They’re still making the mistake of thinking that the purpose of this project is to construct a bullet train. In fact, the purpose of the project is to line the pockets of contractors, consultants and unions. The delays and cost overruns are a feature, not a bug.
I guess they don’t teach the words oversight and accountability in schools anymore.
> billions of dollars in cost overruns and significant delays in construction in the San Joaquin Valley, according a report issued Thursday by state Auditor Elaine Howle <
I think I see the problem here. State Auditor Howle is not a team player. Fire her. Then replace her with someone who has the right attitude.
Those billions go into somebody’s politically connected pocket.
—wondering how much Dianne Feinstein and hubbie will clear out of this—??
People keep forgetting what the goal of this project is!
Work for favored county & state constriction contractors, jobs for voters, PR ceremonies for politicians. A finished working rail line? Not so much! Assume its finished, Will it ever pay for itself? Stupid question ! Why does it need to, you can always reach deep into the average Californians bank account! In fact they seem to like it! The state does it all the time. Also if necessary the Congressional delegation can swindle out a federal subsidy! Way to go California a Win-Win....Win!
Having been in business prior to politics, Gov.Scott knew how to look at financial projections (unlike the Moonbeam) and saw how quickly the burden would come down on the Florida taxpayers for this white elephant. So, against a lot of embedded interests, he cancelled Florida's effort and gave the money back to Obama who then granted it to California's effort. I don't seem to remember California thanking us for that ... strange that!
And Jim, don’t forget, the Bullet Train’s “riders” for the foreseeable future will be illegal alien farm workers moving up and down the Central Valley picking crops! I just imagine, that Brown’s Clowns will offer them “free passes,” which will make this RAT Boondoggle complete!
The article can be summed up simply: Just another democrat government project.
When are they going to investigate Governor Brown and his regime?
i know, i was that Common Core Arithmetic... right???“Flawed” is the operative word with everything that Kalifornia does. Our family escaped the yoke of Grey Davis two decades ago, it has to be much worse now.
They should go with the Chinese contractor who did the transcontinental railroad. They did that in just 3 years with hand tools.
They need to just admit defeat and walk away.
But then Blum and his buddies would take a huge financial hit on all the properties they’ve bought along the line, so we know the leftards in Sac-town would never allow that to happen.
What?! How could we EVER have predicted this???
As mechanization reforms an ever-shrinking farming industry and Calif farms shun water-intensive crops, there is less and less demand for ‘out in the fields’ pickers. So if the train is for migrant field workers, it’s 50 years too late. And if the train is for bay-area expansion, there’s not enough water for crops so how can there possibly be enough water to supply fields of ticky-tack suburban houses? Did we not learn the lessons of early settlers: what was suitable for farm land and what was suitable for large settlements?
For what has been spent (and stolen) so far in bullet train funding and the boondoggle-in-the-making aka the Oroville Dam, every single road in California could have been repaved. Every state park could have been renovated. Every levy could have been repaired.
So far, Oroville is looking at $1B and they’re still working on the foundation.KCRA is reporting 700 employees, MercNews says 805, working 24/7/365 at 450,000 man hours so far. Kiewit out of Nebraska, btw, has the Oroville contract - no breakdown on how many California employees. The bullet train numbers are even more miserable. And the raids on unattended jobsites for copper and metal are so frequent it’s a running joke.
You could probably design and build a rocket powered Greyhound bus for less.
flawed decision making and poor contract management”