With the 2012 elections not that far off, Republicans are taking on President Obama’s high-speed rail plan.

Sometimes responsibility is in the eye of the beholder. For example, what is the best way to invest in the nation's infrastructure? In the state of Wisconsin, the governor declined $810 million worth of federal stimulus money for a high speed rail initiative because he says the state couldn't afford to maintain the system and that money should be spent on roads, not rail. However, in Illinois, the governor sees his responsibility differently. A look at the future of passenger rail.

In hard economic times, it's difficult to believe that two states are together rejecting over a billion dollars in federal money. Ohio and Wisconsin will not undertake high-speed rail projects that were in development as late as last November. New leadership in both states claimed the rail projects would forever burden their state budgets. In the morning light, however, their objections may face fresh scrutiny.

A roundup of links to local stories of national importance to the state of America's infrastructure.