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Economy
Video: CA high-speed rail turning into boondoggle
2012-05-31
Voters agreed to $10B.

Estimates released so far over $100B.

So they'll scale it back to $70B and a third of the original service maybe?

Whatever the case, this is how the feds are redistributing taxpayer money from across the country into the zombie that is CA.

And nobody will ride it. And if they do, it will be because the ticket prices will heavily subsidized by the federal government until both the CA government and federal officials feel they can't hide it anymore. Then it will be dismantled amidst a $hitstorm of controversy and claims that ridership "just wasn't what it should be." And people will still barely be able to afford tickets on conventional rail. And the voters will continue to vote the same way. And business will continue to flee the state. Until home prices come down. And property and sales taxes get choked off. And CA collapses. And benefits for illegals finally disappear entirely. And the illegals all leave. Then we can start the whole cycle again as soon as CA's economy improves a bit.

Follow the link to see the video.
Posted by:gorb

#9  This article calls for the surprise meter pic.
Posted by: charger   2012-05-31 19:52  

#8  We can tell the welfare recipients to move to New York, or Texas, or Colorado, or...
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305   2012-05-31 17:42  

#7  You might be on to something, Gabby. Cut off the welfare recipients so we can build a railroad.
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305   2012-05-31 17:40  

#6  They want to build it to zip up and down in The San Joaquin Valley. Why? Because it's flat and easier to build a railroad there. The fact that there's no USE for it there is not to be discussed.

This is like the old joke where the drunk is looking for his lost car keys under the street lamp. He didn't lose them there -- it's just that the light is better, ya see.

Kill it now. One third of the nation's welfare recipients are depending on you.
Posted by: Gabby Cussworth   2012-05-31 16:30  

#5  "We're from the government and we're here to help run it in the ground and spend outrageous amounts of cash to accomplish nothing!"
Posted by: AlmostAnonymous5839   2012-05-31 12:04  

#4  Turning? I thought it was already a full blown BoonDoggle!
Posted by: DarthVader   2012-05-31 11:35  

#3  KFI's John and Ken call it a Browndoggle. Moonbeam stubbornly refuses to kill it even though it's already violating all the business plan promises (no subsidy, all high-speed, San Diego/LA to SF, cost as noted above, etc.). Kill it now.
Posted by: Frank G   2012-05-31 09:49  

#2  You are, of course, assuming that Government learns from it's mistakes.

I haven't seen any evidence of it....
Posted by: CrazyFool   2012-05-31 09:44  

#1  The voters agreed to $10B in bonding (backed by CA general rev). At the time the estimated cost was about $30B and the voters were told that the rail system would not require operating subsidies. The initial operating segment (about 120 mi from the vicinity of Bakersfield to the vicinity of Merced) is currently estimated to cost about $6B (about half US and half CA) and for construction to begin in Sept 2012 and be complete by about Sept 2017.

To some transportation folks, this is all nice because it will demonstrate, in obvious terms (low ridership, cost overruns, complaints about noise, etc.) the folly of the high speed rail vision in the US. In this reasoning, its better to let this proceed now than risk some 'big vision' leftist coming up with a $900B system commitment in the future.



Posted by: Lord Garth   2012-05-31 09:17  

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