The Transcontinental Railroad was way over budget with the UP so cheaply done that most of it had to be relaid soon after. CP weaseled on where the mountains started in order to get more money from the feds. We all know the land grants, and other federal giveaways were immense by the standards of the time, and although the early RRs were supposedly "private sector" they happily accepted "other peoples money", state charters preventing competition, and pulled stock/bond swindles Enron and their ilk only dreamed of.
And unlike some, I don't regret the resulting spiderweb of rail routes--many of which, sadly, have been erased by the bean counters.

Of the various figures given, if every CA resident had to pay $50 a year for the next 30 both to fund building and operation, I would be willing. I would truly like to be able to have a day in LA--visit museums etc, or let us say a day at Perris without having to deal w/ tsa, or several nights in motels.

For those who think CAHSR is too expensive and corrupt, remember that DoD war toys and the completely useless wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have cost us enough to build the whole project every couple of months for the last decade. And unlike what we did spend CAHSR will not result in PTSD and or physical wreckage of hundreds of thousands of our fellow residents. (note I did not say citizens because immigrants both official and not have also served, been wounded, killed)