More money pours into high-speed rail campaign

The campaign for Prop 1A is starting to heat up. The measure, if approved by voters on Nov. 4, would allow $9.95 billion in bonds to be issued for the planning and eventual construction of a high-speed rail line in the state. The bonds, proponents say, would allow them to go out and seek federal and private money for the line.

As I posted a few weeks ago, the bond measure is attracting the interest of many engineering and construction firms. That trend seems to be continuing, with some more big donations reported in the last week to the Californians for High Speed Trains fundraising committee, according to the California Secretary of State's online database for campaign fundraising.

Among them:

-- $20,000 from Alstom, a France-based firm that makes rail equipment.

-- $25,000 from the California American Council of Engineering Companies.

-- $25,000 from Systra, a New Jersey-based firm that consults on mass transit issues.

-- $50,000 from a political fundraising committee called Members of the State Building Trades.

-- $200,000 from the California Alliance for Jobs, a consortium of construction unions.

-- Steve Hymon

Comments

[Tom West]

The airlines like HSR because they know that LAX is clsoe to capcity. If HSR was in place, then there would be more slots available for lucrative long-haul flights (as posed to low-margin short-haul flights or unprofitable feeder flights).

[Robert Cruickshank]

The Sierra Club has endorsed Prop 1A - they are confident that the amended proposal has sufficient environmental protections to be worth supporting, and of course HSR's own environmental benefits are considerable. If you dislike sprawl, as I do, SB 375 is where the real action is right now.

As to the money donated, this is actually not that much money for a statewide ballot proposition campaign. It's certainly not enough for a TV blitz.

What really matters of course is that no funded opposition has materialized. Southwest Airlines spared no expense to kill HSR in Texas and Florida - but they're sitting this one out.

[Spokker]

What's wrong with big construction firms? A lot of blue collar guys are hurting in the construction sector these days. Building vital infrastructure such as high speed rail and other transit projects not only provide us with alternative transportation solutions, but provide jobs to a heck of a lot of people.

Not everybody is as evil as you think they are.

[Dana Gabbard]

It was about 10 years ago a bunch of usual suspect new urbanism and enviro groups called a meeting to discuss the bullet train concept (yes, this thing has been in the pipeline being studied for a LONG time) and in the midst of their worrying over whether it would facilitate sprawl, etc. I explained whenever it finally got to the ballot passage would depend on big money for a campaign from folks who hope to profit from it--and that the folks in the room had to decide if they felt comfortable with the reality of being allies with big construction firms, etc. Turns out some are.