Simitian's patience running out on high-speed rail

My patience ran out in 2003, seven years ago. It didn't pass "the smell test" then, and it certainly doesn't now.

All those people who love high-speed trains in general, and want a California high-speed train need to understand one thing, and one thing only:

This particular project is not about the train; it's about the money.

Why a railroad project? As Dillinger answered when asked why he robbed banks, "That's where the money is."

The California High Speed Rail Authority seems to be a fiction. We have no high speed transit and they are spending money on it?
Sounds like their account system is like that of a person who never checks his bank statement. Anything goes. The contractor will look after the proper billing - in his favor. - Other people's money is always cheap.

Surely you've all noticed that over all the years Mr. Simitian has always embraced all things that grow gobvernment and cost the taxpayers more money. He only changes his color when he senses that it may not be popular anymore. Why even bother to mention it? Mr. Engel got the scent seven years ago as many of us did. :-( Throw the bums out!

Simitian is one of the best reps in the state. Don't get all tea bagger on us now Willows.

Senator Simitian is the most responsive. His staff answers when contacted.

On the other hand, I have tried to contact Senator Boxer for 18 months with NO response.

Thus far, coming out against this particular high speed rail project has proven to be anything but popular with our elected officials. Why? Because these elected officials were the same ones promising immediate jobs to the unions for one, counting on "free" money from Washington for two, and signing a stimulus (ARRA) funds application request stating California's HSR project is "shovel ready" for three. All unrealistic and a true indication of how much people have been willing to ignore the realities. Diane Harkey was the first to declare the emperor has no clothes. I suspect the rest are waiting for a way to bow out gracefully, and that ultimately means waiting for the White House to admit that there is not enough money to make the dream a reality, so they in turn can say "Well, we tried." Regardless, hats off to Simitian and Lowenthal for having the nerve to point out the obvious. By delaying further, the White House gets one more try to come up with the funds. Now, if the White House, and ultimately the HSRA, does not perform, will they pull the plug in a timely fashion? Let's hope so.

Then I suggest Ted you help in getting HSR properly funded as it should ..as in any other form of transportation from highways to airports...and it will be in the new 2010-11 transportation bill...and wont all the NIMBYS and naysyers/visionless types be so happy!!!

Dear Thetruth, I'll be the first to admit that HSR cannot be built without subsidy, and that is okay. It's too bad HSR had to be sold to the public in the form of Prop 1A and AB3034 as though they could build it without requiring operating subsidy. ThYet another unrealistic expectation. In fact, that was a big mistake, as it is coming back to bight them. My question to you is where will the money come from? The state and local communities are broke, and I have yet to see a convincing argument for private money to be thrown into the pot without a revenue guaranty of some sort, so that only leaves the fed. I have been leaning on all of my elected officials for nine months now to have the serious talks with the White House. Until recently, the only thing they seemed willing to do was stick their heads in the sand when it came to the realities. $13B over the next five years on a $500B-$1T nationwide system is only enough to start several disasters. Obama needs a HSR success. I do think the elected are starting to pay closer attention thanks in large part to the NIMBYs. This is why Congress wrote a collective letter, dated April 14, to the White House asking for a dedicated source of funding for HSR. In the meanwhile, there is the effort to get a $4B HSR stopgap into next year's budget. Now the real talks begin. I guess I should hold a HSR bake sale, but I might rather give that money to Caltrain.

Why don't people face the facts - California does not have the population density necessary to support HSR period. No other HSR system in the world serves as low a density population as the proposed HSR corridor and all of them also require subsidies.

HSR sounds nice but it would be a financial disaster for everyone except the right of way property owners and the contractors - who would take the money and run.

I stated that California does not have the population density to support HSR as compared to France and Japan.

Here are their respective population densities:

California 235.68 people/sq/mi

Japan 873.077

France 1,716.743

Japan is over 3 times as dense and France is 7.5 times as dense as California. And both of their HSR systems are also substantially subsidized.

Did you know that you can fly from any of the three Bay Area airports to any of the six major Southern California airports for as little as $39 each way? There are close to a hundred flights a day leaving about every 10 minutes and the entire flight takes about an hour.

So tell me again why government is so anxious to spend BILLIONS on high speed rail when private industry already provides so much service, that is so accessible, so fast and so cheap?

I hope I'm not the first to break this news to you, but between the legal challenges ahead and lack of funding, no one reading this post is ever going to ride a high speed train between the Bay Area and Southern California.

Pogo asks:"why government is so anxious to spend BILLIONS on high speed rail when private industry already provides so much service, that is so accessible, so fast and so cheap?"

It is a scam - the only ones who will benefit are the right of way owners and the planning and construction contractors. The rest of us will be left holding a very expensive and empty bag.

It wasn't Dillinger, Marty, it was Willie Sutton.
HSR is Destiny. Either build it now or wait until the price goes up!

Bilweb states:"HSR is Destiny. Either build it now or wait until the price goes up!"

Thank you but I'll wait and see. I predict that the price will go up much faster than will the actual demand for HSR services, and therefore the shortfall between cost and revenues will be even bigger.