A company hoping to help California with its high-speed rail built one in North Africa instead, saying the region was ‘less politically dysfunctional’

Business Insider ^ | 9 OCT 22 | Hannah Getahun

[Salman]

The Société nationale des chemins de fer français (SNCF), a French state-owned railroad operator, came to California in hopes of helping the state build a high-speed rail system from Los Angeles to San Francisco but left for North Africa in 2011 because the region was 'less politically dysfunctional' than the Golden State.

Within 7 years, they built a functioning high-speed rail system in Morocco, the New York Times reported.

California sought to have the first high-speed rail system in the country, but a new report from the Times showed political disagreement on the train's route slowed the ambitious project to a near halt — and raised construction costs by billions.

...

[Cobra64]

Republicans are too stupid to use a winning strategy which is to point out their opponents blunders.

[quikstrike98]

Back in the 90’s in DC, I used to drink at the bar with a guy who’d served as a mercenary for various governments in Africa during the 80’s. He said dealing with DC City Government reminded him of the most dysfunctional of the African governments he’d dealt with. Stands to reason the Dems would turn Kalifornia into the same.

[GreyFriar]

And why are we JUST finding this out now, 11 years after the pull out?

[Lockbox]

So sick, poor tax payers money stolen.. and Gavin wants to run for President!

[USAF1985]

Suckers. Florida passes on this 11 years ago, and then California took the money. From The NY Slimes in 2011:

“Mr. Scott said at a news conference in Tallahassee on Wednesday that cost overruns related to the Tampa-to-Orlando line could leave Florida taxpayers stuck with a $3 billion tab. Further, he said that if the state deemed the project too costly after having started construction, it would be required to return the $2.4 billion to the federal government. He also said he believed that estimates of riders and revenue for the rail line were too optimistic, and that state taxpayers would have been left to pay for subsidies to keep the line running because it would be unable to pay for itself.”

[Olog-hai]

The Société nationale des chemins de fer français (SNCF), a French state-owned railroad operator …

Actually, the French state-owned railroad operator. The definite article applies; there are no multiple state-owned operators of the general railway network in France.

[Gil4]

I thought it was the Babylon Bee. The left is doing their best to be beyond satire.

[rlmorel]

I was joking, and I think you may have misunderstood me-

Or perhaps, it was just a bad joke.

What I meant was, the dysfunctional politics keep the thing from building momentum and getting even more money approved for a boondoggle, as opposed to some African country where, as another poster pointed out, they probably tell them up front who to bribe and how much that will cost.

That’s all. I know it isn’t a joking matter for those embroiled in it. I live in a state that may be even bluer and nuttier than California, and we have no say at all in how our tax money is wasted here, so I understand fully.

[max americana]

the funny part is WHY I would want to take the train to a lib sh*thole like San Fagcisco?

Anyone wonder WHY Venice Beach and Santa Monica are tent cities now? Because of the TRAIN which comes from downtown L.A. to Santa Monica beach. ALL the homeless people use it to get there. It was primarily built for tourists but the builders forgot how much of a dangerous area the lefty West L.A. corridor it passes by, has become in less than 5 years.

[Bullish]

Yeah, we’re on the same page man.

freegards and cheers to ya’.

[rlmorel]

Thanks...I felt bad because I understand all too well!

Back at ya...:)

[Chode]

you don’t turn over a single spade until ALL permits/licenses/easements/right of way/etc are written in stone