How much would you pay to get to Milwaukee 10 minutes faster?

Not a cent, you say? Nothing against Milwaukee; it’s a lovely town. But, if President Barack Obama gets his way, the Milwaukee-in-a-flash dream could cost taxpayers hundreds of millions. His vision of a network of high-speed trains — many fanning out from Chicago to Milwaukee and elsewhere — would cost $8 billion. Actually, that’s just the start. The eventual cost to taxpayers of creating a network of trains zipping across America at rocket-train speeds would be way, way more.

Some visionaries (and government contractors) would argue that realizing the promise of high-speed rail travel is worth the cost. Ray LaHood, U.S. transportation secretary and former Illinois Republican congressmen, said in a new report, “A Vision for High- Speed Rail in America,” that they included “building a robust, green economy, gaining energy independence, reversing global climate change and fostering more livable, connected communities.”