Saturday, May. 14, 2011
Bob Brown: High-speed rail eye opener
It's time to review the facts about high-speed rail.
HSR was voted in by the public,
but the heavy votes for it were in the affluent heavily unionized parts of California. The largest land mass rejected it.
The original cost of a ticket, one way from LAX to SFO, was $55, before the vote. Now before the first tie has been laid and the vote now taken, that cost has soared to $105. That means a reduction of about one-third in ridership.High-speed rail in other countries is for the masses, not the elites.
A recent news release stated that 80 percent of the population would have access to HSR, but that's just more spin. Here's an example of their fuzzy math.
Rod Diridon, CHSRA, told the San Francisco Examiner it costs $118 to drive from LAX to SFO.
With gas at $4 a gallon, getting 20 mpg using Mapquest mileage of 380 miles, it would cost $80. With one passenger it would be $40 each -- a far cry from $105 -- or $80 each round--trip, not $210 by rail.
Airfare is $125 one-way, but fares on American for an hour-and-a-half flight start at $59 with a 7-day advance.
A GAO report stated the HSR system should be operated and maintained by the private sector.
That contractor should be allowed to make a "fair" profit. It also stated projections should be made by the private sector.
UC Berkeley agrees the ridership numbers are inflated. Because those numbers aren't accurate, does that mean the job-creation numbers are also slanted?
So if we follow the French or Japanese model using the private sector, the GAO states it will have to be subsidized -- an ongoing, continual burden on the taxpayer.
According to the GAO report, the cost per mile is $63 million to $65 million. That doesn't include construction of stations or repair facilities. Is the $43 billion the limit to be spent?
If the main line bypasses Merced and points north, so much for a heavy repair facility. When will the north branch be done to Sacramento? Will the system have money for that or will it be changed to SFO to Sacramento?
So far 11 cities are against HSR, including Gilroy, Orange, Anaheim and Chowchilla. It appears GE, with help from the Chinese, would build the system and cars. Would this be a bid or an award?
A few words about GE: the company already has taken $16 billion in government money. This is the same GE that's the parent company of NBC and MSNBC -- and both pushed for Obama's election, closed a light bulb plant to make lights in China and whose CEO is now a presidential adviser.
The three big winners are GE, the elites and the unions. GE gets billions of our money, the elite have their own toy and the unions get big wages and more pensions. Other winners would be consultants, engineering firms, landowners and lawyers. How many elected officials and appointees are getting money?
Now who loses? The taxpayers and the county of Merced.
Congress should investigate this, for obvious reasons.
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2011/05...-rail-eye.html
@ Rampant_JWalker: "I would love to have High Speed Rail as much as possible in the United States. I would even love to see an international HSR system. My problem is, the United States Federal Government, teaming up with corrupt corporations and Labor Unions fleecing us tax payers. Get rid of those three, you would have an HSR, at no tax payer expense." - Econ2.0