End of earmarking?

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/12/crumbling.cities.ap/index.html

Probably not, but at least somebody is suggesting it.

This article addresses the massive construction/rehabilitation that our infrastructure, specifically the highway interstate system, needs nationwide. Leveraging tax credit bonds (which I assume could be bought and sold between private parties) seems like a good idea. Time will tell if anything actually happens and effectively works.

One thing that bothers me about this article is the lack of serious consideration (and just a general ignorance) of the effectiveness and convenience of mass transit rail systems. Europe and Asia use such systems almost exclusively for long-distance travel, the U.S. needs to catch that same fever. Amtrak is slow, inconvenient and still, as baffling as this may seem, nearly cost prohibitive when compared to road travel.