Now that the federal stimulus package has passed, the big question for many states is how to spend the money. It didn't take long for many to start putting their lists together, lists with everything from increasing Internet access across regions to fixing long-neglected sewer pipes within villages.

While these ideas may have merit (quite a few don't), the bigger question is whether or not there are public works projects that can make a difference for decades to come, for which the money from Washington should be used.

In the case of New York, the spending vultures in Albany have their eyes fixed on the cash to solve New York's fiscal crisis, without having to make hard choices and do any heavy lifting. While that may please all those who have a stake in the process (beneficiaries of programs who want to keep their benefits, funded employees who want to keep their jobs and taxpayers, who would not like to see a tax increase if cuts aren't made), there doesn't seem to be any real vision for the largest infusion of federal funds in decades.

Yet, New York's newest senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, and the man who appointed her, Gov. David Paterson, both have touched on a topic that is worth considering - a high speed rail system that connects New York City to upstate and Albany to Buffalo #- something that has long been overdue. While the idea was touted for years by Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan when he was in Washington, it never got further than platitudes.

The new stimulus funds could be used, if allowed, as an opportunity for New York to repeat the feat of “Clinton's Big Ditch,” the 19th century effort better known as the Erie Canal. Kicked off by Gov. Dewitt Clinton, it took nearly seven years to complete and transformed commerce in New York and beyond. A new rail system could transport people quickly and easily would counter the need for the heavy usage of automobiles and trucks. And it would change the way products are currently transported via inefficient rail and energy-costly trucking, to a more efficient system.

The current infrastructure of New York doesn't allow this, no matter how much Vice President Joseph Biden wants to tout Amtrak. That is not the infrastructure New York needs for both transporting people and goods in the long term.

It has been suggested that the rail package from Washington will be $5 billion, with $3.4 to New York City and $1.6 for upstate investing in a high speed rail system that could unite New York, not continue its internal fights for a share of the pie.

Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be contacted at cozguytho@aol.com

U.S. Rep. Michael Arcuri, D-Oneida, spoke at least twice, locally, during his campaign about needing to change the way we travel to reduce our energy dependence. He spoke about how Europe and other nations see auto use for the first 100 or so miles and then see a change over to rail and air beyond that. Yet, This is also an opportunity to align the rail system with high power transmission lines.