In California, momentum building for High-Speed Rail

I often say that there are no Democratic or Republican roads or bridges or rail lines, and that’s just as true now as it was when our parents and grandparents built the state-of-the-art interstate and freight rail systems we benefit from today.  Unfortunately, some in Congress these days would rather score partisan political points than make the critical investments in transportation we need to put Americans back to work and leave our children and grandchildren an economy built to last.

But the American people themselves clearly understand the importance of investing in essential transportation projects like high-speed rail, as I was reminded when I traveled across California this week meeting with folks from many different walks of life.  And despite what you may have heard, momentum is building in California for this essential project that will relieve congestion on roadways and runways and make sure the Golden State can continue to grow and thrive.

In Los Angeles, Mayor Villaraigosa and I met with local business and transit leaders, who are excited about the potential for high-speed rail to connect residents to jobs and spur economic growth throughout the region.  Leaders of organized labor in Sacramento told me they are eager to get to work building the infrastructure California needs to compete in the modern economy.  And when I met with Governor Brown, I thanked him for his visionary leadership on this project, and promised that the Obama Administration would continue to work with him to provide all Californians with the state-of-the-art transportation system they deserve.

To be fair, some of the folks I met with still had concerns about high speed rail.  In Fresno, for instance, Mayor Swearengin and I met with farmers and small businesses owners who wanted to know how the new rail line might affect their property. I answered their questions, and committed to working closely with them to address their concerns moving forward.

As I told them, I’m happy to discuss high-speed rail with anyone for one simple reason:  the facts are on our side.

America's population is growing.  In the next 40 years, we're going to add 100 million people.  That's like adding another California, Texas, New York, and Florida combined.  But without adding a single square inch of extra space.

That means we can only add so many miles of highway and so many feet of runway, not nearly enough to help us get where we need to go.  If we don't act, we will sacrifice the mobility that has always been so important to our nation.  If we don't act, we will sacrifice the competitiveness that is so critical to our economy.

So, we're taking the steps we need to ensure that America stays in motion for generations to come.

 

We’re designing an integrated network with trains moving at different high-end speeds, based on the needs of the market, just like in rail systems overseas.  Where it makes sense--as it does in California--we’re building state-of-the-art, high-speed lines, on par with anything in Europe or Asia.  Feeding into this true high-speed core will be regional service – faster than the best trains we have today. Finally, we’re building-out our emerging corridors, bringing the benefits of rail and the small-business growth it spurs to regions that don’t currently have rail service.

We’ve already put American workers on Amtrak and rail job-sites in 32 states and the District of Columbia. Projects in Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oregon, and Vermont are coming in ahead of schedule and under budget.  At the same time, we’re supporting jobs at manufacturing plants in industrial states like Indiana and at suppliers in states like Arizona and Arkansas.  And everything--from tracks, to ties, to train sets, to construction materials for new stations--is being built by American workers.

Photo courtesy KMPH

This is the future of rail in America, and it's happening now.  It's happening on emerging corridors.  It's happening on busy regional service.  And it's happening on the high-speed core in California.

Over the past week, I have traveled all over the Golden State.  And I have found a strong base of support for the California high speed rail project--from the workers who will build it, to the manufacturers that will supply the trains to run on it, and the businesses that will benefit from using it.  California has a good plan; there's new leadership on the California High Speed Rail Authority; and I look forward to working with Governor Brown to make this project as successful as possible.

High speed rail is coming to America because it's good for the economy and good for the nation.

Comments

[Anonymous]

"...not because they are easy, but because they are hard..."

[Frank]

LOL! You are so out-of-touch with reality. I love the blanket statement "The facts are on our side". Seriously? Have you read the auditor's report?

[Frank]

Of course you have to "moderate" the comments -- wouldn't want to hear from anyone who disagrees. The "explanation" you gave for the motivation of the opposition in Fresno is proof that you won't listen to reason.

[Scott Walker]

Let's not forget the freight infrastructure, either. There's much room for improvement there, and increasing rail freight capacity will help with Interstate traffic and wear.

[FD]

Here is how to stop the out of control, CA budget busting $230 Billion Train to Nowhere Boondoggle (i.e. the CAHSRA’s “current” high end estimate in 2012 to build is $117.5 billion, but they have no money to build, so California wants to take out $115 billion in new debt (aka bonds) that are paid back at $2 for every $1 in principal borrowed, so $115 billion is really $230 billion taken from CA’s General Fund, which is the same GF used to pay for K-12 school supplies, parks, roads, levees, bridges, water, senior centers, police/fire, prisons, etc.).

Go to this webpage, click the link to printout the signature page where you list your address and sign, asking that the Legislature kill the project and not release any bonds for this HSR project. See here:http://notrainplease.com/download-signature-form-here/ and an explanation about why the HSR boondoggle must be killed now can be found here: http://notrainplease.com/2012/02/02/what-could-you-buy-for-100000000000/.

Every non-partisan evaluation of the HSR boondoggle has concluded that bonds should not be issued for this out of control train, from the CA State Auditor, the Legislative Analyst, the Controller, the Treasurer, the Inspector General, UC Berkeley, the Transportation Institute, the World Bank, Stanford University, etc. The only ones continuing to push this perpetual taxpayer fleecing slushfund are well connected consultants making millions off the project (or billions), unions who support Democrats in Sacramento/Washington, and ex-politicians who receive golden parachute multi-million dollar “consulting” contracts that violate state ethics rules.

New Statewide Field Poll Dec. 2011 Results here proving that the MAJORITY OF CALIFORNIANS DO NOT WANT ANY KIND OF HIGH SPEED RAIL IN CALIFORNIA – COMPLETELY OPPOSITE OF WHAT GOVERNOR BROWN SAYS – DECEMBER 9, 2011 POLL HERE:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/12/state-voters-would-reject-high-speed-rail-project-poll-shows.html and http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_19484490 and http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/12/solid-majority.html.

And this new January 14, 2012 Survey USA Poll shows that most Californians want the sale of HSR bonds to be stopped, and most believe the train will never be built:

http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport_main.aspx?g=a6de7d0b-533c-4fb0-bfea-6fbd5ec746edand here: http://www.probolskyresearch.com/california-voters-on-state-spending-and-high-speed-rail/ans http://www.probolskyresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Probolsky-Research-State-Spending-and-High-Speed-Rail-Results-Memorandum2.pdf.

http://notrainplease.com/download-signature-form-here/http://notrainplease.com/download-signature-form-here/
http://notrainplease.com/2012/02/02/what-could-you-buy-for-100000000000/

[FD]

High-Speed Rail Cost $22 trillion?
By John Seiler:

The new business plan from the California High-Speed Rail Authority estimates the cost now will be $98.5 billion (edit: it's actually estimated at $117.5 for the "high end" of the range by CAHSRA, but let's not quibble about $20 billion, that's chump change compared to real cost by the time the Democratic-Union-Consultant money slushfund is turned off.) That’s up from $40 billion advertised in Proposition1A, which misled voters passed just three years ago, in November 2008. The cost estimate is good through 2033, the expected completion of the project.
That’s a 150 percent increase in just three years.

So, let’s project that increase out to 2033, with 150 percent increases every three years:

2008: $40 billion cost.
2011: $100 billion.
2014: $243billion
2017: $497 billion.
2020: $1.47 trillion.
2023: $3.62 trillion.
2029: $8.92 trillion.
2032: $21.96 trillion.

So, the total cost could be 255 times the $86 billion current budget of California for fiscal 2011-12.
That would be 13 times the entire current $1.6 trillion GDP of California.

Sorry, but we're broke here in CA. Don't you recall just a few months ago that Gov. Brown was trying to pay for the CA $28 Billion dollar (not Million, Billion) deficit by asking state taxpayers to raise taxes on themselves, and in this recession, where CA has almost 13% unemployment. Remember the "automatic budget trigger cuts" about to be enacted by Controller Chiang because CA pulled a bait and switch and "overprojected" phatom revenue of $4 billion coming into CA coffers? Don't you realize that those automatic trigger cuts will cut 7 school days from all K-12 education in California, which will only lead to even worse educational attainment, scoring, results - to which CA already ranks almost dead last.

What part of "broke" don't Sacramento Democrats get? Yes, we all want something like that shiny brand new car, or that $2 million house with a pool, or that $5000 suit that fits just nice - BUT, if you can barely make the minimum monthly payments on your credit cards, is it really a prudent thing to say "to hell with it" and take out that new loan?

Look, CAHSRA's recent biz plan "currently"estimates cost to build between $98.5 - $117 Billion, just for SF-LA. In 11/08, they told voters it would be only $33 Billion for SF-LA including SD & Sac. But, as of 11/22/11, CA only has $3 billion from feds, with ABSOLUTLEY NO PRIVATE INVESTMENT. Where is the other $114 Billion coming from?

[Mary]

High speed rail is such a practical and efficient way to get us around this country. It would be wonderful to see other states follow California's lead,

[Ted Crocker]

You know when people like LaHood need to put words in your mouth and make stuff up and quote support only from those that stand to make money off it, that the project is no good! What a bunch of BS! Way to ignore the actual proposition that stipulates no further subsidy and fiscal responsibility with the full capitalization identified before starting. That is what people voted for, not ram it down our throats no matter what even if we only have 6% of the funds identified.

[Marla Miller]

It's shameful to promote this train to Nowhere.
It will be in the middle of a big low population valley, while we crowded urban areas do without.
Nonsense.