High-speed rail troubles continue

Assemblymember Marie WaldronAD-75 (R)

Recent news about California’s high-speed rail project is raising more questions. Construction on the initial 29-mile link between Fresno and Merced, now two years behind schedule, was rescheduled to begin this March, but has now been delayed several more months. These delays have resulted in huge costs for the contractor, who may sue.

Voters approved Proposition 1A in 2008, which authorized a $9.95 billion bond to help finance what was described as a $40 billion high-speed rail system, a projection that has now escalated to at least $68 billion and will likely go far higher.

About $3 billion in federal funding is also involved in the project. These funds must be spent by the Sept. 30, 2017 deadline. To meet this deadline, the project will be forced to spend around $6 million per day for a full fiscal year beginning in July, a staggering amount that far exceeds spending for any known past project.

Unfortunately, despite growing opposition from legislators and from the public at large, plans to forge ahead with high-speed rail are progressing.

California has many pressing needs, including costly upgrades for its highways, its water infrastructure, a seriously underfunded Medi-Cal reimbursement program, and unfunded mandates in excess of $300 billion.

Continuing to fund an expensive rail project with doubtful finances that few would ever use is sheer folly. Since good stewardship of the people’s tax dollars is absolutely essential in a representative republic, this costly boondoggle must be sidetracked, sooner rather than later.