High Cost Rail - Part 82 Sinking Moonbeam's Tax?

Out of the mouths of babes, in this case the L.A. Times allowing Dan Schnur a bit of ink, comes this bit of common sense

Although Californians passed a ballot initiative authorizing the project (i.e. HSR) in 2008, a USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll taken this year showed that almost 60% of voters would oppose it if were on the ballot now. Though most of the money to fund its construction would not come from the state's general fund, the combination of California's ongoing budget difficulties and the rail project's ballooning cost projections have made it a symbol of state government's fiscal irresponsibility.

Some have suggested that Brown sees the project as something that would cement his legacy and would be recognized long after the budgetary peaks and valleys of his term in office have been forgotten. Armchair psychologists point to his father's construction of university campuses, freeways, dams and other public works projects, and wonder if the son aspires to similarly tangible feats.

Regardless of his motivations, though, Brown is facing an electorate that is very skeptical of state government spending. His support for a multibillion-dollar rail project doesn't help his argument that the state can be trusted with taxpayer money.

A USC/Times poll last week showed that support for Proposition 30 had dropped 9 points in the preceding month and almost 20 points since last spring, leaving it with a slim 4-point lead, and backing from only 46% of likely voters.

The governor's threats to take $5.9 billion from higher education ring very hollow when he is willing to waste at least $100 billion on high-cost rail.  Vote accordingly.

Comments

[Bill]

The train tracks on the Peninsula are where they are because at the time they were placed on the Bayside edge of towns which were separated by miles of mostly farm land. Good planning at the time. Now we have the absurdity of full size locomotives and train cars, sometimes empty, sometimes hauling several hundred passengers up and down the now middle of the Peninsula. Fully elevated dedicated HSR tracks are not going to happen. At grade and above tracks sharing a 120 MPH+ train with commuter and freight trains with adjacent schools getting out and many totally blind crossings on the Peninsula are one faulty switching component away from a horrendous catastrophe. Look that up. It happens. HSR on the Peninsula? Either run it down 101 or bury it, figuratively or literally with an electrified light rail system above. Burlingame could gain a nice park on top of it to make up for every tree being cut down along California Dr.

[pat giorni]

From Asm. Diane Harkey's Newsletter:

Delayed but Still on Track?
Well, another delayed construction schedule for High Speed Rail (the initial 25 mile segment between Fresno and Madera) is being reported. Let's hope our luck keeps holding and this financial train wreck and carnage it will reap in Central Valley business and farming communities will go the way of Solyndra, and disappear.

In this time of financial stress in our communities and at the state, when the Governor is asking for tax increases and threatening trigger cuts to education, it seems unimaginable that anyone could still be wanting to spend $6 Billion for 100 miles of un-electrified track, without a chosen trainset, no future funding, no ridership study, no outside investment, and call it a "jobs" program. It will, if construction begins, destroy existing agricultural and other jobs. Fox 11 has been involved in a series of interviews and commentary on the project. The latest may be reviewed here.

http://www.myfoxla.com/story/19929326/no-money-for-high-speed-rail

[Boogeyman]

Harkey for governor!