Slow speed train

The state's budget woes might put the final nail in the coffin of high-speed rail in California, according to KCBS:

The Governor has dropped a request that a nearly $10 billion rail bond measure be moved from the November ballot, but now wants legislation that would tie spending the money to guarantees of federal and private funding. Rod Diridon, past chair and current member of the California High Speed Rail Authority thinks the federal and private backing for bullet trains is there. However, he says getting that money guaranteed before the election, won't happen. ”If either the project is delayed again, this would be the third time. Or the voters turn this down, then no one’s going to work on high speed rail for California for a long time,” said Diridon.

Comments

[John M.]

Why not put it out to bid for private construction and operation? Invite Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, or one of the more customer-friendly airlines to come in and operate the trains. Southwest or United would be my choices because they seem to have most of the LAX-region-to-SFO-region corridor flights and already have a loyal customer base.

[Anthony Fernandez]

This is troubling that it could happen again. We need this on the ballot, and we need politicians who will see this as a future income for the state. HSR is profitable, and just because of the long wait time, politicians want to ignore it. These politicians do not care about the future of the state but only their own image. Vote against 93, let's get politicians that actually care about our future and not just their political lives.