Posted on 10/09/2022 7:00:32 PM PDT by lowbridge
The French national railroad company intended to help California build its high-speed rail from San Francisco to Los Angeles, but ended up leaving the state to pursue projects in war-torn North Africa, which the company said was a less “dysfunctional” place.
The New York Times published a lengthy essay on Sunday about how California’s “bullet train” failed — despite the fervent desire of Gov. Jerry Brown (D) that it be built, and the investments of both the Obama and Biden administration in its supposed construction.
The Times noted:
Now, as the nation embarks on a historic, $1 trillion infrastructure building spree, the tortured effort to build the country’s first high-speed rail system is a case study in how ambitious public works projects can become perilously encumbered by political compromise, unrealistic cost estimates, flawed engineering and a determination to persist on projects that have become, like the crippled financial institutions of 2008, too big to fail.
…
The state was warned repeatedly that its plans were too complex. SNCF, the French national railroad, was among bullet train operators from Europe and Japan that came to California in the early 2000s with hopes of getting a contract to help develop the system.
…
“There were so many things that went wrong,” Mr. McNamara said. “SNCF was very angry. They told the state they were leaving for North Africa, which was less politically dysfunctional. They went to Morocco and helped them build a rail system.”
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
LOL!
Rail is a 19th Century solution to 21st Century problems.
It’s like putting up telegraph wires in the age of the Internet.
There have been at least 3 proposals by Private companies with Private funding. to build a High Speed Train to Vegas from SoCal in the last 50 years. Every one of them shot down by gubmint and the watermelon crowd.
After reading the headline, I had to check to see if this was “The Bee.”
I guess that rules out my Hot Air Balloon proposals for Mass Transit. I got the rattan baskets all made and everything!
It would have been a ‘Blast!’
//sarc
And, also, the Spanish rail company left California.
The Spanish AVE high speed rail is wonderful btw. Barcelona-Madrid-Sevilla, each leg is like SF-LA and a bit over two hours. Both legs cross mountain chains.
Rail is a very high capacity system that can work better than air for a given mix of volume/time.
Overall travel time can be quite a bit less than air travel, and there are fewer issues with land usage and transit from airport - endpoints.
When the French call a US state dysfunctional and leave for War-Torn North Africa if the Stupid Party does not realize and take advantage of this messaging they will once again reinforce that well-deserved monicker, The Stupid Party.
And, thus the rise of the Tea Party and now MAGA.
If the Republicans were a functional political party they could make this into a DEVASTATING political ad.
If it walks and talks and acts really weird. Don’t worry it’s a California politician. If it seems normal and makes perfect sense and seems well grounded in common sense run like hell its a creature from outer space. This should be on highway signs as you enter California.
It sounds like Morocco may be a better destination for retiring Americans.
Good, we don’t need French companies building railroads in the USA.
I don’t think so. Isn’t Morocco where those two Scandanavian women were raped and beheaded?
Whoops! Scandinavian.
The biggest boondoggle in history.
Actually, we do Ned someone who know what thdd we y are doing because we don’t. If we did, it would be built by now.
Jerry and Democrats can wish in one hand, shit in the other and see which one fills up.
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