Construction is expected to begin later this year in the middle of California's Central Valley near Merced, a town of 80,000 people known for having one of the highest home foreclosure rates in America.
The plan calls for around 300 miles of track to be laid south from there over the next 10 years to reach the northern outskirts of Los Angeles. A northern link from the Central Valley to San Francisco would not be completed until 2028.
The project is still $54.9 billion short of what is needed, raising fears that the state will be unable to find the funds to finish later sections, and could be left with a futuristic rail line linking minor cities and farming communities.
Jerry Brown, California's Democrat governor, has championed the project as a way to create jobs and is backed by unions. The 74-year-old governor has been personally committed to a high speed rail link since the 1970s.
But he is trying to convince voters to spend billions on a train while at the same time proposing tax increases and austere public spending cuts, including a five per cent pay cut for state workers, to deal with a budget deficit that has ballooned to $16 billion.
But not to worry.
Supporters say the California economy, the world's ninth largest, will recover in the long run and the remaining money will be found from private investors, the federal government and fees from the state's cap-and-trade programme to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Except . . . earlier Jerry brown thought tax revenue would plug the deficit and hishopes and dreams estimates showed that he was wrong when the deficit "ballooned to $16 billion" because the State did not bring in the expected revenue. Why would anyone believe him now that somehow California will recover and private venture capital will be used for a public rail road?
And now the Governor wants special exemptions from California's environmental regulators for this project, so that lawsuits by environmental groups will not stop it. This is because, according to the Governor, the high speed rail project is critical to create jobs. All of which would go to union contractors.
Who is Jerry really protecting here?
Never mind cocaine - they're hitting the bath salts in Sacramento and want to eat the middle class taxpayers.
Jerry Brown, California's Democrat governor, has championed the project as a way to create jobs and is backed by unions. The 74-year-old governor has been personally committed to a high speed rail link since the 1970s.
But he is trying to convince voters to spend billions on a train while at the same time proposing tax increases and austere public spending cuts, including a five per cent pay cut for state workers, to deal with a budget deficit that has ballooned to $16 billion.
But not to worry.
Supporters say the California economy, the world's ninth largest, will recover in the long run and the remaining money will be found from private investors, the federal government and fees from the state's cap-and-trade programme to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Except . . . earlier Jerry brown thought tax revenue would plug the deficit and his
And now the Governor wants special exemptions from California's environmental regulators for this project, so that lawsuits by environmental groups will not stop it. This is because, according to the Governor, the high speed rail project is critical to create jobs. All of which would go to union contractors.
Who is Jerry really protecting here?
Never mind cocaine - they're hitting the bath salts in Sacramento and want to eat the middle class taxpayers.
No comments:
Post a Comment