Government of, by and for the idiots

In the name of protecting private enterprise, the Bush administration is making it illegal for cities to carry children to and from school on the public transportation systems:

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - The District’s long-standing system of taking students to school on Metrobus would be prohibited under a federal proposal to tighten the rules that govern public transit agencies.

The stricter Federal Transit Administration rules, which just completed the public comment process, would apply to all transit systems that receive federal funds and could be in place as soon as August. Metro receives $200 million in federal funding annually.

The rule is designed to ensure that publicly funded transit systems don’t infringe on the private charter bus industry, but officials said it would leave the District scrambling to pull together transportation for students that likely would cost millions of dollars more than the school system has budgeted for the service.

This doesn't just affect D.C. New York, for instance, ferries kids to school on the subway.