Ginger was always trying to do right by those sectors of the local economy, it is a poor or rich folks community/bedroom/agriculture.....but she understood the importance of the military and port and the benefits those higher paying "working class" jobs those provided. The political landscape was such and the power of the UP is such that without a cooperative partner in the UP nothing was going to happen.

I've known Ginger's successor for about 25 years, through his previous incarnations at places like SANBAG, and have never really been impressed by his performance (the episode with Dave and the F&W only served to confirm my view). And, the politics of East County versus West County, combined with no local sales tax to fund anything, make effective and concerted action on rail difficult in that County.

The real "Nimby" elements I encountered, in the Santa Paula reconnect study, were folks like goofy Marcia from Santa Clarita, and the hysterical mobs, who feared the "evil" rock trains that might lurk and prey upon the City, from out at Acton. Which made it clear early on, that any "evil" BNSF freight train sneaking though SCL from Port Hueneme at 3 in the morning, would clearly be seen as a certainly mortal danger to the entire community. The elements of hysterical conspiratorial "ferroequinephobia", at times, could make even Mouse look "normal" by comparison.

Santa Clarita politicians and residents seem to have a love hate relationship with even Metrolink. Which is kind of weird, because if you believe the real estate hype ML has been a clear positive for SCL as a "country place" to live that is easily accessible to the "big city", that could clearly also see benefits from interregional extension of LOSSAN service.

So, SCL has been weirdly dysfunctional, on most rail issues, as is much of the north LA Co. political "leadership", on ML, HSR, and LA=LV, with the exception of Mike Antonovich, and his successor Kathryn Barger, who have made good on things like the new north Burbank Airport Station.