Posted on 06/12/2024 3:09:37 AM PDT by texas booster
When it comes to wasting stupefying sums of money, few government-funded projects in American history can rival California’s so-called “High-Speed Rail.” After nearly two decades since California’s voters were conned into approving the project, and after already spending an estimated $11.2 billion, there is still not a single mile of installed track. Proponents originally estimated the total system cost at $33 billion; today, that cost estimate has ballooned to $128 billion.
Everything about California High-Speed Rail is misguided. The money being spent to build it could instead be used to add lanes to every major freeway in the state, upgrade every airport, and rebuild the state’s water supply infrastructure, with billions left over. The system will never even be able to cover its operating costs from fares and will be a permanent economic drain. And even under the most optimistic projections, it will never remove more than a minute fraction of California’s cars from the road.
But California’s bureaucracy soldiers onward, scraping together a billion here, a billion there—just enough to keep the project from dying. Construction unions, who ought to use their clout to demand useful projects instead of make-work, don’t want to rock the boat. Bureaucrats have jobs for life. And environmentalists are relieved to see finite financial resources poured into infrastructure development that won’t actually result in even a hint of that annoying depredation known as genuine economic growth.
Now Texans want to emulate California. Bring on the bullet train, Texas style. Ride from Dallas to Houston in 90 minutes. What could possibly go wrong?
Everything.
(Excerpt) Read more at amgreatness.com ...
The Oilers are down 2-0, so it’s off to a bad start. In the event it goes to game seven, all cops have been notified that they are working that night, unless they already worked a shift that day.
Speaking of what could be done to improve infrastructure, what about HARDENING THE GRID?
11 Billion spent and nothing to show for it? What did they do with that money? Hole it away for reparations?
Neither is downtown Dallas!
The only difference is, Dallas closes at 5! ;;;
Given Texas’ disastrous sojourn into wind power, Texas politicians do NOT have a respectable track record of common sense.
Thanks for the ping!
MOST OF THE CARS GETTING REMOVED FROM CALIF HIGHWAYS ARE BEING DRIVEN BY CURRENT RESIDENTS RELOCATING ELSEWHERE.
Why not just let Brightline do it?
REMEMBER: DIFI’s HUBBY, RICHARD BLUM’S COMPANY HAS THE CONTRACT FOR THE “HI SPEED TRAIN”.
If the concern was having the best infrastructure, as opposed to skimming, they would not consider hi-speed train. The only corridor that works is the big cities around Washington.
Every place else, existing infrastructure should be improved only.
Foolishness with the public’s checkbook.
Ruh roh, Shaggy.
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