High-Cost Rail - Part 76 No Fed Money

Buried in the news about the bipartisan agreement reached on the federal transportation bill that just passed both houses in D.C. was this report

Separately, the House approved an amendment to an annual spending bill that would prevent federal transportation funds from being spent in the next fiscal year for California’s controversial high-speed rail project.

The amendment was sponsored by Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Atwater), who cited the project’s ballooning costs. Three California Democrats - Jim Costa of Fresno, Zoe Lofgren of San Jose and Laura Richardson of Long Beach – issued a statement calling the amendment an "example of how thoughtless partisanship would hurt all of California.’’

Reps Costa, Lofgren and Richardson get the "idiots of the week" award which comes with a special stand called the "pot calling the partisan kettle black" award.  "Hurt all of California"--yeah, right.  At least in D.C. the adults have the purse strings on High-cost Rail.

Comments

[JF]

I'm surprised Jackie Speier didn't chime in. HSR still has billions it wants to spend and who can possible stop that sicne it was mandated by the voters?

[hillsider]

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Jerry Brown’s ambitious plan to start building the nation’s first dedicated high-speed rail line is set for a pivotal vote by the Legislature this week with some state lawmakers still skeptical about spending billions in the Central Valley.

Brown is pushing lawmakers to authorize $2.7 billion in voter-approved state bonds for construction on the first 130-mile stretch of high-speed rail from Madera to Bakersfield. Brown has made the massive infrastructure project one of his priorities for the year and says the state has to act fast in order to capture billions of dollars in additional federal support.

“Suck it in,” Brown told an audience gathered last month for the 75th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge. “We got to build, we got to do it right.” While Democratic leaders who control both houses of the Legislature support the bullet train, they concede that a legislative vote to authorize state bonds faces a tight vote, particularly in the Senate.

Dear Governor Brown: YOU SUCK IT IN

[pat giorni]

Time to Talk the Talk.....

FROM: http://www.cc-hsr.org/
Are you willing to spend fifteen minutes to make a difference on high-speed rail?

Members of the State Senate will probably vote this week on the Governor's proposed high-speed rail project. Senators are under terrific pressure to vote "yes," despite the project's many and obvious flaws. The vote will be close, and a few Senators are really thinking about casting a "no" vote. They are "tallying" calls made to their offices, to gauge how strongly members of the public feel about this project.

If you are willing to help, please make TWELVE SHORT CALLS (or fewer, though we really hope you will make all twelve calls). You can leave the messages shown below (or your own message) with whoever answers the phone in the Senator's office. Here is a list of key legislators who are trying to make up their minds, and a brief suggested statement:

1. State Senator Christine Kehoe (San Diego) - 916-651-4039

Hi, this is ________________. I am calling Senator Kehoe because she is on the Senate Appropriations Committee. While I do not live in Senator Kehoe's district, her votes on the Appropriations Committee will directly affect me. I want her to know that I hope she will vote "no" on the proposed high-speed rail project. Voting for this project will cause a huge new impact on the State's General Fund, ultimately over one-half billion dollars per year. This project is not well thought through, and other things
(like education and public safety) are much more important. Thanks for letting Senator Kehoe know how strongly I feel about this. I really hope she will vote "no" on high-speed rail.

2. State Senator Noreen Evans (Santa Rosa) - 916-651-4002

Hi, this is ________________. I am calling Senator Evans because she is on the Senate Agriculture Committee. I am urging the Senator to vote "no" on the proposed high-speed rail project, because that project would have a really terrible impact on agriculture in the Central Valley. While I do not live in Senator Evans' district, her vote on high-speed rail will have a statewide impact. Not only will it hurt agriculture, voting for this project will also cause a huge new impact on the State's General Fund, ultimately over one-half billion dollars per year. This project has been well designed, and other things (like education and public safety) are much more important. Thanks for letting Senator Evans know how strongly I feel about this. I really hope she will vote "no" on high-speed rail.

3. State Senator Michael Rubio (Bakersfield) - 916-651-4016

Hi, this is ________________. I am calling Senator Rubio because he is on the Senate Agriculture Committee. I am urging the Senator to vote "no" on the proposed high-speed rail project, because that project would have a really terrible impact on agriculture in the Central Valley. While I do not live in the Central Valley, I rely on the Valley for my food, and I don't think that the high-speed rail project has been properly designed, to minimize impacts on agriculture. Besides, not only will the proposed project hurt agriculture, voting for this project will also cause a huge new impact on the State's General Fund, ultimately over one-half billion dollars per year. Other things (like education and public safety) are much more important. Thanks for letting Senator Rubio know how strongly I feel about this. I really hope he will vote "no" on high-speed rail.

4. State Senator Curren Price (Los Angeles) - 916-651-4026

Hi, this is _______________________. I am calling Senator Price because he is on the Senate Budget Committee. While I do not live in Senator Price's district, his votes on the Budget Committee will directly affect me, and I want to urge him to vote "no" on the proposed high-speed rail project. Voting for this project will cause a huge new impact on the State's General Fund, ultimately over one-half billion dollars per year. This project is not well thought through, and other things (like education and public safety) are much more important. Thanks for letting Senator Price know how strongly I feel about this. I really hope he will vote "no" on high-speed rail.
5. State Senator Jean Fuller (Bakersfield) - 916-651-4018

Hi, this is _______________________. I am calling Senator Fuller because she is on the Senate Budget Subcommittee that oversees high-speed rail. While I do not live in Senator Fuller's district, her votes on that subcommittee will directly affect me, and I want her to know that I am urging her to vote "no" on the proposed high-speed rail project. Voting for this project will cause a huge new impact on the State's General Fund, ultimately over one-half billion dollars per year. This project is not well thought through, and other things (like education and public safety) are much more important. Thanks for letting Senator Fuller know how strongly I feel about this. I really hope she will vote "no" on high-speed rail.

6. State Senator Bob Huff (Walnut - Los Angeles County) - 916-651-4029

Hi, this is _______________________. I am calling Senator Huff because he is on the Senate Education Committee. I am urging the Senator to vote "no" on the proposed high-speed rail project, because that project would have a really terrible impact on education. While I do not live in Senator Huff's district, his vote on high-speed rail will have a statewide impact, and a vote for high-speed rail will cause a huge new impact on the State's General Fund, ultimately over one-half billion dollars per year, which hurts not only education, but also public safety and other higher priority areas. Thanks for letting Senator Huff know how strongly I feel about this. I really hope he will vote "no" on high-speed rail.

7. State Senator Bob Huff (Walnut - Los Angeles County) - 916-651-4029

Hi, this is _______________________. I am calling Senator Huff because he is on the Senate Education Committee. I am urging the Senator to vote "no" on the proposed high-speed rail project, because that project would have a really terrible impact on education. While I do not live in Senator Huff's district, his vote on high-speed rail will have a statewide impact, and a vote for high-speed rail will cause a huge new impact on the State's General Fund, ultimately over one-half billion dollars per year, which hurts not only education, but also public safety and other higher priority areas. Thanks for letting Senator Huff know how strongly I feel about this. I really hope he will vote "no" on high-speed rail.

8. State Senator Lou Correa (Santa Ana - Orange County) - 916-651-4034

Hi, this is _______________________. I am calling Senator Correa because he is on the Senate Appropriations Committee, and has oversight of the state's bonded indebtedness. I am urging the Senator to vote "no" on the proposed high-speed rail project. A vote for high-speed rail will increase our debt and cause a huge new impact on the State's General Fund, ultimately over one-half billion dollars per year, which hurts not only education, but also public safety and other higher priority areas. Thanks for letting Senator Correa know how strongly I feel about this. I really hope he will vote "no" on high-speed rail.

9. State Senator Loni Hancock (Berkeley) - 916-651-4009

Hi, this is _______________________. I am calling Senator Hancock because she is on the Senate Education Committee. I am urging the Senator to vote "no" on the proposed high-speed rail project, because that project would have a really terrible impact on education. While I do not live in Senator Hancock's district, her vote on high-speed rail will have a statewide impact, and a vote for high-speed rail will cause a huge new impact on the State's General Fund, ultimately over one-half billion dollars per year, which hurts not only education, but also public safety and other higher priority areas. Thanks for letting Senator Hancock know how strongly I feel about this. I really hope she will vote "no" on high-speed rail.

10. State Senator Gloria Negrete McLeod (San Bernardino County) - 916-651-4032

[Pronounced: MAC CLOUD, or Negrete-MAC CLOUD]

Hi, this is _______________________. I am calling Senator McLeod because she is on the Senate Budget Committee. While I do not live in Senator McLeod's district, her votes on the Budget Committee will directly affect me, and I want her to know that I hope she will vote "no" on the proposed high-speed rail project. Voting for this project will cause a huge new impact on the State's General Fund, ultimately over one-half billion dollars per year. This project is not well thought through, and other things (like education and public safety) are much more important. Thanks for letting Senator McLeod know how strongly I feel about this. I really hope she will vote "no" on high-speed rail.

11. State Senator Leland Yee (San Francisco) - 916-651-4008

Hi, this is _______________________. I am calling Senator Yee because he is on the Senate Human Services Committee, and I want to urge his "no" vote on the proposed high-speed rail project. Voting for this project will cause a huge new impact on the State's General Fund, ultimately over one-half billion dollars per year, and this money will essentially be "taken away" from human services, education, and public safety. This project is not well thought through, and I really hope the Senator will vote "no" on high-speed rail.

12. State Senator Fran Pavley (Santa Monica) - 916-651-4023

Hi, this is _______________________. I am calling Senator Pavley because she is on the Senate Environment Committee, and I want to urge her "no" vote on the proposed high-speed rail project. This project has not been well designed, and it is not really good for the environment. It will destroy both natural habitat and farmlands throughout the Central Valley, Besides, voting for this project will cause a huge new impact on the State's General Fund, ultimately over one-half billion dollars per year, and this money will essentially be "taken away" from human services, education, and public safety. This project is not well thought through, and I really hope the Senator will vote "no" on high-speed rail.

[sTeve K]

It took 18 minutes, mostly listening to recorded greetings, to leave 11 messages. I stayed off script making my points - that I believe in and use public transportation but that this project will be an economic disaster for our fragile state economy. I also brought up a point that I rarely hear. The HSR will serve a very small amount of people but everyone is being stuck having to pay for it.

BTW, #6 and #7 are the same guy.

[Lucky enough so that it won't affect me]

Sorry Burlingamers. You all have been partisan Democrats and it is all going to bite you hard. A high speed train cutting through the middle of Burlingame will be a disaster for the city, and the politicians will ask you for a temporary tax to help fund the 'unexpected' deficit in 3 years. To pay for the monstrosity that is cutting your town in half.

Jackie Speier? Please. Politicians are all about who gives them money. She is a Hillsborough resident who could care less about you.

[Joe]

I guess we will have to put July 6, 2012 down as a very sad day in the history of California. Kudos to Sen. Simitian among VERY FEW others. From the SacBee today:

July 6, 2012
California Senate approves funding for high-speed rail

The state Senate voted by a bare majority today to fund initial construction of California's $68 billion high-speed rail project.
The approval was uncertain as recently as hours before the vote. With all 15 Republican senators opposed to the measure and several Democratic lawmakers wavering, Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg scrambled to muster at least 21 of 25 Democratic votes.

Twenty-one Democratic senators voted 'Yes.' The approval was a major legislative victory for Gov. Jerry Brown. Steinberg said the Democratic governor "talked to a couple members" ahead of the vote, while Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, reminded colleagues that the project not only had Brown's attention, but also that of President Barack Obama and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi.

The bill approved by the Senate authorizes $5.8 billion to start construction in the Central Valley, including $2.6 billion in rail bond funds and $3.2 billion from the federal government. Lawmakers tied that funding to nearly $2 billion to improve regional rail systems and connect them to high-speed rail. That regional money was considered necessary to lobby hesitant senators about the project's potential significance to their districts.

"Members, this is a big vote," Steinberg said as he opened floor debate on the bill this afternoon. "In the era of term limits, how many chances do we have to vote for something this important and long-lasting?"

Steinberg and other Democrats said the project would create thousands of jobs and make necessary improvements to the state's transportation infrastructure. Republicans said it is too expensive and relies on uncertain future funding. They criticized starting construction in the sparsely populated Central Valley.

Among Republicans in opposition was Sen. Tony Strickland, who criticized a willingness by the Legislature to reduce spending elsewhere while finding money for high-speed rail.
"I think this is a colossal fiscal train wreck for California," he said.

Sen. Joe Simitian, of Palo Alto, was one of four Democrats to break ranks with his colleagues. Simitian said he supports the vision of high-speed rail, but not the current plan. He said there are "billions of reasons" to oppose it.

Other Democratic senators opposing the measure were Mark DeSaulnier, of Concord, Alan Lowenthal, of Long Beach, and Fran Pavley, of Agoura Hills.

[sTeve K]

Supporters of CAHSR concede that this can only happen with a large percentage of federal support. Regardless of who is in the white house and in congress in the next 20 years there is no way they can print enough money to make this happen. The more they print the sooner inflation (probably stagflation) takes off and the cost of union construction shoots even higher....

http://www.usdebtclock.org/

It will be many many years before we have to worry about high speed rail going through Burlingame.

[railroaded]

I really hope you are right but the "bookend" plan calls for them starting here and in LA along with the train to nowhere middle and figureing out the rest later. We could be looking at this happening sooner than we think.

[pat giorni]

http://www.caltrain.com/Page1707.aspx

"With the additional funding for the $1.5 billion project, electric train service could be operating on the Caltrain corridor as soon as 2019."

What a mess this town will be WHEN Caltrain begins construction about the same time as ground is broken for the US101/Broadway interchange project in 2014.

Caltrain Electrification is the NEXT GREAT FIGHT. The major question will be, "Are Diesel Multiple Units that much more 'inefficient' than Electrical Multiple Units? If the Right of Way is not electrified, HSR can't share the tracks thus making the Blended System and Book-ends moot.