So? It's generating power. Compare the California High-Speed Rail project, approved in 2008 with a completion date of 2020 and an estimated cost of $33 billion. So far, none of it is complete, the total cost is estimated at $128 billion, and the estimated completion date is never.
So? It's generating power. Compare the California High-Speed Rail project, approved in 2008 with a completion date of 2020 and an estimated cost of $33 billion. So far, none of it is complete, the total cost is estimated at $128 billion, and the estimated completion date is never.
You should listen to the Gavin Newsom podcast with Ezra Klein where they discuss the project at length. Way too much litigation over land acquisition. The first Central Valley leg of the project will begin operation around 2030. Passage of the bond measure was in 2008, followed by the awarding of federal stimulus funds in 2010. Construction contracts began to be awarded in 2013, and the groundbreaking ceremony for initial construction was held in January 2015. Approximately $13 billion has been invested so far on the project.
And what does the California taxpayer have for the $13 billion? A string of concrete ties here, a few hundred yards of rusty rail there, a bunch of bridge pylons and a couple of bridges with no rail on them. In the end, the result is likely to be a very expensive connection from Bakersfield to Merced, a fare only the wealthy can pay (and there aren't very many wealthy in Bakersfield or Merced, and they don't have any reason to travel to the other place.) The people of California will have a sky-high pile of bonds to pay off and a trophy for Dumbest Project Ever.
Am I wrong? The average household income in Bakersfield is $77.397. The average household income in Merced is $59,938. That's not wealthy even by Georgia standards, where I live. The average household income in California is $96,344, of Los Angeles $80,366 and of San Fran, $69,260. Cross the bridge into Marin County and it's $142,785. It's nice of those rich people to buy the Central Valley a train to play with. They'll never let it get into downtown San Francisco or into Los Angeles proper. It'll ruin the property values, don'cha know.
You are not asking the right question. Why can Japan, Europe and China build high speed rail and the U.S. cannot? The Chunnel linking the U.K. to France was completed in 1994. No state other than California is even trying to build high speed rail.
Ask anyone who has ever built their own home in CA. They can explain why it was never going to work. 20 years ago we spent nearly 2 years in plan check to build a custom home in the Bay Area. Over a 1/4 of a century we built 3 homes, and the fastest permit, took 9 months, almost 30 years ago. No one who has not personally experienced the insanity, truly understands it.
CA's dirty little secret is that it is governed to keep the top quintile of earners fat and happy. The rest of the state is left in some weird modern day, less violent ,Lord of the Flies situation. Purposefully constraining building, keeps values high for the mostly White, older home owners. Supply will never be allowed to reach demand, because property values would fall.
And it is only going to get worse. As federal welfare ends for migrants, Red States will not replace it. This is going to drive millions of migrants to Blue States who will replace the defunct federal programs, with State financed welfare. Most work, but lack the skills and education, to allow them to be self supporting, no matter how hard they toil. This will increase the need for housing and tax dollars, without increasing housing or tax dollars. CA will desperately need the billions wasted on this boondoggle.
No, the right question is does the U.S. need high speed rail? Aside from the Eastern Seaboard, metropolitan areas are far enough apart that it is cheaper, quicker and more flexible to join them by air than ground transport. Acela serves the eastern seaboard, but it's gone about as far as is economical. This is coming from a dyed-in-the-wool railroad enthusiast, by the way.
So? It's generating power. Compare the California High-Speed Rail project, approved in 2008 with a completion date of 2020 and an estimated cost of $33 billion. So far, none of it is complete, the total cost is estimated at $128 billion, and the estimated completion date is never.
You should listen to the Gavin Newsom podcast with Ezra Klein where they discuss the project at length. Way too much litigation over land acquisition. The first Central Valley leg of the project will begin operation around 2030. Passage of the bond measure was in 2008, followed by the awarding of federal stimulus funds in 2010. Construction contracts began to be awarded in 2013, and the groundbreaking ceremony for initial construction was held in January 2015. Approximately $13 billion has been invested so far on the project.
And what does the California taxpayer have for the $13 billion? A string of concrete ties here, a few hundred yards of rusty rail there, a bunch of bridge pylons and a couple of bridges with no rail on them. In the end, the result is likely to be a very expensive connection from Bakersfield to Merced, a fare only the wealthy can pay (and there aren't very many wealthy in Bakersfield or Merced, and they don't have any reason to travel to the other place.) The people of California will have a sky-high pile of bonds to pay off and a trophy for Dumbest Project Ever.
How did you become such an expert on the people of Merced and Bakersfield? Do you live in the Central Valley?
Am I wrong? The average household income in Bakersfield is $77.397. The average household income in Merced is $59,938. That's not wealthy even by Georgia standards, where I live. The average household income in California is $96,344, of Los Angeles $80,366 and of San Fran, $69,260. Cross the bridge into Marin County and it's $142,785. It's nice of those rich people to buy the Central Valley a train to play with. They'll never let it get into downtown San Francisco or into Los Angeles proper. It'll ruin the property values, don'cha know.
You are not asking the right question. Why can Japan, Europe and China build high speed rail and the U.S. cannot? The Chunnel linking the U.K. to France was completed in 1994. No state other than California is even trying to build high speed rail.
Ask anyone who has ever built their own home in CA. They can explain why it was never going to work. 20 years ago we spent nearly 2 years in plan check to build a custom home in the Bay Area. Over a 1/4 of a century we built 3 homes, and the fastest permit, took 9 months, almost 30 years ago. No one who has not personally experienced the insanity, truly understands it.
CA's dirty little secret is that it is governed to keep the top quintile of earners fat and happy. The rest of the state is left in some weird modern day, less violent ,Lord of the Flies situation. Purposefully constraining building, keeps values high for the mostly White, older home owners. Supply will never be allowed to reach demand, because property values would fall.
And it is only going to get worse. As federal welfare ends for migrants, Red States will not replace it. This is going to drive millions of migrants to Blue States who will replace the defunct federal programs, with State financed welfare. Most work, but lack the skills and education, to allow them to be self supporting, no matter how hard they toil. This will increase the need for housing and tax dollars, without increasing housing or tax dollars. CA will desperately need the billions wasted on this boondoggle.
No, the right question is does the U.S. need high speed rail? Aside from the Eastern Seaboard, metropolitan areas are far enough apart that it is cheaper, quicker and more flexible to join them by air than ground transport. Acela serves the eastern seaboard, but it's gone about as far as is economical. This is coming from a dyed-in-the-wool railroad enthusiast, by the way.