Chao's Trainwreck At Transportation Department

While Trump makes a mess of immigration, Sessions melts down over at Justice, Tillerson takes a long lunch on foreign affairs, Scott Pruitt pollutes the EPA, and Ben Carson disturbingly characterizes African slaves as "immigrants", Elaine Chao at Transportation (who seemingly doesn't want to be left out of the mayhem) has begun her own tear-down of the country's infrastructure.

California had hopes to begin creating jobs through much needed infrastructure work and upgrades.  The nation's infrastructure, as most already know, is not only in need of basic maintenance, most everywhere wholesale modernization is required.  But newly minted Transportation Secretary Chao has put the brakes on $647 million for Caltrain to go electric — and in the process pretty much killed hopes for high-speed rail coming to San Francisco anytime soon.

Chao recently unwittingly revealed the larger plan during a bungled appearance on Sean Hannity's show, saying:

So, basically, we allow foreign inv—uh, we allow different kinds of money, private sector money to come into the United States—I’m not saying foreign—to come and fund, let’s say a bridge or a road or it can be any kind of infrastructure. 

Permit me to restate the basics.  Our tax dollars (instead of going to build bridges and roads) will now go towards corporate welfare.  The Trump administration will redirect federal resources to partner with corporations and privatize our infrastructure-- creating a new way for private corporations to profit off middle America's hard-earned dollars.   Instead of the money Americans pay on toll and users fees going to local county or state coffers, it’ll go to line the pockets of corporate executives or enrich corporate stockholders.  Only about 40% of Americans participate in the stock market, so the remaining 60% are screwed-- paying extra out of pocket in order to commute to work or do errands-- and have nothing to show for it on the other end.