There are no plans to run at 200 mph between LA and Anaheim. The maximum speed proposed by CHSRA is currently 110 mph. The actual time savings could be as little as ten minutes. The extra money for a separate track system and all the elevated and tunnels will reportedly cost over $10 billion according to some internal sources familiar with the current STV work. Yes, the exact same performance, with complete grade separation would likely cost less than $2 billion by upgrading LOSSAN service on this same service segment.

The CHSRA is not becoming a boondoggle. It is a boondoggle and has been since Kopp and Diridon started the CHSRA. No real needs based planning has ever been done to justify the bizarre technical specifications on LA Anaheim or any other high speed segments. No proper cost benefit analysis of the needs versus alternatives has been performed at any of the key decision points. No proper market analysis or survey work has been done to support Cambridge Systematics model, and now evidence suggests that the modeling results were then completely falsified, when they did not produce the "right" answer. It appears this "modeling" was then the basis for subsequent environmental analysis. That along with the "business plan" is now tainted, and worthless too. This tained analysis will now require more "do-overs" of the Environmental in the Bay Area, at a minimum, and the 5th CHSRA "business plan" in 12 years.

Millions of dollars of taxpayers moneies have been spent on planning, market analysis, and environmental work that is basically worthless, and now as a result, the work will have to be done over. No one has ever been held accountable for repeated mistakes, being paid to do the same work over and over, and still doing it incompetently, why?

Is this just a big government contract steering racket, as some have alleged? Is the CHSRA Board just as incompetent in its oversight of the CHSRA management, planning, and contractors, as the CHSRA management team appear to have been up until now? Or, is this a case of actual corruption? Are the rumors that certain Board Members leaving soon to "spend more time with their families" true? Stay tuned...... Everytime we think it can't get any worse at CHSRA, it does.

SCAG's elected officials had a report on the Inland Empire San Diego alternatives analysis last week. It flew like a lead balloon, with some calling for support of the bill to defund the CHSRA entirely. This reaction was entirely based upon the current experience of local agencies in dealing with the incompetently mismanaged CHSRA. Some others called for SCAG to support the Leahy letter and requested staff put this on for action at next months agenda.

We could do a lot to improve rail service with these funds and this could be a great opportunity to bring a modern fully integrated intercity and high speed rail system to the US and CA. But if this mess at the runaway money train at CHSRA is not cleaned up soon, and incompetent and possibly (probably?) crooked management and contracting games are not changed considerably, I have no faith that will be the case. And, I have every faith the taxpayers will see through this level of incompetence, and not fund further efforts without changes which might instill at least minimal adult accountability for the public funds being committed to this project.

CHSRA needs real internal reforms, it probably also needs significant changes in the enabling legislation, as well, and CHSRA needs those changes now.