Why California can't afford high-speed rail

Contra Costa Times ^ | Updated 12/5/11 | Daniel Borenstein - Staff columnist

[cripplecreek]

Silly Willy letters to the editor still show up in various Michigan newspapers. These days he manages to include some comment about fascist Free republic. LOL

[cripplecreek]

Willie decided to pick a fight with JimRob.

[Grizzled Bear]

He “quit” shortly after farting off to Jim Robinson. After that, he made an abrupt exit.

[Lurker]

Somewhere along the line he quit FR. Don’t know why.

He didn't quit.

[Grizzled Bear]

“They don’t agree with my socialist dreams. That’s why they are facist!”

Something like that?

[morphing libertarian]

California is just being California. More taxes and more bonds until those of us who could pay are all gone.

[cripplecreek]

A few weeks back I saw a comment from him in Michigan Capitol Confidential complaining about FR extremists like me (I use the same user name there) who are so intent on polluting the planet that we refuse to see the greater good of less cars and more trains.

[dragnet2]

Would be train riders have moved to Texas-Arizona-Colorado.

We can only hope several million more will pour into your state...Soon.

A parking lot, greedymart, a train running through the backyard and 99 cent store on every corner...

You'll love it.

[Blado]

Willie Green, R.I.P.

I sometimes wonder where Chet99 is now.

I hope the pit bulls didn’t get him.

[Incorrigible]

 

 

[LVGuy600]

Look there are places in the U.S. where high speed rail would work:

1)The Boston-NY-DC Corridor

2)Dallas-Houston-San Antonio

3) Chicago-Mid West

4) Intra state Florida

The problem is the terrain has to be flat. That's why Vegas/LA is a non starter. The climb/descent into the LA basin is a killer.

Same thing for LA-North. Got to get out of the LA basin. But LA-San Diego would work and makes sense.

[Sonny M]

Isn't that the country where women are now just starting to complain about all the creepy dudes that are copping feels while the women are pressed up against them in the cars?

That is totally untrue........................the Women have been complaining about it for a very long time, it just that nobody listens to them, LOL.

In all seriousness, the idea behind high speed rail isn't all bad, its just bad for over there, because its not viable there. In some places, this could work, this, is not one of those places, and as a result its pure idiocy.

Its like the idea of using a fork, its a good and efficient way to eat, but its not effective with soup, california, is the kind of state, that would simply spend more money on forks then concede that kind of point.

[Sonny M]

To be honest, I'm not so sure about one through four. It would really depend on how much demand there is, to begin with, and assume that its mutually beneficially for both sides......it might not be.

Boston and NYC, could wind up being a massive waste, or hurting one at the expense of the other, and while I believe that the locations you named are probably the best case scenarios, I'm not convinced its worth that kind of gamble to find out, especially since there hasn't been that kind of high demand airline and bus wise with NYC and Boston.