Posted on 10/03/2009 6:18:08 AM PDT by Willie Green
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced on Friday that his state would build the first bullet train in the nation, a project that would provide a 10-billion-dollar economic boost to the state.
"I think it is disgraceful for America to be so far behind when it comes to infrastructure," Schwarzenegger told a press conference.
"In Europe and Asian countries, they're traveling now up to 300miles or 480 kilometers (per hour on bullet trains), while we're traveling on our trains at the same speed as 100 years ago. That is inexcusable. America must catch up," he said.
The governor added that to build the 800-mile (1280-kilometer) fast-speed rail from San Diego to San Francisco, California had applied for 4.7 billion dollars in federal stimulus money.
If built, the train can whisk people from Los Angeles to San Francisco in 2 hours and 40 minutes, create hundreds of thousands of jobs and bring in revenue of billions of dollars.
Schwarzenegger said California deserved to get more than half of the 8 billion dollars in federal stimulus money set aside for high-speed rail development because it was further along in planning than other states and is ready to break ground in 2011, a year before the federal deadline for getting the money.
"Those stimulus dollars will go further in California than in any other state because California has pledged to match -- dollar for dollar -- all money received (from the federal government), " Schwarzenegger promised.
In November, California voters approved issuing 9.95 billion dollars in bonds to fund construction of high-speed rail. More money would come from state, local and private matching funds.
A bullet train will be a huge terrorist target. Screening will be just as bad as at the airport. Blowing up or derailing a train as it passes through a city or town at high speed would result in horrendous casualties. Strat with the 600+ just on the train.
I could think of other things I’d blow dough on beside a giant train set. ;-)
I hope you're not planning on buying more of those subprime mortgages.
Jorge Arbusto already bought enough of those to last 5 generations.
I suppose the trucking companies and the auto drivers don't pay gas tax to support the roads.
Just wait ‘til the next round of subprimes come due.. even Goldman Sachs will rue the day..
Your argument is not exaclty valid. Airports aren’t built by private companies, while they may operate the airlines, those airports you were flying in and out of then as now were built and operated by government.
Citing air travel as a testamony to pure capitalism is misinformed. The vast majority of infrastructure that is utilized by commercial aviation is the result of government spending and operation, not private enterprise.
I like the Chicago-St. Louis-Kansas City-Denver route better. Lots of flat, open land and less regulatory hoops to jump through outside of Cook County.
Did a study on this already.
Passenger density/mile: Tokyo-Osaka 168k
Passenger density/mile: LA-San Francisco 52k
LA/San Fran is about one and a half times the distance of Tokyo-Osaka, and about the third of the people. Generous to estimate ridership at about a quarter, or about as much as the Nigaata shinkansen. This one is a sunk cost, in that it is an unprofitable line.
federal money.
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