State voters turn against high-speed rail
The Poll is from the LA Times
Governor Brown wants an end-run around environmental law to build the over-priced, unpopular system, which is supported by the Democratic Party and the unions because even dumb projects create jobs---at the expense of the state's taxpayers.
Thanks to the Community Coalition on High-Speed Rail for the link.
posted by Rob Anderson @ 10:41 AM
7 comments
7 Comments:
Fortunately for these pollsters, people under 18 are not allowed to vote.
http://dc.streetsblog.org/2012/06/04/fra-chief-america-is-driving-less-and-congress-needs-to-catch-up/#more-283918
Why would the pollsters care? Those now eligible to vote reject high-speed rail. Your link to Streetsblog doesn't work, but I can guess what it would say: Young people are driving less. Is that supposed to mean that they would support a dumb project like this?
HSR is being pushed by the same kind of people that built freeways in the 1950s and 60s, the Robert Moses types, he of famous phrase, "Once you sink that first stake,they'll never make you pull it up.''
In SF the "first stake" is a Caltrain upgrade, see: a step toward high speed rail.
These kind want that Fed money with little accountability and what the voters want is not part of their equation. They'll just do it in increments where each phase will seem like a "good idea" at the time.
Central subway is a "first stake" project. SFMTA has admitted to doing utility relocation and a lot of other work not just because the money is there but because it'll force the fed's hand once the vote comes because the project is already started.
So sick of watching this trend. It's true that high speed rail is more expensive than it ought to be. It's also true that it's absolutely critical to our economic and social viability as a country.
Why can't we work to get this done, reduce the cost, and stop tricking people into thinking this not needed.
Very misleading poll in an article that's deliberately trying to sidetrack people. This train is worth every penny.
A Caltrain upgrade is super valuable no matter what. We don't have "ridership projections" for Caltrain - we have actual ridership numbers. They have increased year on year for the last 21 months, and despite some budget problems Caltrain is using bubblegum and bailing wire to add service because the trains are full to overcapacity.
The capital expenditures of upgrading Caltrain would greatly improve the operating budget situation as trains would be cheaper to run, and run faster (allowing and attracting more ridership).
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