Introduction - Derail HSR
The California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) has spent over $58 million lobbying for and promoting the building of a high-speed rail link between LA and SF. The picture which they have presented to the public and to our elected officials is misleading and based upon unreasonable figures. It is up to the voters of California to derail this ill-conceived project before it ends in catastrophe.
The chances of the CHSRA completing the project within their projected cost of $42 - $45 billion are exceedingly unlikely. Reasonable estimates project a figure at least two to three times that size. Even at $42 billion, it would be the largest infrastructure project ever built in the world. It would put the citizens of California further into debt for generations to come. The operation costs alone would devour millions of tax dollars annually. Their business model assumes 117,000,000 passengers will ride each year. These figures are beyond inflated, they are impossible.
The $50.00 fare from LA to SF that CHSRA projects is deceptive. CHSRA is presenting this fantastic and unrealistic price to make the project seem beneficial to the general public. In fact, these numbers cost have no relationship to the real ticket costs of any other HSR line in the world. In Europe the minimum fare for an equivalent distance is well over $100 and, at most times of the day, in excess of $200.00. Ticket costs for the Acela high-speed train on the Northeast corridor are over $100, and that's for the lowest cost fare.
Voters of California, we must pull together.
We must reject this project and its imaginary economics. Though high-speed rail may be an excellent idea in general, this particular project, at this particular time, in the present economy, with this particular route, at this particular cost, amounts to a catastrophic fiasco for California.
The California High Speed Rail 9.95 Billion dollar ($9,950,000,000) ballot proposition will appear on the fall 2008 election ballot. If this proposition is approved by the voters, the State will be put into debt for generations to come. In return we will receive a luxury train for the wealthy with little use to the general public. These funds could be used for much more worthwhile endeavors.
The State is already in a severe financial crisis. The last thing we need is to put the State further into debt by funding a project that benefits few of our citizens. Remember, bond issues are somewhat like mortgages. The bond money borrowed must be repaid, and repaid with interest.
It is in the interests of all Californians to vote against this bond issue.
