Even though high-speed rail has become nothing more than a pipeline project for grabbing big money and a big lie, Gov. Jerry Brown signed the rail bill Wednesday, sealing California’s economic fate. Because of the illegitimacy of the project’s intent, California taxpayers will be left holding the bill.
The bill authorizes $5.8 billion to start construction of only one high-speed rail line in the Central Valley, and includes $2.6 billion in state rail bond funds, along with $3.2 billion in federal funds.
But California will have to borrow every dime of that state money to build the high-speed boondoggle.
And that’s the only federal funding the state will receive for the entire $68-$135 billion project. The newest revised business plan claims to have reduced the cost of the project to $68 billion from $98.6 billion by expanding the 130-mile line from Fresno to Bakersfield, to Merced to San Fernando Valley, for a 300-mile segment. But many economists and rail experts project that the project could cost as much as $135 billion.
Rail Plan Incomplete, Voters Deceived
The plan has gone from bad, to just slightly bad, is still incomplete and even is inaccurate.
Even if state lawmakers and officials are sincere about making the high-speed rail system work, they don’t seem to know what they are doing. The California High-Speed Rail Authority doesn’t even have a project management team in place. They are treating the largest public works project in the state’s history as if it’s a design-as-you-go bathroom remodel.
Voters were deceived by the original ballot summary and language in Proposition 1A from 2008, but the state’s lawmakers seem to find that fact inconvenient. And, the entire project is lacking in private, public and debt funding to complete even the most minor operating segment.
But Brown signed the bill anyway.
Despite the cheerleading by state Democrats, polls show that voters want a re-do, and would vote to kill high-speed rail if given the chance.
“You have to take the bull by the horns and start spending and investing in things that male sense,” Brown said, proving how deaf he is to voters.
California already is running endemic budget deficits. And Gov. Jerry Brown is pushing his tax increase ballot initiative which will raise income and sales taxes. In addition, the mandatory Environmental Impact Report for the system is not complete. Yet the law calls for certified EIR’s for each segment of the system. Instead of dealing with the environmental issues, Brown tried to suspend the California Environmental Quality Act guidelines for the project. But that move brought about several lawsuits, which could hold up the entire project.
State officials have been ignoring the state’s infrastructure needs and massive maintenance and repair.
But Brown signed the bill anyway.
Gifts to Friends
For the bill signing, Brown was joined by Dan Richard, chairman of the rail authority board, and by labor leaders and local officials and flanked by construction workers in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Ironically, Brown made several stops yesterday to celebrate the bill signing, but managed to avoid the Central Valley.
Big labor has been lobbying hard for the bill’s passage because the only jobs the project will support are union jobs. It’s a gift from Brown and Democrats to their union supporters.
“A year from now, dirt will be flying in the Central Valley, as these fine men and women in the hard hats have opportunities to start building the spine of America’s first high-speed rail tracks,” Richard said, the Sacramento Bee reported.
But the fine men and women in the Central Valley don’t want high-speed rail. They want their farm land, and they want the water turned back on.
Violating the Law
Prop. 1A states, “The high-speed train system shall be planned and constructed in a manner that minimizes urban sprawl and impacts on the natural environment.” But the impact of the rail system may actually create suburban communities around train stations within reasonable distances from urban areas and higher employment areas.
The train system will dissect both urban and rural communities which will be problematic, as well as a serious violation of the “natural environment.” The trains will travel through densely populated cities, but also through sensitive agricultural and natural areas in the state.
- The California High-Speed Rail Authority must have all of the the funding ahead of time, before any construction starts on a new segment.
- The high-speed train system must operate on its own entirely, and in the black. That means operating profitably, and includes caveats of no government subsidy. The plan relies heavily on a projection of 100 million users by 2030, a notion that was created with manipulated data, and is absurd.
- Prop. 1A stipulates 11 requirements that must be met before funds can be released for the construction of a “corridor” or “usable segment.” Specifically, some of these requirements include actual high-speed train service, ridership, revenue projections and planned passenger service.
- The success of any legitimate transportation system must be based on connectivity. “For each corridor described in subdivision (b), passengers shall have the capability of traveling from any station on that corridor to any other station on that corridor without being required to change trains,” the law states. “Stations shall be located in areas with good access to local mass transit or other modes of transportation.” This means that, unless there are extensive connecting rail systems already in place in the high-speed rail destinations, cab companies, limo services and car rental companies should be lining up to rent space in the train stations. Commuters will not have the necessary train and bus systems to transfer to with the existing plan.
Declinists or Realists?
“What this is all about is investing in the future,” Brown said. “I know there are some fearful men — I call them declinists — who want to put their head in a hole and hope reality changes. I don’t see it that way. This is a time to invest, to create thousands of jobs.”
Gov. Brown Seals CA Crash with High-Speed Rail Bill: Even though high-speed rail has become nothing more t… http://t.co/AM6bqbjM #tcot
Gov. Brown Seals #California Crash with High-Speed Rail Bill: http://t.co/HbbGBhPv
Gov. Brown Seals CA Crash with High-Speed Rail Bill — California Political Review http://t.co/ghfX92gQ
The plan has gone from bad, to just slightly bad, is still incomplete and even is inaccurate. Even if state lawmaker… http://t.co/ZlW5BGMh
Gov. Brown Seals CA Crash with High-Speed Rail Bill http://t.co/8zsqDHVy
Gov. Brown Seals CA Crash with High-Speed Rail Bill.
#CAHSR
http://t.co/itx12Rbr
This is the dumbest thing I’ve seen California democrats do since, well reelecting Moonbeam. No plan, no funds, no support. Damn the voters, full speed ahead. Californians deserve this for their continued support of their democrat leadership. RIP KKKalifornia.
Here is an example of government overreach. California cannot afford it. The project is fated to lose big money, now and forever, which taxpayers will pay. The people of California don’t want a train to nowhere. It is a classic boondoggle example. Yet it goes ahead because “it creates jobs”. I wonder what the cost of each job will be, compared with the revenues generated? There are many infrastructure projects that could be undertaken with a much higher economic and socially useful payoff. We have highways to maintain and build. We have bridges to maintain and bring up to earthquake standards. We have levees that are in dire need of repair. We have water resources to manage and upgrade. Yet we waste money on choo-choo trains. Dumb, crazy! Democracy at its worst..
Leaving the state is looking more and more attractive.
“Leaving the state is looking more and more attractive.”
Running away wont help. Like wolves, progressives follow the herds to execute their agendas. Thats where the ‘rich field opportunities’ are.
I didn’t vote for it and I don’t want it. I won’t be voting for Moonbeams tax plan either. This state is out of touch with reality.
Again I say thank you Gloria Aldred! Moonbeam is not only incompetent, he’s trying to entirely destroy this state; he needs an immediate psychiatric evaluation and be impeached ASAP. Sure this will create government jobs, and how do you pay government employees? TAX DOLLARS that we do not have. Incredibly stupid decision.
Gov. Brown Seals CA Crash with High-Speed Rail Bill http://t.co/11lQXnAX Bankrupt cities…I know lets spend 68 billion more. Moons!
This is a very liberal thing, this high speed rail. It will not generate enough money to pay for itself. People need jobs but not the type this will generate as only union jobs will be used to build this thing. He could have used the money on something else rather than this. Not smart at all Gov. Brown but then you were not wise the first time around in office.
BI LIE – Gov. Brown Seals CA Crash with High-Speed Rail Bill http://t.co/ZrrklX6u
Gov. Brown Seals CA Crash with High-Speed Rail Bill: http://t.co/WRK4DQ1N
You can’t fix stupid, Moonbeam is a total idiot bought and paid for by the unions.
Governor Brown, you are one dumb dude. First off, the State has the highest unemployment, most cities filing bankruptcy, homeless folks,more folks on disability, Pensions out of control. More gasoline taxes than any other state, more EPA regulations, and the list goes on and on. Either you have a money tree behind your house or capital building or the elite entertainment are pusing your agenda along with the unions. Get real, look at your budget books, the money is just not there………and now you want to implement Obama Care.
So where are the “recall” petitions? They were certainly flying around rapidly when Gray Davis was Governor and folks replaced with “Arnie”. Evidently, there are more who LOVE moonbeam than not. I am not one of them and am still scrambling for a way to get out of this disastrous flaky state.
Brown has to go along with this program because it isn’t a rail system. It is part of a system of tunnels for the “elite” to live in if the UN and Bilderberg Group decide to start a nuclear war to wipe out the 6.5 billion people they want off the planet to make it “sustainable”. Every major city has one and they will soon all join. In effect these underground systems are their “bunkers”. Look at the evidence, ALL the evidence and THINK.
Hey, you drones voted for it and for Moonbeam; the latter twice. And, please don’t let anyone confuse you with the federal v. state funds dodge. There is only one source of all government funds…YOU! Happy Trails Californians.
$135 billion. That’s what they’re saying now. Just wait. It will be more along the lines of $250 billion, IF we’re lucky. AND there’s ZERO public support for this. Moonbeam is/has always been out of touch with reality. Look what he did to us the first time. Look what he did to Oakland. The guys a freakin’ moron. How did this idiot get re-elected? We need an alternative to our 2 party system. The people that are being put to us by the RepublicanDemocrat Party just blow. People need to abandon this mindset of voting along their parties line. It just doesn’t work. Look at what we’ve got now? I was born in California. I used to be paradise. Now the government has ruined that too. Business/manufacturing has fled the overbearing regulation/tax load. Yet the government is in denial. California has been reduced to a bedroom community. No tax base other than property/sales tax. When will we wake up? It’s not ALL Moonbeams fault. It’s just the mis-guided culture of California politics. Elitists, cramming their “visions” down our throats. At ANY cost.
I own 3 businesses and used to (USED TO) employ around 40 people. California just beat the crap out of me with taxes, regulations, audits, etc. and I got sick of it and left in 2009 for the land of the free in Wyoming.
Now I am starting to think about taking my businesses and leaving the country as well as terminating my citizenship for somewhere else9Not sating here).
Point is, Liberals, Communists, Progressives, Leaches, Democrats (What ever they are called today) will continue in this direction and will eventually (sooner than later) finish driving the last productive4 entrepreneur out of California.
Other than Google and Facebook but they have tax and regulation waivers us little guys will never get.
So in effect Mexico is going to get California back.
Audios
Thomas, I think you have a great point in Mexico getting Kalifornia back. They’re already sending the 1st wave over, (and have been for some time) to bankrupt the social/educational/welfare/political system in their rape and pilfer mentality. (Ain’t that right Mr. Perez???)
Hard times in the land of plenty, some got it all, some ain’t got any.
All I can say is “look out Arizona and Washington” They’re heading your way, and they AIN”T GOT ANY MONEY.
Sing along: And he’s bad, bad, Jerry Brown,
Biggest clown in the whole damn town. (state)
I’ve said before, and I’ll say it again, I see this High Speed Rail as being, in Moon Beams eyes, his political legacy. (since he failed to get his space center established in California during his first attempt at govenorship, hence the nick name Moon Beam) A crown to his many, many, many, years of public service, an elected official extraordinaire, (a destroyer of the future California way of life, but I’m sure that’s not what he wants to here)
The one thing that simply AMAZES me is “who voted for this joke on the union rope”? No-one seems to be willing to admit to it. It’s just like Obama being voted in by the “silent majority”, no one will admit to have voted for him either!!!! And I would think (or at least hope) that both are having buyers’ remorse.
Let’s see of I understand this. CA can’t afford to pay state employees a full salary. They can’t afford police, prison guards, teachers or fire fighters. They can’t afford to keep state parks open, and can’t afford to pave roads. But they can find the money to build a $100 billion dollar train to the boondocks and give pay raises to the legislature and their staff. Anyone have any trouble seeing why CA is broke?
Gov Brown First Thing Is Put Down That “Obamacare Kool-Aid” Now Check Our Presidents Record, Yikeess, Pres Barry Soetoro AKA Barack Obama The Only Thing That Is Growing Is His “Pinocchio Nose”!! Yikes God Bless America And The Tea Party Patriots.
Our Govenor doesn’t understand that CA is BROKE!!! Where does he think the taxpayers are going to get the $? This seems like a Union kickback for Brown. Unions keep prices inflated & high, so that America cannot compete internationally. Unions should be outlawed.