PAMPA only exists because SP built the Peninsula line and Stanford money (perhaps some of it skimmed from the "gummint" funding giveaways) built "the Farm". The ROW predates anyone alive today. And if they think electrics are noisy, let's bring back steam with all of the lovely oil smoke!

As for the cost/need for HSR, one might note that the Capitol Corridor, Surfliners, and San Joaquin services are all hauling more passengers than a decade ago, and amongst Amtrak's most successful. Caltrain was the first commuter line in the US to beat its WWII ## and because of the techie preference for urban cultural amenities, one of the few with a nearly exact balance of "reverse" ridership making them far more efficient in terms of warm bodies per car miles.

Note to Margaret, you are spot on about who pays taxes, but not building useful infrastructure is not the solution; serious confiscatory taxation such as was in force during the Eisenhour era and proper policing ofcost overrun fraud would clean up much of the problem.