But Newsom may also have been desperate to stop a voter initiative being circulated by Reform California to divert high-speed rail’s billions of dollars in annual taxes and fees to local government to rehabilitate the state’s crumbling highway system.
Unions officials and their contractor fellow travelers are howling that the initiative is shortsighted and would ultimately hurt California residents.
Anti-tax crusader and Reform California chairman Carl DeMaio blasted Newsom’s speech as an effort to fool voters into believing the high-speed boondoggle was dead. Here’s what he wrote:
“Make no mistake about it: Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement today is not about killing the wasteful High-Speed Rail Project, it is about keeping it very much alive. Newsom wants to spend tens of billions on a rail line between Merced and Bakersfield — a complete waste. Once this segment is done, politicians will argue that no one is riding this route because it doesn’t travel far enough and voila: the entire project will continue.”
Reform California expects to easily gather the 586,000 signatures by May to qualify for the 2020 statewide ballot and let voters finally end California’s high-speed rail fantasies.
He wants to keep $3.5 billion of federal funds.
Like you could fund the wall with that.
“But Newsom may also have been desperate to stop a voter initiative being circulated by Reform California”
Bingo. The Rats have perfected using ballot initiatives to boost rat turnout. They know if this one gets on the 20 ballot it will hurt them. So if they can keep them from getting signatures by May it’s dead.
Except that the stupid voters of CA just voted NOT to repeal a gas tax recently enacted by the Dims of CA. They run a few commercials saying it’s for the children, and it’s part of the green movement, and the idiots will vote for the train. Who are these idiots that have ruined CA? See my tag line. Remember, we were Reagan country.
OMG. Life imitates art. We have, again
The Great Train Robbery (1963).