Messrs. Robl and Mook have it about right. We can do high speed passenger rail in America. We need to do it right. We need to do it in a cost effective and innovative way. Yes, we are facing conditions that warrant and will support more rail passenger services, both high speed and "competitive speed". There are many corridors where it can be done, in corridors where there is reasonable demand, and reasonable opportunity costs.

As Secretary LaHood has observed, there are even opportunities to achieve very high speed passenger rail in certain locations, in America. But, more important is his observation that where we have done it well, even with only "fast and reliable" service, Americans have responded positively to frequent, reliable and time competitive rail passenger service. The California Corridor services are a model for that success that we should build on.

The problem with the CHSRA is that it has proven repeatedly to be too crooked and too incompetent to carry out the task of building a well designed and thought out high speed rail passenger system for California. Reform and accountability are needed, if this is to be done well.