Blueprint for Folly

"ImmoralMinority" (araimondo) 05/09/2019 at 09:16 • Filed to: None

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California is dealing with the largest public money boondoggle in its storied history, which is saying something. Sunchaser buffer.

Voters were told that we would get a high speed rail system connecting up our state and transforming our transportation infrastructure. Instead of that, after going wildly over budget and abusing eminent domain to get land, we will get a slow speed rail (including diesel choo choo) to ferry us between Merced and Bakersfield. “Why the fuck would anyone want that?” is the correct response. As it turns out, the whole fucking thing was never possible, and this was just an old fashioned piece of political corruption, shoveling taxpayer dollars into the pockets of consultants with the right friends.

Our local Democrat rep in DC, Jim Costa, got the federal money for the project to get started here in the San Joaquin Valley by giving Obama a yes vote on Obamacare. O wonder what other transportation projects we could have gotten....

Three of the 10 largest cities not on the Interstate Highway system (Modesto, Bakersfield, Fresno) are on State Route 99. 9 of those 10 cities are in California. These are business hubs for the most productive agricultural region in the world, which might suggest that SR99 is inadequate as a trucking artery, and perhaps might be an economic choke point for our region. How’s about we get some Interstate highways instead (like making 99 an interstate). The green folks like to forget how dependent we are on trucking for the time being, and that trucks make more pollution than cow farts.

Did you say you like trains? Here is a Fresno Amtrak schedule:

Here is where you can go by train from here.

If you wanted to do a train, maybe hook us up to SLO or LA....oh wait, nobody knows how to get a train through the Tehachapi Mountains, which they just ignored with that high speed rail plan. Hmm.

If you think only Republicans are corrupt, look no further than California. We actually need both sides to be strong to balance each other’s worst tendencies. None of them can be trusted, not ever.

Thomas Donohue > ImmoralMinority 05/09/2019 at 09:28

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Phase One: Send t weets about futuristic tunnels

Phase Two: ?

Phase Three: Profit

S ubterranean electric carts full of vegetables, delivered fresh everywhere! Elon can do it!

shop-teacher > ImmoralMinority 05/09/2019 at 09:40

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They’re all corrupt.  Every last one of them.

CTSenVy > ImmoralMinority 05/09/2019 at 09:44

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I could probably post the whole episode but this gif handles it.

someassemblyrequired > ImmoralMinority 05/09/2019 at 09:48

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The sad thing is that anyone paying attention knew this plan was utter garbage right from the start.

My understanding was that Caltrans was bringing SR99 up to interstate standards between Sacramento and the merge at Wheeler Ridge (and it would be Interstate 7), but maybe that’s gone off the rails (pun intended) thanks to this boondoggle .

DipodomysDeserti > ImmoralMinority 05/09/2019 at 09:49

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“ The green folks like to forget how dependent we are on trucking for the time being, and that trucks make more pollution than cow farts.”

The entire auto industry emits more pollution than cows, but cows emit pollution (methane) which traps 4x the amount of energy of carbon dioxide.

I agree that democrats and republicans are just as shitty as industrialized meat production.

I say we bring all the lions back the California and let them solve the problem.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > ImmoralMinority 05/09/2019 at 09:57

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If you would like further proof, just look at the recent gubernatorial debacle in Virginia. If you aren’t aware, he’s the brief rundown:

Governor (D) - D ressed up in black face, asked to step down

Lt. Governor (D) - Probably sex offender, asked to step down

Attorney General (D) - Also dressed up in black face, asked to step down

Speaker of the State Senate (R) - Probably fit for office (ie hid his dirt well)

When it was realized that all 3 men at the top would be forced to step down if held to the standard applied to the governor and the next man in line was a Republican, the matter was dropped.  

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Thomas Donohue 05/09/2019 at 10:08

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Wrong. Delivered via drone.

and 100 more > ImmoralMinority 05/09/2019 at 10:17

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I’ve been away from California for a long time now, but this makes me sad... Not just the corruption part, because it’s always been there, but the blatant scamming of it’s residents. California is, and historically has been, a hub for cultural, economic, and political exchange and innovation... but it should be doing SO much more, WITHOUT fucking over the citizenry. Instead the politicians (on both sides of the aisle) are more than happy to suck at the teat of all that makes California amazing.

Pich, with Z32 now featuring Civic [Si] / No > ImmoralMinority 05/09/2019 at 11:08

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ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > ImmoralMinority 05/09/2019 at 11:32

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I can relate to this a bit. About 10-15 years ago NM built a passenger train that runs between the Albuquerque area and Santa Fe. This was done at a cost of $ 200 million+ (that we financed with an interest only deal and a big balloon payment coming due eventually )   and instead of adding a 3rd lane to I-25 between Abq and Santa Fe for the substantial population that commutes between the two (as the Californians have taken over via the last 30 years , relatively few people that work in Santa Fe can afford to live there) . As was expected by anyone paying attention , it is train that no one rides and we’re slowly adding that third land to Santa Fe anyway while the R ailrunner is busy bringing in enough revenue to cover not more than 6% of its annual budget on the very best of years .

The problem with this train (and I actually like trains as a thing), and why no one really rides it, is that it takes a 45 minute commute and turns it into an hour and a half commute with all the stops and climbing 2000ft in elevation over 50 miles . This is compounded by the fact that the rail line ABQ and Santa Fe aren’t exactly located where most folks live and work, and neither city has great public transit options on either end to get your actual destination.   No one who assigns any value to their time rides the train.

The real kicker in the deal was that in order to get the rights to run the train, BNSF saw that the Governor wanted this project at any cost  and made the state of NM buy the BNSF mainline between A bq and the Colorado state line. Naturally, the state is obligated to maintain the tracks for BNSF ( and Amtrack) use, and it turns out they were/are in need of some very substantial upgrades and def er red maintenance . This was the parting gift of Bill Richardson to the state.