Lightbulb over my head for the day

Way to partially solve the energy crisis: Take a small portion of every dollar of profit the oil/gas companies are making and put it into public transportation development. I'm talking trains, train tracks and secure depots in every suburb, stops along Farm to Market roads. I know everyone is always saying that Europe's system won't work in the US because we are too big and sprawling, but isn't it at least possible as long as the money is available? And think of the jobs all of that construction would create! The only hitch is how to make the oil and gas companies do it. Maybe a portion of the tax we already pay when we buy gas could be funneled into this project. Because the whole point would be to start weening us Americans off of our attachment to our cars (and speaking from experience - even certain people who read this blog who have chances to take the train to work don't want to give up his or her vehicle.) How to change THAT mindset, speaking in my best West Texas lingo, is a whole 'nother problem.