Rest assured I was planning this post as a natural follow-up to the one right below--and before the discussion in the comments on the one right below this so you should read it first if you haven't already done so. Out in the San Joaquin Valley, cherry farmer Andy Vidak has won the special state Senate election to replace Michael Rubio. Rubio was the deciding vote to move ahead with high-cost rail that then left to work as a lobbyist for Chevron. According to a Wall Street Journal editorial on May 25th
While Mr. Rubio cited personal issues for leaving the legislature—he has a daughter with special needs—another likely concern was the realization that his career and clout in Sacramento were limited by who he was and where he came from. Unlike his coastal counterparts, Mr. Rubio supported exploiting the rich hydrocarbon and shale deposits that underlie his Valley district.
The oil industry, he told a local TV station in February, shared his view "that we need to provide an opportunity for people to go to work and provide for their families"—a statement that borders on heresy in California's Democratic Party.
That's all well and good--and far more insight that one could get from any of the local reporting on the election. But here is the kicker on how Republican Vidak campaigned
Meanwhile, California's bullet train, beloved by liberals, will slash through Mr. Vidak's district and raze hundreds of farms, homes and businesses."We don't have clean drinking water in some areas of our district," Mr. Vidak says. "And they want to build an $80 billion bullet train!"
THAT is the sort of commonsense that is lacking in Sacramento. The final kicker comes from the on-going hearings on high-cost rail. Check out this YouTube video where Congressman Valadao asks HSRA Chair Richard if he would build the section from Fresno to Bakersfield even knowing "there would never be further funding". Richard, pauses a bit and then say "yes"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXntBBqum6s
It's about a minute and a half that shows us just what the mindset is right now.
Well the union-selected and union-backed guy on the Surface Transportation Board did his job for his union bosses yesterday:
WASHINGTON -- California’s high-speed rail project can start rolling without waiting for potentially time-consuming approvals from a federal board, officials ruled Thursday.
In a victory for the project that’s faced repeated political obstacles, a divided Surface Transportation Board ruled 2-1 that the California High-Speed Rail Authority can begin construction on its own. The initial 65-mile stretch between Fresno and Merced will be exempt from the customary requirement that railway construction first obtain prior approval from the federal board, under the ruling.
“We need not revisit the determinations on the viability and desirability of the project already made by…various federal state and local government interests, all of which have a stake in the matter,” the board’s majority stated. “The information before us confirms that the project would be a valuable addition to the passenger rail transportation system.”
Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/06/13/5495325/california-high-speed-rail-gets.html#storylink=cpy
Posted by: Joe | June 14, 2013 at 08:23 AM