Not made in America? California bullet train officials seek exemption to buy foreign parts

Los Angeles Times ^ | November 13, 2016 | Ralph Vartabedian

[artichokegrower]

The California bullet train agency has begun a legal effort to import a significant amount of foreign equipment for its future Los Angeles-to-San Francisco system, a move that could prove politically controversial.

The Federal Railroad Administration disclosed last week that the state’s High-Speed Rail Authority was seeking exemptions from the Buy American Act on more than a dozen critical train parts including motors, gearboxes, axles, wheels, brakes, derailment mitigation devices, undercarriages and even the entire aluminum car body shells.

[artichokegrower]

Under a carefully crafted political deal, the bridge was divided into two separate projects — one under federal jurisdiction close to Oakland and a central span that the state would pay for. The move bypassed the Buy American Act for the central span and allowed the bridge sections to be outsourced to China. The attempt to save money backfired and contributed to a tripling of the cost to more than $6 billion.

And nobody got fired.

[zeugma]

You would think they might have learned from past experience, but then remember they are government workers.

[rdcbn]

You would think they might have learned from past experience, but then remember they are government workers.

---

For politicians and government workers, past experience has been phenomenal.

America has anti graft and kick back scheme rules but foreign suppliers, especially Asian ones, are able to circumvent those laws by transferring bribes internationally.

A lot of politicians and government workers got rich off of the bribes they received from the 6 billion they sunk into the Bay Bridge.

[ridesthemiles]

Are they already trying to save money because they know how much money the state will lose when the funds for Sanctuary Cities is reduced to ZERO???

Trump & Congress need to jump on this.

There is absolutely NO reason to build that train. NO ONE will use it.

[falcon99]

This is a perfect example of the hypocrisy of the Democrats and Left. Calif wants the government to do everything, unions to control all workers, and citizens to be taxed for everything. Yet, they now want to buy non-America (i.e. take jobs away from Americans) because it will save money. Pure hypocrisy, but typical Dems

[bgill]

Scratching that mode of transportation off the list.

[vette6387]

As a Californian, I hope that The Trump Administration cuts off every nickel it can from whatever California gets from the Federal Government. Because it’s the only way I see that we can cause the collapse of our State’ worthless government.

[backwoods-engineer]

This is how we can subvert this collectivist idiocy of choo-choo trains for the masses: FORCE THEM TO BUY AMERICAN. Best case: the whole program gets cancelled because they cannot get parts. Almost as good: program goes forward, but American industry makes the parts.

It's a win-win. We get to use a baseball bat on a Leftist program, and American industry benefits. That's Trump's style, too.

[ConsCA]

I am a Californian and the bigger issue is we do NOT need the bullet train. It is a “nice” idea but not well thought out, and too expensive. But, it provides job “security” for a bunch of people....

[HiTech RedNeck]

the transportation equivalent of potemkin villages.