 |
Re: Candidates Not Talking About High Speed Rail Issue
Author: BOB2
Date: 05-21-2018 - 14:09
It's not really surprising that most candidates are avoiding this issue.
"Make it work"....?
The public voted for this with vague promises about a "modern" "high speed" rail network, connecting No Cal and Sou Cal, with phantasmagorical speeds, and travel times. The fact that this project was conceived without much of a rationale of how this system would actually meet any of our observed travel demands, or needs, or alleviated any of the numerous existing transportation deficiencies we face. It was based on a "build it and they will come....." and we'll be just like those "other" "modern" countries,(who already had extensive systems with significant ridership which justified such investments) and we (Quentin, Ahnold, now Jerry) will be seen as "visionary" leaders.
That kind of analysis is, of course, utter rubbish and nonsense, and most folks were completely unaware of the costly, utterly incompetent, and self serving "assumptions" on which this project has been justified.
The public had seen years of good proposals (like the original LA-SD American High Speed Rail project) not go anywhere, while they were stuck in worse and worse traffic, and blithely assumed that this was a response to that reality, and "on faith" voted for the bond issue that kicked the CHSRA "runaway money train" fiasco into "high gear".
Ten years later, the voters are now stuck in more traffic congestion than ever, and are still waiting for someone to fix that and "make it work"..... Thus, just "make it work", is hardly an irrational request of that frustrated public. Expecting CHSRA, as it is currently operating, to "make it work" would appear to be a completely irrational expectation, however.
Based on my all too intimate personal knowledge of several of the individuals running for Governor of CA, there are a couple of individuals, whom I will not be voting for, partially from watching "up close" their actions on previous transportation issues. They will, very likely, just want to keep on with the project as is, as it has been my experience, that they've never seen a well connected contractors public trough, that didn't need a good helping of "slop".
I also know that one leading candidate has expressed serious private doubts and has serious questions about where this is headed, but has chosen to keep a fairly "hands off" stance, so as not to alienate Brown, or disappoint that "hopeful" public, that just want "to make it work".
While public wants it to "work", the CHSRA clearly is going to run out of both money and political will long before we see anything usable, at the current rate of "burn" of public cash being sucked up by this fiasco. Which could give cover for the next governor, to "reform" the current project, and try to "salvage" something that "makes it work".
"Make it work"....?
The public voted for this with vague promises about a "modern" "high speed" rail network, connecting No Cal and Sou Cal, with phantasmagorical speeds, and travel times. The fact that this project was conceived without much of a rationale of how this system would actually meet any of our observed travel demands, or needs, or alleviated any of the numerous existing transportation deficiencies we face. It was based on a "build it and they will come....." and we'll be just like those "other" "modern" countries,(who already had extensive systems with significant ridership which justified such investments) and we (Quentin, Ahnold, now Jerry) will be seen as "visionary" leaders.
That kind of analysis is, of course, utter rubbish and nonsense, and most folks were completely unaware of the costly, utterly incompetent, and self serving "assumptions" on which this project has been justified.
The public had seen years of good proposals (like the original LA-SD American High Speed Rail project) not go anywhere, while they were stuck in worse and worse traffic, and blithely assumed that this was a response to that reality, and "on faith" voted for the bond issue that kicked the CHSRA "runaway money train" fiasco into "high gear".
Ten years later, the voters are now stuck in more traffic congestion than ever, and are still waiting for someone to fix that and "make it work"..... Thus, just "make it work", is hardly an irrational request of that frustrated public. Expecting CHSRA, as it is currently operating, to "make it work" would appear to be a completely irrational expectation, however.
Based on my all too intimate personal knowledge of several of the individuals running for Governor of CA, there are a couple of individuals, whom I will not be voting for, partially from watching "up close" their actions on previous transportation issues. They will, very likely, just want to keep on with the project as is, as it has been my experience, that they've never seen a well connected contractors public trough, that didn't need a good helping of "slop".
I also know that one leading candidate has expressed serious private doubts and has serious questions about where this is headed, but has chosen to keep a fairly "hands off" stance, so as not to alienate Brown, or disappoint that "hopeful" public, that just want "to make it work".
While public wants it to "work", the CHSRA clearly is going to run out of both money and political will long before we see anything usable, at the current rate of "burn" of public cash being sucked up by this fiasco. Which could give cover for the next governor, to "reform" the current project, and try to "salvage" something that "makes it work".
