would make the ride pleasurable while enhancing revenue.

From Macon to New York, four hours, $250. Macon to Los Angeles, 10 hours, $500. 

Would it face obstacles? Sure, the usual folks. Politicians with their hands out. Environmentalists who oppose everything. Unions who want it unionized, or worse, government employees. (Think TSA). Airlines who don’t want competition. I would propose that the enabling legislation exempts the system from this nonsense and make it a pressing national emergency with very limited court meddling allowed. 

So, what would you have spent the $10 trillion on?

Kelly Burke, attorney, former district attorney, and magistrate judge, writes about the law, rock’n’roll, and politics or anything that strikes him. Contact Kelly at dakellyburke@gmail.com to comment on this article or suggest articles you’d like to see, and visit his website at www.kellyrburke.com.