Napa Wine Train of Straight Talk Waste Express

I have no affection for the Napa Valley Wine Train, which I consider a tourist trap on rails. If you're unfamiliar with this Napa Valley institution, it is an old-fashioned train that goes in a straight line up the Valley from Napa to St. Helena (and back). During the scenic trip, you will enjoy not only a meal but also lovely views of almost the entire Valley. If you pay a little extra, you can also get off for little winery excursions at one of two pre-approaved wineries, cruise-ship style.

I have never ridden on the Wine Train and have no plans to do so in the future. The greatest pleasure I get in the wine train is checking to see if anyone happens to be making out on the back platform of the caboose (I think my count is currently up to 4 couples, and that's not including the people I've seen making out in the outdoor space between cars.). I'm hoping that my count might increase after taking a look at their website which seems to encourage this kind of behavior, a quote from the site: "The Gift of Time and Intimacy." If by "intimacy," you mean that the millions of tourists on the busiest highway in the county can see you and your beloved sucking face. Then, yes, it is "intimate."

But, the Wine Train doesn't need my harsh words. Republican Senators John McCain and Tom Coburn have beat me to it! Yes, they cited the Napa Valley Wine Train as a waste of taxpayers' money because of an Army Corps of Engineers project designed to protect downtown Napa from flooding. (The most recent serious flood in 2005 caused $115 million in damage to the city.) Unfortunately, the project includes $54 million to move the train because its station is downtown along the Napa River. The senators and others critical of government spending projects have since nicknamed the train the "Stimulus Waste Express."

This story is now on the front page of CNN.com and it will apparently be on Anderson Cooper 360 (personally, I think Anderson was just looking for an excuse to expense a French Laundry dinner). Check out the on-line story, which also has some video, here. It has even elicited a strong response from the Wine Train, including an open letter to John McCain (here) and text on its website stating that it "Got NO Federal Stimulus Money."

I don't really care much about government spending or "my tax dollars at work." What I do care about is the fact that CNN referred to the Wine Train as "the quintessential Napa Valley experience." Do not be fooled by the liberal, mainstream media!