Column by Loretta Redd
What happens to grown men when they put on one of those railroad conductor’s hats? Roger Horton and Grant House, among others, got brain melt back in 2008 as they were shoved down the tracks by the Coalition for Sustainable Transportation into the station of commuter rail for Santa Barbara.
It appears now that “choo choo fever” has infected our Governor on an even more massive scale of political insanity. The apparent malady preys on those eager to leave a legacy, or those who have derailed from reality.
Our once-suffering local representatives sincerely believed they could solve the traffic problems on the 101, cleanse the air of auto emissions, and actually co-opt the use of the existing Amtrak and freight rails so that a hundred or so Venturians could be transported to Santa Barbara each day…on schedule of course, and with their briefcases (or more likely, their weed whackers and garden rakes) in tow.
As certain as our COAST and Council members were that the freight cars would happily scooch over for the heavily subsidized, money losing commuter rail, Governor Brown seems equally determined to make Statewide zoom-zoom trains his reality. Only this time, the Professional Politicians are in charge of the purse strings, and they’ve stacked the California High Speed Rail Board with plenty of cronies.
Clear the tracks if you think there is any hope of cost containment or planning based on logic, expertise or efficiency.
A brief history, before I introduce you to some of the past and present cast of California’s “High Speed Fail.” In 2008, voters narrowly approved $10 billion for the conceptual train from Los Angeles to the Bay Area. At that time, promoters placed the cost of the project at $33.6 billion.
By 2009, that magical price tag had blossomed to $42.6 billion, and as we chug along today, the Little Engine That Could has grown to $68 billion. Not only has the price tag more than doubled, the projected ridership, convenience, and speed have been deemed by Jon Coupal of the Jarvis Taxpayers Association as “…epitomizing the abject failure of California governance,” and a “work of sheer fantasy.”
Take a peek at some of the past principles in charge of this statewide fiasco: Will Kempton, former Caltrans director of District 7, who was quoted as saying, “Caltrans is a ‘can-do’ organization. but “we haven’t done a good job of selling our image.”
Mr. Kempton is currently chairman of the rail authority’s peer review panel. First of all, anyone who thinks of Caltrans as a “can-do organization” is smoking something other than diesel fuel…but then to say the rail can’t live up to Caltrans standards should have stopped the project in its tracks.
We’ve also seen Dan Richards, former partner of Heritage Oak Capital Partners, come and go. Mr. Richards heads the infrastructure finance firm, and served as vice-president of public policy and governance relations for PG&E. At least he has experience as a professional land grabber.
There have been some good guys on the CHSRA board, but they don’t seem to stay for long. One was Quentin Kopp, who had the audacity to criticize the board for not getting their business plan done in time.
The 82 year old Mr. Kopp is quoted as saying, “I wrote California Senate President pro tem Darrell Steinberg and asked that I not be reappointed to the nine member board. It just isn’t as much fun as it used to be.”
One of Kopp’s last official acts was to push for the termination of the High Speed Rail Authority’s contract for Public Relations with Ogilvy, whose $9 million cost included a line item of $1500 for three hours of reading news clippings. Wait- it gets better. Mr. Kopp was replaced by Bob Balgenorth- President of the California Building and Construction Trades Council. Guess now the union can get paid $1500 for three hours work, though that may actually comprise a pay cut.
Commuter Rail Assessment
Since no one in California, or any other state in the US, has ever constructed high speed rail, it might make sense to consult with countries that have. And they did!
The SNCF of France and the Central Japan Railway Company actually were asked to weigh in on the plans and to make suggestions about the route and construction. But what do they know? SNCF has only laid 1,100 miles of track servicing 800 trains a day for 114 million passengers while making an operating profit. The Japanese Tokaido Shinkasen rail, began in 1964, operates with 0.6 minutes delay, has 323 services per day at 270 kilometers/hour and no fatal accidents in its history of service.
But what do those French and Japanese know, when compared with the engineering and construction management firm of Parsons Brinkerhoff, based in New York City? Quoting an LA Times article of July 9, 2012, “Although they (Parsons-Brinkerhoff) have occasionally consulted with high-speed railways, officials decided that hiring an experienced operator and seeking private investors would have to wait until after the system was partially built.”
A civil engineer with SNCF’s U.S. affiliate stated what is already as obvious as the headlight of an oncoming train in the tunnel of Statewide stupidity, “The capital costs are way too high, and the route has been politically gerrymandered.”
Both the European and Asian choices for a route would have been to follow the I-5, because the State already owns the land, the route is fairly direct, and would be the fastest and cheapest way from LA to the Bay. But noooooo, the current plan, which zig-zags more than Joe Armendariz’s last car ride, is going through the Central Valley. According to the Times, none other than U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi had a hand in the design back in 1995, making sure that Fresno somehow got connected.
So while Governor Brown continues to shovel coal, or whatever else politicians shovel these days, into the engine of growth for California, the voters actually have an opportunity to vote on the initiative if its proponents can gather enough signatures (504,760) to appear on the ballot.
Initiative number 12-0010, filed with the Secretary of State on March 20 of this year, is not-so-subtly titled: “Stop the $100 Billion Bullet Train to Nowhere Act.”
It effectively terminates the project in its “tracks” by preventing the issuance of future bonds. But so far, neither legal, financial or political obstacles have deterred our elected officials. This month, they passed Senate bill 1029 by a majority of one vote, authorizing the continuance of this debacle of unforeseen consequences.
Looks like our High-Speed gravy train, running on political favor and taxpayer money, is at least stopping at someone’s door.
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Remember Mike Dukakis?
Yes, anonymous, I remember Dukakis and so what? The Massachusetts commuter trains still run; and Boston’s mass transit still works.
Excellent column once past the cutesy stuff. For the state to not have accepted the French SNCF offer was insane – didn’t know about the Japanese. Both those countries’ trains are great, but the cultures are different than that here. We do need commuter trains but not an inland bullet train.
But as for the one vote passage (and on watching other measures) it’s the greatest argument I know for breaking the Dem. legislative deadlock by voting in some other-than-Democrats.
A fast moving rail car between Ventura and SB makes a lot of sense but what do you do to get to say cottage hospital from the train station. A high speed rail from San Diego to SF makes a lot of sense for a tourist state but use the coast route.
So how can we sign the petition?
Great article Loretta. The “Good Intentions” politics crowd continues to destroy this once great state from the top down. Just think of how many lanes could be added, potholes filled and school sizes reduced with $100B? Jerry Brown is certainly building himself a legacy, but I don’t think it’s quite what he intends.
It’s not like Moonbeam Brown was unknown to California… we have embraced the French and European model and the results are our employers and productive citizens have moved to Texas. Visiting around the DFW airport recently and it looks like Orange County in the 80′s. More Californians than Texans and they have embraced the healthy lifestyle of our State. Very prosperous and they even have In n Out Burger now… I love California and never want to leave… still watching this beautiful state sink is heart breaking.
Good article in recent Wall Street Journal explaining the state high-speed rail vote was in exchange for a critical Obamacare vote by a lower Central Valley legislator. And you thought it was just about a choo-choo train to no where.
However, high speed rail may serve the Central Valley well because it could turn this area of low-skill and high unemployment into a key manufacturing area, with rail transport an important component to link this relatively remote area to outside markets.
I found myself against as well in the beginning, of course. Like Jerry, I’m not really an engineer but I pretend to be sometimes. What i like about the rail is basically a new approach to the mass transit problem. Trust me this government will borrow and go through another trillion anyway. I rather be zipping along through the dry lands sipping Firestone than being force to go through a second “prudent” TSA pat down as I board a flight in SB!
There is plenty or right-of-way room for an elevated mono-rail between Ventura and SB. And between Santa Maria and SB.
Good thing that no public funding ever subsidizes automobiles, roads, fuel, and the like.