I can't believe that people are falling for this blatant scam.

While our schools, infrastructure, roads and everything else is in desperate need of money, we have this sh** being forced down the throats of taxpayers.

And all the cities are hurting and wanting to increase taxes, like the property taxes and the gasoline taxes. Soon there will be a tax for breathing.

Here is a eye opening fact on how wasteful our gov. is:

Former Bell City Manager Robert Rizzo will be able to keep his retirement account and pension despite pleading no contest to corruption charges associated with granting himself a huge salary and generous pension. His annual Pension is 116,629 according to the Los Angeles Times.

I, and the others who voted for 1a, did so based on a set of false information. I will be kind and not call the information lies, but I am sure that many others would do so.

High Speed Rail (HSR) is political pork barrel at its worst.

Obama wants HSR, Instead, we should buy him a toy train to play with.
Our Governor, legislature and attorney general are all Democrats. When Obama says “Jump!” they ask “How high?”

Neither Obama, Governor Brown, our legislature or attorney general care how much it costs. They don’t care what about us.

Someday my grandchildren, while visiting the Smithsonian Museum, will see an exhibit featuring the Gold spike from the Obama Railroad - all 130 miles of it.

It's open and blatant theft. Nothing whatsoever is being created. How impossibly stpid is California?

I'm going back to New York City, I do believe I've had enough.

If you want to see the true extent of power and abuse by California State Government take a look at this: Web Link

I've seen info on the Tube Train, makes sense,cheaper, EZ to construct/operate.

Good Ben,go back to NYC we don't need you here.

Bakersfield is one of the fast growing cities in California, Fresno is become a option to live and commute to the Silicon Valley. A few of these cities in the bay area commute belt, more homes are planned.

We don't want to build here, so we built there, from there they have to drive here. Adding cars to our horrible roads with terrible traffic to add more wasted time spent in traffic, alone.

I would feel a LOT differently about this if there was any possibility that it could pay for itself. As it is, the taxpayers will foot the bill for a "service" that relatively few will use. Add to that the addition of yet more concrete structures where most people live and it is obvious that this is just more political folly.

If we must have this monstrosity forced upon us, why do we have to be subjected to ABAG as well? Either more people are living here or more are living there. Both are not true.

@Garrett,

Expanding regional rail service is a great idea. It would have high ridership, make life easier for commuters, and reduce road traffic.
However, HSR is a horse of another color. It will have low ridership, not serve commuters, and be extremely expensive. It is simply political pork!

I was one of the first people to speak out about this last year. I voted against it because I knew the math didn't add up and that this is nothing more than a pork filled pipe dream to spread the wealth of the middle class to the well connected.

HSR is a shining example of what has been happening in the political arena recently where our elected officials believe they know what's best for us and are determined to do what they want at our expense and in spite of us.

We need to start bombarding our 'representatives' with email, snail mail, and phone calls letting them know that if they continue to force things on us that we don't want and can't afford, they will soon be looking for another line of work!

They depend on the public being too busy and too uninformed to have the energy and the knowledge to fight all the grand scams that they come up with to separate us from our hard earned money.



Jim Neal
Old Mountain View

Expanding BART, extending VTA, Rapid Bus Lanes, cross bay raised transit and improve our freeway network.. It will cost money, either do it now or spend more down the road.

In the SF Gate was a good article, good insight on catching a train from Burbank to Sacramento, part of the trip was by bus. The ridership is there, so is the potential of increased ridership. The big problem with current rail line, freight trains which have priority, slow moving on a single track.

If we do get HSR actually going thru our communities in 2029, I will be SEVENTY FIVE YEARS OLD!!! Too bad that I can not use it now---HUH???

@ Tommygee54.

I agree with you.

I totally agree with you.

Wow, people agree with me. I feel important now. Thanks Garrett and Jim. Currently I have relatives in the Fresno area and the LA Basin. If HSR was in full swing, I would visit them now using the system. But when I am 75, I may be too feeble to use it. And my relatives will either be dead, or very old as well. I have 'lost' my chance at using HSR!!!

To all the people who say they were misled when they voted for this boondoggle: Really? Are you that gullible? When has a government program of any significant magnitude not been horrifically over-budget and poorly implemented?

Next time switch on your brains for five minutes and think before you "pull the lever"

The schools get the bulk of the state budget. There aren't any new funds unless you raise taxes on someone or cut something. That doesn't mean we should have high speed rail. However, I would rather see the BART extended from Fremont to Palo Alto and all up and down the peninsula and the south bay so we can end what is a traffic nightmare for anyone who goes by car.

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