California is in more big "dodo" and it has never learned a lesson when it comes to what Scott Maxwell would call "shiny things in the sky." This, however, is a huge shiny thing on the ground--high speed rail. HUGE.
It is a bankrupt State and continues to waste away taxpayer money. I used to live in that State in 1970 when it was thriving. The State attracted the best and the brightest from across the country and the world--it was booming and ahead of the rest. Property values were the highest in the nation. And within what seems like overnight, it became the biggest give-away/welfare State in the Country thanks to high tech jobs leaving. More and more people were allowed to cross the border for that free lunch. Silicon Valley used to be an area that was full of innovation and new ideas. Now it, as well as our country as a whole, has lost its competitiveness and its health. Desperate people do desperate things.
Desperate to get Californians back to work, the state bought into Obama's high speed rail deal. Something that was to be $33.6 billion dollars in 2008 and what they thought would be a job creator, is now costing the state more than triple at over $100 billion and growing. The irony of all of this is they are using some of the money from the $2.4 billion that Rick Scott had the good sense and foresight to turn down from the Feds for a high speed rail in Florida. He always said that the high speed rail line from Tampa to Orlando would cost Floridians another billion more and that we would be stuck with the bill. How right he was.
Governor Scott had an independent study (I know, the dreaded Study that so many of us complain about) done by the Reason Foundation that concluded that DOT was wrong in its estimation on the additional costs and that ridership would be much lower than anticipated.
I supported Rick Scott on two main issues: ending the idea of high speed rail and his stand on immigration and E-Verify. He delivered on ending the high speed rail, however, after requiring state agencies to use E-verify and campaigning for it to be implemented statewide, it seems that he has changed his mind. "What we’re more interested in is making sure that if someone is in our State illegally and they’re doing something illegal that we’re able to ask them if they’re legal. That’s my priority," Scott said. Rick Scott got one out of two priorities right.
The Washington Post (uber liberal publication) actually has a good article on this project. Everyone should pay attention as it is going to cost Floridian's money to help pay for this boondoggle.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/californias-high-speed-rail-system-is-going-nowhere-fast/2011/11/08/gIQAKni2IN_story.html
Only if we didnt spend 2 billion a week in afghanistan and instead allocated funds into a project such as the high speed rail we wouldn't see countries like china surpass us. Is it expensive yes but it is also the future of transportaion. We use to build great things now we watch other countries build great things.
ReplyDeleteI doubt seriously that it is the future of transportation.
ReplyDeleteWhen gas is between 5.00 and 8.00 a gallon like some places in europe you may think differently.
ReplyDeleteEurope taxes at a much higher rate. Besides, what do you expect in Socialist countries?
ReplyDeleteOh great. I can take high speed rail to Disney but I will have to drive to Tampa to catch the train. It is totally impracticable in this country unless you are taking a trip from Miami to NY or something like that. But for every day use, won't happen.
ReplyDeleteThat's what everyone said about the railroad too. The United States is no where near socialism and its a cheap dig. This is from a direct result of brainwashing conducted by Allen West and company. aka fox news.
ReplyDeleteThere must be something in the water in LW.....and across the nation for that matter.
ReplyDeleteFirst you have an Asst. Utility Director who informs the town and the Commission (with a straight face mind you) that he can deliver an electrical conversion, a Smart Grid, and a complete underground electrical system East of Federal Hwy for the paltry sum of $22 million -- only to be informed that the Smart Grid alone will cost the entire $22 million, the underground an additional $20 million, and the conversion a smidgen over $30 million. And while this is not bad estimating by government standards, it has become the norm and is beginning to strain the taxpayers patience and their pocketbooks.
Now you have a blog operator pining for a high speed rail system that Governor Scott recently had the good sense to refuse financing for (smart decision Governor).
So with everyone smoking our local Representatives medicinal magic elixir, lets work our way thru the costs of a high speed rail system.
Three years ago California voted for high speed rail system between Sacramento and LA. This was to be the largest public-works project in American history. The rail line, as put to voters, was to have cost $33 Billion (that's with a "B"). Now, without a single rail being laid, nor a definitive route chosen, the estimate has ballooned to $117 Billion (again, not bad for government work), and these costs will only escalate from here. Whatever route is chosen, the track will run along the San Andreas Fault (planners at work), and will provide heavily-subsidized transportation that at least a half-dozen airlines already deliver without taxpayer subsidies. And all of this in the name of putting people to work.
Now I ask you, in states and cities across the nation, if we didn't have our planners planning, and our politickers politicking, just what would we do with all of our excess money? Hell, maybe we could use these same dollars and manpower to construct a hundred desalinization plants along both coasts to provide clean drinking & irrigation water for a growing population. At least that would be useful.
The railroads opened up our country to western expansion and development and bound the east and western sections of our country together. This was before anyone envisioned an airplane or technological growth. Now they are used primarily for transport of freight. What would we be opening up our country to with high speed rail? Cheap is a $1 dollar candy bar. $100 billion for high speed rail is ANYTHING BUT CHEAP on borrowed money from the Chinese to boot.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I was unaware of what Allen West thought about high speed rail. But he does NOT think for me.
ReplyDeleteRick Scott smells like Azz.
ReplyDeleteNO HIGH SPEED RAIL that cost US Yes US the Tax Payers! I agree with the Desalinization water plants any day!
Ok back to smoking my medicinal MJ....aaaaaaa All better now its rainbows and gummy bear giggle.