Your tax dollars at work: "General Motors is teaming with Segway, the scooter company, to develop a battery-powered vehicle to cut urban congestion and pollution. The companies plan to announce the partnership Tuesday in New York, where they are testing a prototype of the partially enclosed, two-seat, two-wheel scooter. The venture is called Project PUMA, for Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility."

The vehicle won't be ready for years, which is unfortunate for GM: By the time most Americans will be willing to buy one (for shelter), the company will be long out of business.