Patterico's Pontifications

5/17/2019

Reuters Headline: U.S. cancels $929 million in California high speed rail funds after appeal rejected

Filed under: Government,Politics — DRJ @ 9:00 am



[Headline from DRJ]

U.S. cancels $929 million in California high speed rail funds after appeal rejected:

The U.S. railway regulator, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), said on Thursday it had canceled the funding awarded in a 2010 agreement after it said the state had “repeatedly failed to comply” and “failed to make reasonable progress on the project.”

In a statement, the FRA said it was still considering “all options” on seeking the return of $2.5 billion in federal funds the state has already received.

Read more @ Reuters.

–DRJ

15 Responses to “Reuters Headline: U.S. cancels $929 million in California high speed rail funds after appeal rejected”

  1. I’m guessing that FRA’s collection lawsuit won’t be filed in the Superior Court in and for the County of Sacramento, California, but rather in the U.S. District Courts, probably the one in the District of Columbia.

    Ten to one Trump asks Barr whether Trump can send the case to some friend of Trump’s on a contingent-fee basis.

    Beldar (fa637a)

  2. I was expecting a victory-lap by JVW…

    Dave (ccbfa9)

  3. #1
    That assumes Trump hasn’t already asked.
    Barr probably says “no” upfront just to get the unpleasantries out of the way.

    Barr: No
    Trump: no to what?
    Barr: I’m not sending the case to any of your friends
    Trump: I didn’t ask yet
    Barr: Good.

    steveg (354706)

  4. Guess $929 millon could be better spent, say, on Tedtoo’s latest rationale backing Trump’s ‘Space Force’— Space Pirates. Yes, that’s right, citizens, from the trumped-up-mind of Texas Senator Blofeld: Space Pirates.

    “You only live twice…” eh, Mr. Cruz:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FTB8TgvgUk

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  5. Well, to anyone who’s driven in Los Angeles in the past decade, this whole $100 billion train to replace faster, cheaper air travel was a waste of funds that could have built 100 miles of subway in Los Angeles. More if you skipped the graft.

    Kevin M (21ca15)

  6. The $929 million could be better spent on food stamps.

    Kevin M (21ca15)

  7. @5. Subways in quake-prone LA = screen doors in submarines.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  8. #7

    Sure, rather be on a train. Maybe it could outrun the earthquake!

    Bellman (c5f2e6)

  9. The way it was, 50 years ago this morning, May 18, 1969:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=610MIiMdlBA

    Apollo 10– one of the ‘forgotten Apollos’– mankind’s second trip out to the moon, thundered away from then ‘Cape Kennedy,’ Florida, the third manned Saturn V launching the ‘dress rehearsal’ mission, which paved the way for the Apollo 11 landing attempt, planned for July, 1969. The 10 crew, Tom Stafford, Gene Cernan and John Young advocated broadcasting as much live television as their timelines allowed, to share the sights and sounds of their trip to Luna with America and the world as they tested their spacecraft, CSM ‘Charlie Brown’ and LM ‘Snoopy’ in lunar orbit. We saw the first stunning, color TV images of our Earth, live, from a distance– and breathtakingly clear and close-up images of our cratered moon from just 50 miles or less. John and Gene, later to walk on the moon themselves, have left us; Tom is still with us. All reminders of a time when America truly did great things, didn’t have to stitch it on a hat, and was admired and respected worldwide for accomplishing the impossible.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  10. #9

    Because, almost certainly, the high speed rail program is *just* like the Apollo missions. I mean, really.

    Bellman (fc5c41)

  11. @10. More *just* like Desertron. I mean, really.

    And truly.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  12. @11

    Oh, I’m sure.

    Bellman (fc5c41)

  13. Best decision ever. High speed rail in California was a solution in search of a problem.

    Rip Murdock (755a7d)

  14. Does the Hawaiian Judge agree? Because EVERY action of the Trump Administration is only preliminary until a Federal Judge OK’s it.

    rcocean (1a839e)

  15. Back in the day, a ‘solution’ for relieving “congestion”- [aside from the 400 tiny time pills in a Contac capsule] was a concept called ‘supplemental airports,’ constructing them in close proximity – [say 50 or 100 miles] outside normally congested urban regions then supplementing travel into and out of same via bus, car and high speed transit. But the projected costs didn’t seem worth the inevitable added travel time [and weather issues in the Midwest]– and…. an increase in congestion along the newer planned travel corridors, not to mention objections from residents who didn’t want the added jet traffic overhead.

    High speed rail is generally a good idea; it’s routine transportation in Japan, China and in Europe, where railway transportation is part of daily life. But it doesn’t seem lke a wise fit for California given America’s car habits and the state geology, although Japan has managed to deal w/t quake factor for their rail system. Nor does it seem like a winning bet to have one between Vegas or LA, as long as air travel is cost-effective.

    DCSCA (797bc0)


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