The California high-speed rail funding plan is “not financially feasible” says a peer-review committee created by the state legislature to review that plan. Various media reports suggest that this finding significantly reduces the likelihood that the legislature will approve the plan.
This is after the rail authority admitted that it inflated job estimates, claiming that the line would create a million jobs when in fact it meant a million job-years. No more than 60,000 jobs would be created by construction at one time, which is still a lot but a lot less than a million. This admission cost the authority the editorial support of the San Jose Mercury News, a paper normally eager to support any wacky rail plan that comes its way.
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Naturally, the rail authority has its own view, claiming that the peer-review committee made “egregious errors and unsupported assertions” and failed to adequately consult the authority about its questions. But the main point of the peer review committee was that the authority has no idea how it is going to fund more than 90 percent of the cost of the project, an assertion that requires no support beyond the authority’s own documents.
It remains to be seen whether the legislature even cares about any of these issues. Considering the juicy consulting fees and construction profits to be made from spending $6 billion on a rail line to nowhere, some of which are bound to turn into campaign contributions, legislators may still approve the bond sale that must be made soon if construction is to begin by the federal deadline of September 30 of this year.
The “Calwhine” blog has been having lots of fun at CHSRA’s expense since the peer-review report came out this week. One example is here:
http://www.calwhine.com/bullet-train-chair-rips-respected-critic-for-analytical-deficiency-really-really-really/1465/
Stealing a riff from David Letterman, Calwhine writes:
Top 10 Reasons Tom Umberg Should Not Have Gone There
10. John Perez’s pre-2011 resume has more credibility than the CHSRA.
9. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s CHP detail has less to hide than the CHSRA.
8. John Burton’s behavior toward female reporters and aides is less creepy than the CHSRA’s relationship with the truth.
7. Linda Ronstadt’s nasal septum, circa 1979, had fewer holes than any random single paragraph of the CHSRA’s business plan.
6. Newt Gingrich’s first two wives have more good things to say about Newt than the flacks who were paid millions by the CHSRA have to say about the agency.
5. James Cameron admires CHSRA’s ballsy audacity. (“You’re putting the first segment in the Central Valley???? Hahahahahhahahahaha. Good one.†Goes silent and waits for response. Eyes widen. “You’re serious. Good God.â€)
4. George W. Bush admires the CHSRA’s management acumen.
3. Barack Obama admires the CHSRA’s readiness to blindly and wantonly spend money as fast as it can be printed.
2. Bernie Madoff admires the CHSRA’s poker-faced con game.
1. Yo, Tom Umberg, it’s a hanging curve, sorry, man: If anyone alive is an expert on “analytical deficiency,†it is the men and women of the California High-Speed Rail Authority.
Then, Calwhine asks the question, “Would ANYTHING be ‘compelling enough’ for Jerry to kill bullet train? Sheesh.”
http://www.calwhine.com/would-anything-be-compelling-enough-for-jerry-to-kill-bullet-train-sheesh/1438/
Rail supporters need to be out front-and-center opposing this boondoggle. It’s obvious that the California high speed rail is rapidly replacing “Big Dig” and “Bridge to Nowhere” as the poster child of pork projects.
Oh, one more thing. It appears as though your link to a Mercury News editorial is an old one. Here’s their current one:
http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_19675945
The Antiplanner wrote:
Naturally, the rail authority has its own view, claiming that the peer-review committee made “egregious errors and unsupported assertions†and failed to adequately consult the authority about its questions.
When they don’t have any facts to back-up their assertions, they attack the messenger.
Randal,
In case anyone accuses you of being unfairly critical of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, check this out:
http://www.newsday.com/news/new-york/jay-walder-mta-condition-s-terrible-1.3428795
http://www.wnyc.org/blogs/wnyc-news-blog/2012/jan/05/former-mta-head-new-yorks-infrastructure-terrible/
Lived my whole life in California. Ever since about 1975, California has been unable to produce anything but vu grafs. Everyone knew this was a bogus con from day one.
Hey, I’ve lived in San Jose for 7 years & I might wanta visit LA sometime.
Isn’t it the taxpayers duty to subsidize my trip?
What are the advantages? Really think about the time & mobility — true for local. ??? Hmmm Huh
The base cost for the HSR is “only” $3,000-6,000/CA-resident.
Counting funds from DC is rather immaterial because the source is from individuals in each state.
Although, after the states put residents’ money into a big pot (Fed’s general fund), it is a grab all.
Nullification? See Thomas Woods
High Speed Rail
San Jose
BART to San Jose is to start construction soon. There is an EIR which disproves almost all that is thought to be known. For 6 Billion it will take almost no cars off the roads and not speed up traffic by one mile per hour. The last section will be under or over the City of San Jose and the cost will be unbelievable but no one is reading the EIR.
Best
The LA Times editorialized in favor of the High Speed Rail because they observed that once LA, Boston and other cities had spent a huge amount of money on their projects and there was nothing anyone can do about it, that people tend to stop complaining.
That is the same reason people buy cars and houses they can’t afford. Interesting that they don’t comment on whether the money could be better spent on anything else.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-ed-rail-20120107,0,5272840.story
When it comes to the CHSRA folks, Chris Reed (and other HSR critics) are so very wrong to suggest that these proponents suffer from “analytical deficiency.†They are smart folks who thoroughly understand the HSR business plan — they’ve lived and breathed this project for years.
They just lie through their teeth.