Editorial: Sudden switch for high-speed rail

High Speed Rail is a fool's folly. We don't have the budget to cover our schools and infrastructure and all of sudden the skies are going to open up and rain money down on California? That dog won't hunt!

Our bond ratings are rapidly deteriorating. The public was hoodwinked with inflated revenue projections and deflated operation & maintenance costs. That was simply fraud in the inducement. This should be put to a second vote with substantiated numbers.

No VC would fund a project with unsubstantiated numbers why should the voters.

"If high-speed rail isn't done right" it simply won't get done at all, he said."

Thank you Senator Simitian. Do these words of yours mean that if they don't do what you want, you will cut off their funding and shut them down? Will you make that decision, despite it thereby threatening the cutting off of all federal funding for California?

Apparently, Sir, you do believe that "it can be done right." That is, you wish to have high-speed rail on the Caltrain corridor, only not elevated. That must mean you believe it to be done right if left at grade or trenched, since tunneling is off the table.

Does that mean you are OK with a 60 ft. wide four-track trench along the entire Peninsula? Is that doing it right? How about short sections of trench in the center of each town (one of their proposals)? Senator Simitian, are you OK with ten years of massive construction on the Caltrain corridor? With Shoofly tracks, construction easements on both sides of the corridor, hugely disrupted Caltrain schedules for that length of time, etc.? Is that part of "doing it right"?

If HSR shares only two tracks with Caltrain, it can never meet it's legally prescribed goals of 2:40 hours and minutes of travel time between LA and SF. Further, Senator, are you alright with the expenditures that will be required to meet your goals? Do you believe that a $80 billion plus expenditure on high-speed rail in California is a good thing? Even if it will require operation subsidies for eternity? Senator Simitian, is this not really about the money to be pumped into California's economy, regardless of the adverse consequences?

In other words, Senator Simitian, exactly what do you mean by doing it right? Can this Rail Authority, as currently constituted, do it right? Without further federal funding, should all of us on the Peninsula sit around and wait for the shoe to drop on the rail corridor? Do we hold our collective breath until it's "done right" ten or more years from now?

Do you really believe what Van Ark says when they talk about "phased implementation?"

Senator, you may wish one of your staff to read this blog: Web Link

Discussing the specifics of a proposal force-fed to the public by the Federal government and special interests, a project which can only be built with borrowed money in an environment where every government level is flirting with insolvency and the tax base and taxation income cannot be realistically assessed as having much of an upside future seems to a reasonable person to be motivated by nothing less than greed-induced madness.

At what point will those who are being placed with greater yokes on their wallets wake up to the fact that they are being manipulated by the press and the government into a project for which there is no money, and that they should never allow additional incurred indebtedness to fund it. A project whose very purpose could not possibly justify the risk and expense in this fiscal environment. (what the heck is this thing for? and how can its use possibly justify this expense under these conditions???)

This is such madness....or self-centered greed.

Mr. Gibboney, your support of this project is reprehensible, in my opinion, but is congruent with the agenda of those in power with whom you are apparently well acquainted.

'Blockbuster suggestion' my petunias....supporting and considering this project is irresponsible and irrational and reveals the capabilities of our leaders, if one can them call that.