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California rail authority calls Trump plan to end high-speed rail funding 'rash and unlawful'
LA Times ^ | 3/04/19 | RALPH VARTABEDIAN

Posted on 03/04/2019 5:18:25 PM PST by Libloather

The California rail authority delivered a sharp rebuttal Monday to the Trump administration, saying its threat to cancel and rescind $3.5 billion in grants for the state bullet train project is “rash and unlawful.”

In two letters to the Federal Railroad Administration, state officials say they have not breached the terms and conditions of the grants and are making progress in building what would be a transformative passenger rail system.

The federal agency issued notice two weeks ago that it intended to terminate a $929-million grant issued in 2010 for the high-speed rail system and was exploring options to seek recovery of a $2.5-billion grant in 2009 that the state already spent. The notice asserted that the state had violated the terms of the grants, was not making adequate progress and would fail to meet a 2022 deadline to complete 119 miles of construction in the Central Valley.

(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: california; funding; hsr; rail; train; trains
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To: Westbrook

Didn’t the cockeyed, lunatic leftist governor of California already cancel the project?


No, the project lives! High-speed rail between the metropoles of Merced and Bakersfield. All aboard!


21 posted on 03/04/2019 5:34:35 PM PST by hanamizu
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To: Libloather

We have a Federal Railroad Administration?
WTH?
What is their budget?


22 posted on 03/04/2019 5:34:44 PM PST by hadaclueonce ( This time I am Deplorable)
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To: Fungi; PAR35

Exactly. They say the money was due them regardless and they want to keep it.


23 posted on 03/04/2019 5:35:15 PM PST by SkyDancer ( ~ Just Consider Me A Random Fact Generator ~ Eat Sleep Fly Repeat ~)
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To: Westbrook

“Didn’t the cockeyed, lunatic leftist governor of California already cancel the project?”

No. He’s using the lie of completing the Bakersfield-to-somewhere section as leverage to keep the federal money for the entire project. Pres. Trump is calling his bluff.


24 posted on 03/04/2019 5:36:30 PM PST by VanShuyten ("...that all the donkeys were dead. I know nothing as to the fate of the less valuable animals.")
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To: hadaclueonce

You ask
We deliver

approx 1.7 billion USD

https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/docs/mission/budget/281186/fra-fy-2018-cj-budget.pdf


25 posted on 03/04/2019 5:38:04 PM PST by nascarnation
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To: hadaclueonce

There’s even a Federal Railroad Retirement Board that pays out billions of dollars per year.


26 posted on 03/04/2019 5:39:39 PM PST by jjotto (Next week, BOOM!, for sure!)
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To: Pelham
It’s mostly been California taxpayers getting run over by this high speed rail scam.

In the old days, public money was used to build infrastructure that was functional. Not necessarily pretty, but did the job. San Francisco spent years building the Transbay Terminal, using many billions of federal grant dollars, and it is way over budget and not anywhere near completion. The reason? They diverted money away from the high-speed train platform level to fund building a fancy park on top. They ran out of money, and are seeking to replace the money necessary to build the train platform and rail in what is now an empty hole underground. Billions of dollars are needed, and they don't have it. Priority was to get the fancy concourse and park built - which is closed off due to manufacturing flaws which they are trying to repair.

Politicians are not after function, they are after cosmetic displays for dog lovers to walk their dogs in parks atop rail stations. And the taxpayer loses.

27 posted on 03/04/2019 5:43:13 PM PST by roadcat
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To: hanamizu
"High-speed rail between the metropoles of Merced and Bakersfield."

TOTALLY Transformative.....

28 posted on 03/04/2019 5:47:42 PM PST by Paladin2
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To: vette6387

I was going to include the snail darter but that’s a fish. They wouldn’t run rails through water - or would they?


29 posted on 03/04/2019 5:48:14 PM PST by Libloather (Trivial Pursuit question - name the first female to lose TWO presidential elections!)
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To: Paladin2; hanamizu

Why when you can do it on I-5 for cheaper and probably for not much less time. Besides, who is a hurry to get to Merced from Bakersfield or to Bakersfield from Merced?


30 posted on 03/04/2019 5:52:14 PM PST by marajade (Skywalker)
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To: Libloather

Their plans have changed. The grant amount should reflect it.


31 posted on 03/04/2019 5:52:50 PM PST by marajade (Skywalker)
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To: Libloather

Almost all the environmental work was waived by the State.


32 posted on 03/04/2019 5:52:57 PM PST by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: marajade
"who is a hurry to get to Merced from Bakersfield or to Bakersfield from Merced"

Gavin Newsome?

AOC?

33 posted on 03/04/2019 5:57:01 PM PST by Paladin2
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To: Pelham
Not exactly. Gavin Newsom is trying to spend all of the federal money before he ends the scam. But the high speed rail program has been in violation of everything it agreed to do to get that money. So with any luck, not only will Team Trump cancel any unspent federal money, it will also sue California to claw back all of the money spent while the project was in violation of what it had promised to do.

The President can compromise and use the money to build the California sections of the wall. Gavin can still take credit for California jobs.

34 posted on 03/04/2019 6:11:57 PM PST by Vince Ferrer
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To: Libloather

Eat it! You corrupt commie bastards! I hope Trump takes the money out of their hides.


35 posted on 03/04/2019 6:33:24 PM PST by HighSierra5
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To: Libloather

Money will be used for sanctuary city and politicians pockets only


36 posted on 03/04/2019 6:35:52 PM PST by ronnie raygun (nic dip.com)
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To: Libloather

What the heck are Newson and Becerra worried about? It’s just money, and money grows on trees, as witnessed by how they could care less about deficit spending. So, they could just give the $3 billion back to the federal government and toss that same amount into their debt, and nobody will know the difference. It’s not like they expect to be responsible for responsible spending, so, just add it to the debt and the voters in California won’t care either.


37 posted on 03/04/2019 6:36:57 PM PST by adorno
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To: Paladin2

Having been born and raised in CA and travelled a lot up and down the state, who would?

Ever hear the song “Far Away Eyes” by the Rolling Stones?

LOL


38 posted on 03/04/2019 6:37:58 PM PST by marajade (Skywalker)
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To: Mariner

convenient that... What about the world ending in 12 years because of climate change.

At the rate they are constructing it, it might take 12 years to complete the project.


39 posted on 03/04/2019 6:39:44 PM PST by marajade (Skywalker)
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To: marajade

I didn’t think I was aware of that song, but now listening to it, I do remember it.

I generally favor the music over the lyrics and did not really recognize them. But it’s all clear now. Definitely funny in context with today.

Thanks.


40 posted on 03/04/2019 7:34:15 PM PST by Paladin2
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