The liberals in Sacramento have blinders on. Their tunnel vision focus on completing this high-speed rail project in California regardless of the cost, delays, and lack of ridership interest puts California taxpayers at big risk for little, if any, gain.
The evidence keeps coming in that Sacramento has broken its promise to the people of California with this rail project. Most recently, the Los Angeles Times reported that that cost estimates for the train are going up, and the rail authority only revealed that fact when pressed by lawmakers. In fact, the authority only recently revealed to the public that the projected cost of the first phase of the train had risen by 31 percent—a fact they had known since October 2013.
Governing in a rapidly changing century demands adapting to changing circumstances. As Winston Churchill once said, “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.”
The fact is, the high-speed rail project was doomed to fail from the start, and as reports of its failures keep rolling in, Governor Brown should cut his losses instead of doubling down on this boondoggle.
Here’s a good idea that actually uses taxpayer money in an effective way:Let’s transfer funds from the high-speed rail boondoggle and use them to prepare our state for future droughts. Drought is a real and immediate problem that we must respond to, especially with El Niño’s possible relief on the way.
Moving funds from high-speed rail to drought relief would take the courage to acknowledge that current policy is a waste of time and money and then change course. But that is the leadership that Californians want.
Leaders in the 21st century should not plod on with an attachment to the past. We must instead face the future with the willingness to change and solve our toughest challenges.