Obama administration threatens California

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is trying to bully the state legislature into giving the High Speed Rail Authority a blank check or the feds will take back $3 billion in federal money. 

According to the LA Times, state legislators are apparently unintimidated:

Sen. Doug La Malfa (R-Richvale), who has introduced legislation to allow voters to reconsider the bullet train project, said LaHood doesn't understand the state's problems. "This state is facing a $14-billion deficit, our students have seen their tuition double, and he wants California to invest in a high-speed rail scheme that has a $61-billion shortfall without reviewing the plan's risks?" LaMalfa said. "Secretary LaHood's demand boils down to a belief that Washington, D.C., knows best, a point of view I couldn't disagree with more strongly."

The LA Times is also reporting on a Community Coalition on High-Speed Rail study of how the CHSRA is radically underestimating operational costs if/when the system is ever built.

Thanks to Randal O'Toole's Antiplanner blog.