High-Speed Rail's Broken Promises: Another California Dream Turns to Dust
Okay, so California High-Speed Rail wants to change the rules again. Surprise, surprise.
The Bait and Switch, California Style
First, they told us it was gonna be Merced to Bakersfield, right? That was the deal. Now, all of a sudden, CEO Ian Choudri—whoever that is—wants to ditch that part of the plan to chase "more profitable routes" like Madera to Gilroy. Give me a break.
He claims this switcheroo will attract private investors. Seriously? Are we really supposed to believe that these supposed investors are so dumb that they can't see this whole thing is a boondoggle?
"If you want innovation and to generate revenues out of the system, then they (the private sector) will have creative ideas,” Choudri said.
Translation: "We screwed up the initial plan so badly that now we need to kiss up to private companies to bail us out, and those companies will only do it if they get to cherry-pick the profitable parts."
And what about Merced? Mayor Matthew Serratto says keeping Merced in the early operating segment is "a hill to die on." Good for him. He's fighting the good fight, but let's be real, he's probably screwed. This whole thing is like watching a slow-motion train wreck... no pun intended.
Follow the Money (Or Try To)
Choudri says being allowed to build routes outside Merced-to-Bakersfield would help him secure private investment to speed things along. But wait, didn't they already secure $20 billion from the state’s Cap-and-Invest program? Where's that money going? Offcourse, nobody tells us.
The article says the Merced-to-Bakersfield segment is projected to lose money. Well, no freakin' duh. Who's going to take a train from Merced to Bakersfield? I mean, with all due respect to the good people of those cities, that sounds like a one-way ticket to Nowheresville.
It's like they built the tracks first and then asked themselves, "Wait, where are people actually going?"
And here's the kicker: the "most affordable initial segment scenario that yields a profit" is a Gilroy-to-Bakersfield route that bypasses Merced. So basically, they're admitting the original plan was a disaster from the start.
I'm reminded of that high-speed rail project in Spain. It was supposed to connect all these cities, but they ended up building these ridiculously expensive stations in the middle of nowhere. Ghost towns with high-speed internet and empty platforms. Is that what we want here?
Broken Promises, Again
Choudri says he has to explain to millions of people in the Bay Area and Los Angeles that they have to wait. Yeah, well, I'm sure they're thrilled to hear that their tax dollars are being used to maybe, someday, build a train that might, possibly, take them somewhere slightly faster than driving.
But let's be honest, this isn't just about a train. It's about trust. It's about the government making promises it can't keep. It's about California dreaming big and then face-planting into a pile of bureaucratic garbage.
And what about those speed cameras in Hawaii and Philly? Hawaii's cameras are so messed up they haven't issued a single ticket. Meanwhile, Philly's raking in the dough, $100 a pop for going 11 mph over the limit. Are we gonna see that kind of nonsense with the high-speed rail too? Fines for not arriving on time? Hawaii’s speed enforcement cameras off to slow start with zero citations
Another Gravy Train for Consultants
This whole high-speed rail project is starting to feel like a giant grift. A way for consultants, contractors, and politicians to line their pockets while the rest of us get stuck in traffic.
Look, I'm all for progress. I'm all for innovation. But this ain't it. This is a poorly planned, badly executed, and probably corrupt waste of money. The only thing high-speed about this train is the rate at which it's burning through taxpayer cash.