‘California’: A Synonym for Dysfunction

 

My favorite part of this story is how the French company hired to help build California’s High-Speed Choo-Choo ultimately quit in frustration. Essentially, they said, “California, your government is too corrupt and dysfunctional, so we’re going to work with an African country instead.”

The even better part; the African high-speed train was completed in 2018. California’s project might get done near the end of this century, if it gets done at all.

California voters were sold on and voted to approve a $33 billion high-speed rail link between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Once the measure was approved, politicians immediately threw that plan aside in favor of a vastly more expensive plan to route the plan through their districts so they could grease their cronies.

When California voters first approved a bond issue for the project in 2008, the rail line was to be completed by 2020, and its cost seemed astronomical at the time — $33 billion — but it was still considered worthwhile as an alternative to the state’s endless web of freeways and the carbon emissions generated in one of the nation’s busiest air corridors.

Fourteen years later, construction is now underway on part of a 171-mile “starter” line connecting a few cities in the middle of California, which has been promised for 2030. But few expect it to make that goal.

Meanwhile, costs have continued to escalate. When the California High-Speed Rail Authority issued its new 2022 draft business plan in February, it estimated an ultimate cost as high as $105 billion. Less than three months later, the “final plan” raised the estimate to $113 billion.

“There were so many things that went wrong,” Mr. McNamara said. “SNCF was very angry. They told the state they were leaving for North Africa, which was less politically dysfunctional. They went to Morocco and helped them build a rail system.”

Morocco’s bullet train started service in 2018.

Morocco’s high-speed rail line connects Casablanca and Tangier, a distance of roughly 200 miles. It was completed in ten years.

Contrast California’s absolute state of dysfunction with how Ron DeSantis got that bridge rebuilt in three days and 98 percent of power restored within five days after a Category 4 hurricane.

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  1. Quietpi Member
    Quietpi
    @Quietpi

    Close.  When the  bond issue was passed, everybody knew full well that that $33 billion estimate was just silly.  Now with the severely reduced length, this “starter” line goes literally from nowhere to nowhere – Not to put Merced or Bakersfield down, but demand for transportation between those places, and the much smaller towns between, will never support even a regular commuter train.  This “$113 billion” boondoggle is basically a carnival ride, nothing more.  And if anybody thinks $113 billion will finish this flat rollercoaster, I have a bridge in Manhattan . . .

    • #1
  2. JoelB Member
    JoelB
    @JoelB

    Morocco doesn’t have the enviro-nazis in such abundance.

    • #2
  3. Victor Tango Kilo Member
    Victor Tango Kilo
    @VtheK

    This is the country California is more corrupt and dysfunctional than:

    Scoring 40 out of a possible 100 in the 2020 Corruption Perceptions Index, Morocco is failing to make progress against systemic corruption in its public sector. Morocco’s consistently below-average CPI score attests to a severe and systemic level of corruption that has led to social services being neglected, increasing the precariousness of livelihoods and worsening the impact of increased poverty. 

    • #3
  4. Hugh Member
    Hugh
    @Hugh

    I would have thought one of the big benefits would have been to connect commuters from new bedroom communities with silicon valley.  That would have eased somewhat the housing crisis in the big communities.

    • #4
  5. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Hugh (View Comment):

    I would have thought one of the big benefits would have been to connect commuters from new bedroom communities with silicon valley. That would have eased somewhat the housing crisis in the big communities.

    Maybe having it go through smaller communities along the way, rather than directly from L.A. to S.F., would accomplish that.  But even if that’s so, it won’t really matter if it takes them several more decades to finish it.  IF it EVER gets finished.

    On the other hand, passing it through smaller towns along the way inevitably slows things down, which defeats the purpose of it being “high speed.”  I’m reminded of the “light rail” system when I lived in Phoenix, the damn thing stopped every 1/4 mile.  There was no way for anyone on the trains to signal that they wanted to get off at the next stop, nor any way for people waiting at a stop to signal that they wanted to get on.  Even the BUSES were better at that!

    To avoid that would require having bypass routes around each of the smaller towns, which would of course increase the cost and the time required.

    • #5
  6. Old Bathos Member
    Old Bathos
    @OldBathos

    From jump it seemed that because building the lines in heavily populated areas would be too expensive, the project had to go to places where fewer people lived which kinda made the whole undertaking dumb.

    • #6
  7. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Old Bathos (View Comment):

    From jump it seemed that because building the lines in heavily populated areas would be too expensive, the project had to go to places where fewer people lived which kinda made the whole undertaking dumb.

    Having to route it not in a straight line also makes it more expensive.

    And no matter where you run it, whoever owns that land is going to try for the best price they can get.

    • #7
  8. namlliT noD Member
    namlliT noD
    @DonTillman

    Do we have a name for this?

    1. Create a convincing excuse, to
    2. Drain the treasury, to
    3. Pocket a percentage.

     

    • #8
  9. Victor Tango Kilo Member
    Victor Tango Kilo
    @VtheK

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Old Bathos (View Comment):

    From jump it seemed that because building the lines in heavily populated areas would be too expensive, the project had to go to places where fewer people lived which kinda made the whole undertaking dumb.

    Having to route it not in a straight line also makes it more expensive.

    The expense of having to tunnel through mountains at either end more than cancelled out any saving they might have achieved from lower costs of building in the central valley; which also turned out not to be lower.

    Beginning with high-speed trains connecting San Francisco to Silicon Valley and Los Angeles to San Diego would have been more economical and would have served as a proof-of-concept before the bigger connection was completed. But the fact that flights from LA to San Francisco are a thing that exists made this whole thing into a boondoggle.

    • #9
  10. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Victor Tango Kilo (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Old Bathos (View Comment):

    From jump it seemed that because building the lines in heavily populated areas would be too expensive, the project had to go to places where fewer people lived which kinda made the whole undertaking dumb.

    Having to route it not in a straight line also makes it more expensive.

    The expense of having to tunnel through mountains at either end more than cancelled out any saving they might have achieved from lower costs of building in the central valley; which also turned out not to be lower.

    Beginning with high-speed trains connecting San Francisco to Silicon Valley and Los Angeles to San Diego would have been more economical and would have served as a proof-of-concept before the bigger connection was completed. But the fact that flights from LA to San Francisco are a thing that exists made this whole thing into a boondoggle.

    But the left wants to make it so that flights from LA to SF are unaffordable, if not just outlawed.

    • #10
  11. Retail Lawyer Member
    Retail Lawyer
    @RetailLawyer

    California did a great job fixing the Bay Bridge after the 1989 earthquake.  That was the last time any infrastructure project was done well.  The fixed bridge was said to be unsafe, so a new one was completed 20 years later.  The main structures of it were built in China and it may or may not have problems.  California ignores its problems and simply doesn’t work anymore.

    • #11
  12. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Retail Lawyer (View Comment):

    California did a great job fixing the Bay Bridge after the 1989 earthquake. That was the last time any infrastructure project was done well. The fixed bridge was said to be unsafe, so a new one was completed 20 years later. The main structures of it were built in China and it may or may not have problems. California ignores its problems and simply doesn’t work anymore.

    As with many people, especially women, they seem to think that just being pretty is enough.

    • #12
  13. The Great Adventure Inactive
    The Great Adventure
    @TGA

    Dominic Pino over at NR had a column up the other day pointing to some of the big boondoggle hitters.  Absolute crap storm.

    • #13
  14. Bishop Wash Member
    Bishop Wash
    @BishopWash

    I only occasionally follow this from a distance. Didn’t Gov. Brown cancel this on his way out the door, because even he thought it was too much? Then Gov. French Laundry restarted it almost as soon as he took office, right?

    • #14
  15. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    namlliT noD (View Comment):

    Do we have a name for this?

    1. Create a convincing excuse, to
    2. Drain the treasury, to
    3. Pocket a percentage.

     

    Democrats

    • #15
  16. Annefy Member
    Annefy
    @Annefy

    Quietpi (View Comment):

    Close. When the bond issue was passed, everybody knew full well that that $33 billion estimate was just silly. Now with the severely reduced length, this “starter” line goes literally from nowhere to nowhere – Not to put Merced or Bakersfield down, but demand for transportation between those places, and the much smaller towns between, will never support even a regular commuter train. (snip)

    It starts where nobody is and takes you to where nobody wants to go.

    • #16
  17. Judge Mental Member
    Judge Mental
    @JudgeMental

    Annefy (View Comment):

    Quietpi (View Comment):

    Close. When the bond issue was passed, everybody knew full well that that $33 billion estimate was just silly. Now with the severely reduced length, this “starter” line goes literally from nowhere to nowhere – Not to put Merced or Bakersfield down, but demand for transportation between those places, and the much smaller towns between, will never support even a regular commuter train. (snip)

    It starts where nobody is and takes you to where nobody wants to go.

    Think about the cost involved to clear a right of way onto both LA and San Francisco.  Not only do you have some of the most expensive real estate in the world to deal with, you’ll also be faced with deciding whether to go through Beverley Hills or South Central (as examples; I don’t know local geography that well), knowing that if you choose South Central it will be called the racist train.  Neighborhood by neighborhood, it will be a political fight with no consideration given to what actually makes sense.

    I used to ride the Acela Express from NYC to DC sometimes, and even though it’s a “high-speed” train (80-90 mph), you go into and out of each city along the way at 20-30 mph.  The only way to build a sensible train is to build it before the town.

    • #17
  18. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Judge Mental (View Comment):

    Annefy (View Comment):

    Quietpi (View Comment):

    Close. When the bond issue was passed, everybody knew full well that that $33 billion estimate was just silly. Now with the severely reduced length, this “starter” line goes literally from nowhere to nowhere – Not to put Merced or Bakersfield down, but demand for transportation between those places, and the much smaller towns between, will never support even a regular commuter train. (snip)

    It starts where nobody is and takes you to where nobody wants to go.

    Think about the cost involved to clear a right of way onto both LA and San Francisco. Not only do you have some of the most expensive real estate in the world to deal with, you’ll also be faced with deciding whether to go through Beverley Hills or South Central (as examples; I don’t know local geography that well), knowing that if you choose South Central it will be called the racist train. Neighborhood by neighborhood, it will be a political fight with no consideration given to what actually makes sense.

    If you built it through Beverley Hills it would also be the “racist train” because of AVOIDING South Central.

     

    I used to ride the Acela Express from NYC to DC sometimes, and even though it’s a “high-speed” train (80-90 mph), you go into and out of each city along the way at 20-30 mph. The only way to build a sensible train is to build it before the town.

    And/or build the main rail sections outside of the towns, with “spur” lines/bypasses into the towns for those (probably few) trains that actually stop there.  Meanwhile, the “express” lines don’t even have to slow down, let alone stop.

    • #18
  19. Judge Mental Member
    Judge Mental
    @JudgeMental

    kedavis (View Comment):

    If you built it through Beverley Hills it would also be the “racist train” because of AVOIDING South Central.

     

    Solid point.

    • #19
  20. Michael Minnott Member
    Michael Minnott
    @MichaelMinnott

    I still don’t understand the fixation in California on rail; high-speed, or otherwise.

    It seems to me that it would be easier to set up a hydro-foil service between San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco.  They are all on the coast, along with most of California’s population.  It also would require minimal infrastructure compared to building hundreds of miles of rail lines.

    • #20
  21. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Michael Minnott (View Comment):

    I still don’t understand the fixation in California on rail;.high-speed, or otherwise.

    It seems to me that it would be easier to set up a hydro-foil service between San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco. They are all on the coast, along with most of California’s population. It also would require minimal infrastructure compared to building hundreds of miles of rail lines.

    Of course, it’s California, which means it’s (supposedly) all about the environment, even if the people who clamor for a rail system would never use it themselves.  But they would expect others to use it, by force if necessary.

    I’ve never heard of an electric/solar-powered hydrofoil.  Nor do I think anyone should try to build one.

    Also hydrofoil would never provide service to the towns in between which is another of the left’s lipsticks to put on that pig.

    • #21
  22. Annefy Member
    Annefy
    @Annefy

    Michael Minnott (View Comment):

    I still don’t understand the fixation in California on rail;.high-speed, or otherwise.

    It seems to me that it would be easier to set up a hydro-foil service between San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco. They are all on the coast, along with most of California’s population. It also would require minimal infrastructure compared to building hundreds of miles of rail lines.

    Totalitarians love trains. 

    • #22
  23. Judge Mental Member
    Judge Mental
    @JudgeMental

    Annefy (View Comment):

    Michael Minnott (View Comment):

    I still don’t understand the fixation in California on rail;.high-speed, or otherwise.

    It seems to me that it would be easier to set up a hydro-foil service between San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco. They are all on the coast, along with most of California’s population. It also would require minimal infrastructure compared to building hundreds of miles of rail lines.

    Totalitarians love trains.

    So they can make them run on time.

    • #23
  24. Doug Watt Member
    Doug Watt
    @DougWatt

    Judge Mental (View Comment):

    Annefy (View Comment):

    Michael Minnott (View Comment):

    I still don’t understand the fixation in California on rail;.high-speed, or otherwise.

    It seems to me that it would be easier to set up a hydro-foil service between San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco. They are all on the coast, along with most of California’s population. It also would require minimal infrastructure compared to building hundreds of miles of rail lines.

    Totalitarians love trains.

    So they can make them run on time.

    They probably never got the toy train set they wanted at Christmas. I suspect that one reason they hate Nativity displays is because there are no wise men and no virgins in the Democrat Party.

    • #24
  25. Quietpi Member
    Quietpi
    @Quietpi

    Bishop Wash (View Comment):

    I only occasionally follow this from a distance. Didn’t Gov. Brown cancel this on his way out the door, because even he thought it was too much? Then Gov. French Laundry restarted it almost as soon as he took office, right?

    Newsome declared that he was going to stop it.  But work never stopped.  Before then, somebody took the state to court, because a provision in the original bond prohibited continued funding in the manner it was being done.  Plaintiffs won, but as far as I know, the court was ignored, and work continued.  

    The state was receiving massive funding from Washington.  When Newsome said he was going to shut it down, the feds said, no problem, just give back all our money.  So as I understand it, the state has decided that the project had to be completed.  They had to complete . . . something, in order to avoid having to return billions to Washington.  

    • #25
  26. namlliT noD Member
    namlliT noD
    @DonTillman

    Quietpi (View Comment):
    The state was receiving massive funding from Washington.  When Newsome said he was going to shut it down, the feds said, no problem, just give back all our money.  So as I understand it, the state has decided that the project had to be completed.  They had to complete . . . something, in order to avoid having to return billions to Washington.  

    Oh yeah…

    President Trump cancelled the funding.

    https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2019/02/13/trump-demands-california-return-35b-in-federal-high-speed-rail-money-854318

    And Biden restored it.

    https://hsr.ca.gov/2021/06/11/statements-fy10-settlement-federal-funding/

     

    • #26
  27. Joseph Stanko Coolidge
    Joseph Stanko
    @JosephStanko

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Beginning with high-speed trains connecting San Francisco to Silicon Valley and Los Angeles to San Diego would have been more economical and would have served as a proof-of-concept before the bigger connection was completed. But the fact that flights from LA to San Francisco are a thing that exists made this whole thing into a boondoggle.

    But the left wants to make it so that flights from LA to SF are unaffordable, if not just outlawed.

    Right, plus after 2035 we’ll no longer be allowed to buy gas-powered cars, so if you can’t afford an electric car the only other way to get around will be trains and public transit.

    • #27
  28. DaveSchmidt Coolidge
    DaveSchmidt
    @DaveSchmidt

    namlliT noD (View Comment):

    Do we have a name for this?

    1. Create a convincing excuse, to
    2. Drain the treasury, to
    3. Pocket a percentage.

     

    Name: the cut for the Big Guy.

    • #28
  29. BDB Inactive
    BDB
    @BDB

    Judge Mental (View Comment):

    Annefy (View Comment):

    Michael Minnott (View Comment):

    I still don’t understand the fixation in California on rail;.high-speed, or otherwise.

    It seems to me that it would be easier to set up a hydro-foil service between San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco. They are all on the coast, along with most of California’s population. It also would require minimal infrastructure compared to building hundreds of miles of rail lines.

    Totalitarians love trains.

    So they can make them run on time.

    Schlieffen, baby!

    • #29
  30. GlennAmurgis Coolidge
    GlennAmurgis
    @GlennAmurgis

    What is it about the left and trains? 

    • #30
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