I’m all for high-speed trains and clean transit!

A crowd of about 40 people sat in stunned silence as U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski, D-11, gave his prediction for the future of Monroe County.

The New York metropolitan area will grow by 4 million people in the next two decades. They can’t go north; not enough infrastructure. New Jersey is already densely populated. So where will they go?

“Greater New York is coming west. Right through Monroe County. And you better act quickly and think about planning and smart growth,” he said.

Kanjorski held a town hall meeting at East Stroudsburg University Thursday night. It was a sometimes raucous, no-holds-barred question-and-answer session that went well over its allotted two-hour time limit.

Kanjorski addressed questions about immigration, his vote for the war in Iraq, impeachment, congestion, President Bush and, of course, the commuter rail line.

“You’ve got to become Seattle, Washington,” he said. “All their interstates are built with interchanges planned for the next 20 years. They have a vision.

“We can put in a high-speed train from Scranton to Manhattan for $5 billion,” an amount Kanjorski said would not be looked on favorably, “but it requires a plan and leadership.”