Posted on 11/20/2007 9:01:44 AM PST by CedarDave
The Rail Runner commuter train was designed to be the fastest, straightest line from Belen to Santa Fe, with stops at Los Lunas, Albuquerque and Bernalillo.
Since it left the Roundhouse as a $90.2 million proposal in 2003, however, the Rail Runner has followed an erratic path. It has made unscheduled stops to load up additional money, dashed past lawmakers trying to flag it down for legislative oversight, and detoured around a $75 million federal grant. It is now struggling uphill, financially, to reach Santa Fe.
When the Legislature got on board in the hectic final hours of the 2003 special session, few members knew exactly what they were agreeing to. Gov. Bill Richardson's administration had quietly tucked the commuter train appropriation inside a nearly $1.6 billion road-improvement package.
Year by year, however, the Rail Runner has grown into a $475 million project. At the same time, much of the highway work authorized in 2003 remains to be done, including much-needed widening of I-25 from Tramway to Bernalillo.
Critics of the Rail Runner blame the train for at least some of the roughly $500 million shortfall that has stalled so much road work. "What we've had here is bait and switch," says Sen. Leonard Lee Rawson, R-Las Cruces.
Not so, says Transportation Secretary Rhonda Faught, who blames rising highway construction costs and declining federal money.
Even Rawson admits it is too late to stop the commuter train. "You have to complete it," he says.
As infrastructure, the Rail Runner offers energy-efficient transportation in an era of rising gasoline prices, which is valuable. But the way the train was sold to lawmakers, and the public, was far from good governance.
(Excerpt) Read more at abqjournal.com ...
As pointed out in other articles here, many of us knew exactly that a scam was being pulled. Now the chicken's have come home to roost and the public, too, is hearing this now.
But the way the train was sold to lawmakers, and the public, was far from good governance.
Yes, indeedy, exactly the way Richardson and the Clintonoids raise money and govern -- out of the public eye as much as possible. Richardson will fit right in as Hillary's gofer V.P.; he has the moves down flat.
Click on the keyword Richardson's Railroad for all the articles on this NM boondoggle.
NM PING! list.
FReep mail greyfoxx39 to be added or deleted to the list.
Diamond Bill strikes again.
I feel sorry for friends on NM who have to live with this dillhole.
Journal editorial cartoon, December 11, 2005.
One lawmaker called it a "shell game." Another described it as "Enron-style accounting."
The Richardson administration's plan to pay for its $390 million RailRunnerExpress commuter train by digging deeper into a fund intended to pay for roads is coming under fire.
A new legislative analysis shows the 2003 transportation package known as GRIP now has far less for road projects than lawmakers were told.
State Transportation Secretary Rhonda Faught said concerns are unfounded and there will be enough money to build all road projects.
Rep. Dan Foley, R-Roswell, a frequent critic of Gov. Bill Richardson, said he plans to ask Attorney General Patricia Madrid for a legal opinion on the Transportation Department's money shuffling. "The law has never been something to slow down this administration," said Foley, who described the money shuffling as "Enron-style accounting."
When told that Foley was concerned some road projects in the 2003 package aren't now being funded by it, she said, "That's an easy change. I can move dollars over ... It's an accounting issue."
For many of the road projects in the 2003 package, transportation officials have made double-digit cuts in the amount of GRIP money. Two road projects listed in the package now have no money from the GRIP program.
At the same time, the state is using nearly $200 million more from GRIP to fund the train.
Sen. Tim Jennings, D-Roswell, asked: "If they take money away from (GRIP) and (take from) another pot to make up for the shortfall in GRIP, then where are we? "Then we're back into a shell game, and we're not really being truthful with the folks."
Richardson spokesman Pahl Shipley dismissed the criticism. "The bottom line is every GRIP project will be completed without asking taxpayers for extra money," Shipley said.
Legislators: Train Saps Road Fund (ABQ Journal January 14, 2006)
Click on the keyword Richardson's Railroad for all the articles on this NM boondoggle.
Just reading the titles in that list makes me angry.
Richardson’s entire record on this is bait and switch. It’s obvious to all now, including the Democratic legislature and the press. But nothing will change. As state senator Rawson says in an earlier article, it’s too late to stop it now. (Construction contracts have been signed, dirtwork has started, materials have been ordered and are arriving, including the trainsets.)
Want to know why the bridge in Minnesota REALLY fell down? Because there are states all over the country which are doing this very thing. Stealing from the Street & Highway fund to pay for all kinds of things — including Minnesota’s own light-rail project.
Government contracts have clauses allowing termination at their discretion.
Even if the contracts were not able to be terminated legaly, it would be cheaper just to go ahead and cancel the whole project, (including the already finished parts) and pay off the contractors and the lease to the railroad company with their expected profit on the job.
I doubt even the legislative Republicans have the guts to propose that.
When the Legislature got on board in the hectic final hours of the 2003 special session
I was not hectic is was down right boring as most of the committees did not meet and we spent hours sitting around waiting for the Democrats to get out of caucusing.
few members knew exactly what they were agreeing to. Gov. Bill Richardson's administration had quietly tucked the commuter train appropriation inside a nearly $1.6 billion road-improvement package.
We new as we debated the train on the house floor and over and over again Secretary Rhonda Faught was asked for a feasibility report, how much the tickets would be, what was the estimated rider ship, where was the funding going to come from. Each answer was obscure. She was even asked if the Railrunner would not divert dollars away form roads and her answer was no. BTW the vote in the house was along party lines.
Sounds like she's following in Hillary's footsteps.
This is a classic New Mexico government project. It does not surprise me in the least that it has been 5 times more expensive and functionally worthless.
This reminds me when Villinuchi ased the question on how it was the contracts for New Mexico schools get handed out to goverment cronies for more money than they should be if they have to go out to bid.
A contracts person for New Mexico called in and explained out it works:
1. Good ol’ boy seriously underbids the contract so he/she is gaurenteed to get it.
2. Good ol’ boy puts in a reassessment after the contract is awarded for a ton of extra money.
3. Dems in the Roundhouse give it a wink and a nod.
4. New Mexico taxpayers get soaked....AGAIN.
Bet this is happening with William’s toy trains too.
ABQ Journal, 11-25-07:
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