This reminds me of a pyramid scheme. People are all excited about it when the con artists get it started. Then it goes through multiple levels where more and more money has to be pumped in to keep it going. Then people start questioning if it's a good idea and enthusiasm starts to wane. The people who are invested in it try to keep it pumped up to keep the money flowing but finally no new suckers can be found and the pyramid collapses.

It looks like the people of California are starting to feel like they are suckers and maybe, just maybe, their hard earned tax dollars should be redirected into something that will actually have a return on it's investment.

Why is it a bunch of railfans on a website can see how poorly this has been done and the massive waste of money it has become but politicians in Sacramento are unwilling to pull the plug? Is this hearing a first step into shutting the whole mess down? If they reject the business plan and say it's a failed project, can it go to the senate floor to vote to eliminate the funding for it?