Even a reality-TV squirrel will occasionally find a nut. The rail project has been the subject of reasonable criticism.
The administration’s attack on it isn’t sincere, but isn’t necessarily wrong.
The administration’s attack on it isn’t sincere, but isn’t necessarily wrong.
Reposted from
Keith Boykin
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is booed by protesters as he announces Trump is cutting off funding for high-speed rail between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Instead of dealing with all the planes crashing everywhere, the former “Real World” star is abandoning investments in US infrastructure.
Comments
And the project is half built! What are we going to do, walk away?
For the life of me I can't understand why every CA Republican I've talked to gets so angry about the project. It's become an issue of political identity for them. It would be useful to have as an option.
Good Lord.
Hyperloop will become the project now funded by Mump.
Capital projects are always messy and expensive and problematic until they are in use, and then they become an indispensable part of life.
It’s very American to keep embracing the past.
Like, if I said I opposed the invasion of Ukraine ... because Ukraine actually belonged to, I dunno, Poland ... my opposition would be ill-founded & merit derision.
But now the project is far closer to completion than not. And at this point ceasing funding only proves to waste every dollar that's already been spent. It's in everyone's best interest that the project is completed now.
There are still federal laws on the books allowing the army corps of engineers to file eminent domain papers at the courthouse in the morning and roll bulldozers after lunch.
1) lack of state capacity and outsourcing work to expensive engineering contractors
2) CEQA and burdensome environmental review
3) extortion from local municipalities using CAHSR as a slush fund for unrelated upgrades
It was a bad idea to build the Central Valley segment first. Far from being easy, it involved slow and expensive ROW acquisition.
Should have invested in SF and LA areas first. Would have benefited regional rail services and delivered benefits, even with federal funding pauses.
In general yes, I would expect a huge state that favors development to build out infrastructure faster than a huge state that disfavors development.