July
6 the California Senate voted 21-16 to approve a $4.5 billion bond issue funding
construction of passenger rail transportation improvements in the state,
including $2.6 billion for construction of the initial 130 mile run of high
speed railroad tracks in the Central Valley, despite growing opposition in
Congress to any further federal funding for the project. The California Senate
vote came on the last day possible to permit the state to claim a grant of $3.2
billion in federal funds already allocated to the project since Florida, Ohio
and Wisconsin have rejected grants for high speed rail development in their
states which were approved under the 2009 stimulus legislation.
The
party line California Senate vote drew praise from high speed rail supporters,
and opprobrium from opponents, while in Washington, D.C. Republican
determination to squelch the project grows stronger. The initial track run from
Madera to Bakersfield is part of a proposed San Francisco to Los Angeles high
speed line costing a projected $68 billion. The $1.9 billion balance of the
bond proceeds approved Friday will go toward construction of passenger rail
improvements elsewhere in the state, including electrification of Caltran, a
commuter line from San Francisco to San Jose, and southern California Metrolink
upgrades.
High
speed rail supporters lavished praise on the bill. U. S. Secretary of
Transportation Ray LaHood said, “No economy can grow faster than its transportation
network allows. With highways between California cities congested and airspace
at a premium, Californians desperately need an alternative.” Bay Area Council
President and CEO Jim Wunderman called the vote “a courageous step forward for
California’s future.
On
the other side of the political aisle, Huntington Beach Republican Senator Tom
Harman said, “It’s unfortunate that the majority would rather spend billions of
dollars that we don’t have for a train to nowhere than to keep schools open and
harmless from budget cuts.” Granite Bay Republican Senator Ted Gaines lamented
that the project “will require endless subsidies and will blast a hole into our
budget.” Finally, Palo Alto Democratic Senator Joe Simitian expressed doubts
the LA to SF high speed line will ever see completion: “Is there additional
commitment of federal funds? There is not. Is there additional commitment of
private funding? There is not. Is there a dedicated funding source we can look
to in the coming years? There is not.”
Senator
Simitian’s dour outlook is not at all out of touch with reality. Republican
opposition to high speed rail construction projects in general, and the SF to
LA line in particular, peppered the final days of debate over the 27 month
Highway Trust Fund reauthorization bill Congress just passed. June 29 the House
voted 239-185 in favor of a proposed amendment to the measure which would have expressly
prohibited any more federal dollars being spent on the California high speed rail
construction project. Although that amendment was dropped from the final measure by the conference committee, Republican Congressmen from California remain
adamant in opposition to further federal money going to high speed rail in
their own state.
“In
light of the federal government’s trillion dollar budget deficits, there is no
money for a lot of things, including the poorly planned, massive boondoggle of
high speed rail,” according to California Republican Congressman Devin Nunes.
The House Appropriations Committee’s official report decries “unrealistic new
high speed rails to nowhere.”
Mass
transit in general, and high speed rail in particular, are popular targets for
Republican congressional sniping. California Republican Congressman Jeff
Denham, speaking in support of the proposed amendment banning further
expenditures on California high speed rail development summed up the sentiment:
“We need to make sure that our gas tax dollars get used for their intended
purpose of actually improving our roads and highways.” It seems doubtful we
will ever get those California Republican Representatives out of their Bentleys
and onto the rails.
