Posted on 03/23/2012 7:53:25 AM PDT by SmithL
Its popularity has declined sharply, many of its details have yet to emerge, and independent authorities have questioned its financial and operational viability, but California's bullet train project is very likely to get the green light from the Legislature soon.
That's the consensus of those who have been counting votes among the Legislature's dominant Democrats, who can give the California High-Speed Rail Authority authorization to sell bonds and begin construction of an initial segment in the San Joaquin Valley.
And that's true even though lawmakers still don't know, in any detail, what linking the northern and southern halves of the state via rail would entail.
They don't know how much the system would cost, who, if anyone, would put up its money, or whether it could draw enough passengers to cover costs without subsidies.
Gov. Jerry Brown assumed political control of the CHSRA last year when the project appeared doomed and appointed a trusted adviser, Dan Richard, to make it work. He and other bullet train overseers unveiled, with great ceremony, a revised plan they said was workable.
However, the new price tag, around $100 billion, was several times more than what voters said it would cost when they approved a $9.95 billion bond issue,
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
A faster way to transport illegals?
Jackasses.
No, they need a faster means to get from the $9.95M bond funding to the $100M price tag. Operating shortfalls should do the rest.
Even though I was raised there and lived there for over 40 years, I think I can manage to stay clear of that hole for the rest of my days.
The NappyOne
One more nail in the coffin...
.
Uh, no. I posted this yesterday:
It's corruption, big time corruption. You just don't see it. And you've been living in its epicenter for how long? Allow me...
Did you ever see Chinatown? That was stealing water from farmers to build up the San Fernando Valley, right? Remember the massive and rapid development of "the Inland Empire" all the way from Pomona to San Diego??? Who made out like a bandit developing that? Don't you remember three billion in municipal bonds for flood control in an empty region? Don't you remember an eight-lane freeway built a through an empty valley in Temecula? Well, it was the Times Mirror Corporation pushing that (among others), the biggest real estate holders in California and goodness knows how many banks, not to mention the likes of Eli Broad all made out as well. Who is paying for the real estate implosion debacle?
Well guess what? It looks like they're doing it again, only bigger (as always). The "farmers" that built Pat Brown's California Water Project and paid the Williamson Act taxes for thirty years were waiting to build. Now the big guys want it; they always buy in recessions. They've got a nice Federal judge telling the farmers that they'll just have to go bust to save the Delta Smelt. That land will be cheap, but there's too much of it. Enter the conservancies to buy up the "open space"! Gotta build that insta-corridor for the insta-cities!! What corridor? It's a hundred miles to anything. OH!!! High Speed Rail!
Got it now? I'll bet the layout has been done for over a decade and shock of shocks it's Pat's kid Jerry getting it done.
The complete waste of our tax dollars is so overwelming on such a grand scale and yet they plow on with idiotic whack left wet dreams like this! Starting this project in the middle of nowhere to begin with! Jeez!
Google "Ghost Cities" and "China" and note that they too are connected by high speed rail. This is the same thing: Squeeze the people into cities in the middle of nowhere and with no escape, connect them with highly controlled transportation, and put a gun to their heads. It's Agenda 21 in action kiddies, invented in California and now going worldwide. It's sustained development doncha know.
8 posted on Thursday, March 22, 2012 9:24:14 AM by Carry_Okie (The RNC would prefer Obama to a conservative nominee.)
Apparently they decided their current rate of descent into insolvency was insufficient, and decided to opt for the “high speed” route.
“””However, the new price tag, around $100 billion, was several times more than what voters said it would cost when they approved a $9.95 billion bond issue”””
“Several” is the new TEN.
Campaign money has been accepted and payback is required. Only legally registered voters should be allowed to give funds to political campaigns.
Damn the massive cost and hugh subsidies and obvious lack of likely success..
Full Spend Ahead!!
The motto of the insane California Elite Politicos and their donors.
Exactly, Precisely, spot on.
I’m convinced Dim’s believe in the money faerie.
When in doubt - SPEND!
Budget Crisis? - SPEND!
Need votes? - SPEND!
And if you don’t agree you lack ‘compassion’ - a Dim codeword for inability to reason.
Too much money involved to let this one go. I wonder how many of our “legislators” in Sacramento will be millionaires in a few years?
Just more “wealth redistribution”. Shut up and pay your taxes!
Neither the USA nor Kalifornicator have enough money to drive the first spike let alone finish this nightmare project.
Our “light rail” crap was never used well, and this is just another bullshit feel-good maneuver of the same ilk. Rail works in small countries like Japan, but is near useless in large and sprawling countries like America. If there’s an actual reasonable need it is fine, but when it makes no sense for anyone to use it, its just plain stupid, and legislating travel plans for Americans is outrageous. We are a personal transportation based society and any attempts to pretend that will change are arrogant and totalitarian. We only need commercial rail in the US because we have a great interstate roadway system and air travel, and it works just fine.
How about human deaths? Current 70 mph rail in California kills a person at least once or twice a month if not more frequently. Suicides, playing on the tracks, walking on the tracks with earbuds oblivious to the noise and horn of an approaching train. In addition to the immediate families, you have to count the train engineers and conductors who see an accident happening and the resulting carnage up close but can do nothing to stop it or repair the damage.
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