High-Speed Rail, Excuses, ID Theft

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First steps toward high-speed rail

Virginia submitted its first high-speed rail project application this week for a site along the congested I-95 interstate corridor. Plans cost $74.8 million and include building 11.4 miles of track in Stafford and Prince William counties.

The proposed project is in conjunction with CSX, Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express. The goal is to loosen the chokehold that vehicle traffic has in this area of Northern Virginia; a third rail will lessen conflicts between passenger and freight and aims to get Virginia to a 90 mph intercity passenger rail service. Wow.

Our hope is that Virginia can capitalize on the $8 billion in funding from the federal stimulus package allocated for high-speed rail corridors across the country. This money will be awarded through a competitive process and every successful step eases congestion on Virginia highways, shows that high-speed rail can work and moves our state into the future for transportation needs.

In October, Virginia will compete in a second wave of projects to extend from Washington, D.C., to Petersburg and into Hampton Roads. Every mile of high-speed rail that is built in Virginia would be a boost for transportation and our economy.

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Ridiculous speeding ticket excuses

We’re sure you’ve seen this story because not only did it make all the local outlets, it went nationwide thanks to the Associated Press.

Scott Gibson, 56, of Rogersville, Tenn., was clocked going 66 mph in a 55 mph zone by a Mt. Carmel speed camera. He was mailed a ticket.

According to Assistant Police Chief Mike Campbell, Gibson mailed back a copy of the citation with a handwritten note, claiming he wasn’t subject to local speed zones because he was the deputy chief of the CIA. There’s a great article in Newsweek this week about how Americans lie – a lot – but this is one granddaddy of a whopper.

The federal agency said Gibson had never been an employee. And it doesn’t matter. He’d still have to pay his $75 speeding fine even if he was the deputy chief of the CIA.

Authorities arrested Gibson for criminal impersonation and he was released on a $500 bond. Federal charges are pending.

We don’t like the speed cameras, but Gibson’s lie made the $75 ticket grow into a hefty fine, an arrest and criminal prosecution. Do you remember being told that honesty is the best policy or that lying only makes things worse?

Think about Gibson the next time you think embellishing might help you get ahead.

Identity theft affects Bernanke, wife

The personal bank account of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and his wife has been hit by identity theft, after Bernanke’s wife, Anna, had her purse stolen last year from a Capitol Hill Starbucks. The purse contained a wealth of information for a person aiming to commit identity theft – her Social Security card, checkbook and several forms of identification.

According to the Associated Press, the couple’s checking account was swept up into a larger scheme and court filings show defendant George L. Reid of Washington confessed to depositing checks from the couple’s account.

This incident shows the importance of safeguarding your information – Anna Bernanke reportedly left her purse on a chair in the coffee shop – and the fact that this type of crime is spreading and can happen to nearly anyone.

In a statement Thursday, Bernanke said identity theft affects millions of people each year and that his family was one of 500 separate instances traced back to a single crime ring. A word to the wise: Keep your Social Security card in a fire-proof lock box or safe; never in your purse or wallet.