Despite a plethora of challenges, the Trump Administration is pushing ahead with its top-to-bottom review of government spending. It has already halted billions in what it views as wasteful spending. It now looks like one of the most wasteful, runaway public works projects in the country could be on the chopping block: California’s high-speed rail project. The project to build a bullet train from Los Angeles to Sacramento is an outrageous example of a public work that lacked any fiscal responsibility or oversight from the state government. Nevertheless, Democrats continue to push for billions more from the federal government as well as California taxpayers.
There is currently $4.3 billion in unspent federal funds for California’s high-speed rail project, and Trump should seek to claw back the money in light of the gross negligence shown by the California authorities.
The project was initially approved in 2008 with the support of Gov. Jerry Brown (D) as an environmental and technological advance for the state. It proved a costly bait-and-switch.
Voters approved a $9.95 billion bond issue in 2008 after absurdly low estimates of the projected cost. Influential figures and companies stood to make a fortune, and the key was to get a “buy-in” worth billions so that it would be more and more difficult to abandon the project as overruns and delays sent the costs soaring.
Now the official estimate of future ridership has dropped by 25% and it demands billions more to complete a project that would be delayed by decades to complete. Remember that this entire project was meant to create a rail line of only 171 miles. It is projected at over $128 billion and could ultimately come in a billion dollars a mile. There are still uncompleted environmental assessments and challenging rail lines through the mountains.
In his first term, Trump criticized the project and withheld a billion dollars in federal aid. However, when President Joe Biden came into office, he opened the federal coffers and approved billions more despite well-documented mismanagement and dubious spending.
Trump is now pledging an investigation, which is long overdue. There is ample reason to suspect fraud and other possible violations in this multi-billion dollar boondoggle.
Indeed, this week, the inspector general, Benjamin Belnap, issued a scathing report on the first phase of still uncompleted project. That is only the stretch from Merced to Bakersfield which was supposed to be completed by 2033. Belnap wrote:
“With a smaller remaining schedule envelope and the potential for significant uncertainty and risk during subsequent phases of the project, staying within the 2033 schedule envelope is unlikely. In fact, uncertainty about some parts of the project has increased as the authority has recently made decisions that deviated from the procurement and funding strategies that were part of its plans for staying on schedule.”
The Merced-Bakersfield line alone would now cost $35.3 billion, more than the 2008 projection for a complete system.
California Democrats have continued to throw money at the project without making meaningful changes on the overruns and delays. There is currently only $28.7 billion in state bonds left.
The inefficiency of the project has been raised for years. Even if completed, the system would reduce auto travel by 10 million miles a day in a state where citizens drive a billion miles a day. As noted by Cal Matters, “A 10 million-mile reduction would ostensibly cut emissions by scarcely 1%.” It added:
Logically, spending emission auction money on more direct carbon reduction programs, such as reducing emission-spewing wildfires, would make more sense.
The current estimate for linking San Francisco with Southern California is $107 billion. Officials don’t even know how to fully finance Merced-Bakersfield, much less raise the other $72.4 billion they would need.
Both a federal investigation and a cessation of funding are long overdue. It is time to bite the bullet. California has every right to spend over $100 billion during budget deficits, but the rest of the country should not subsidize it.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro professor of public interest law at George Washington University and the author of “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage.”
PJM Interconnected has announced it will look into building more natural gas electricity plants to provide reliable energy for AI data centers. PA, which is the biggest energy exporter of America, stands to benefit the most. Other states within PJM Interconnected domain, also stand to benefit from Big Tech moving to their region for reliable energy.
Who stands to lose? The failed state of CA. The failed state of CA is the biggest importer of energy from outside its borders as it demands energy to come from “green” sources. As we all know, “green sources of energy is highly unreliable, intermittent and tends to lead to rolling brown or total black outs. Expect the failed state of CA to lose even more companies and people who pay taxes to leave the failed state of CA for better states. As the Biden admin has proven, his “green” deal energy policies have actually cost Americans more as Biden’s failed energy policies raised electricity costs of Americans up 24%. During Trumps first admin, electricity went down by 1.8%.
I’ve lived in California all my life. I lived here when Californians were American. I have one question. Who the —- is going to ride a train from Los Angeles to Sacramento? Will they be communists and illegal alien communists-in-waiting in search of benefits, entitlements, and various and sundry other forms of “free stuff” from unassociated taxpayers?
Spent over 20 years in CA. Lived very well, 3 homes, Bay, North Coast, Tahoe. Choose your weekend activity. Amazingly beautiful state.
Politics there are so twisted that, at this point, all I miss are friends and our orange, lemon, lime, calamondin, kumquat, fig, plum, apricot, and avocado trees.
They were talking about that stupid train in the 1990’s. All I can conclude is that their thievery is so extreme that there will never be a train.
Who’ll ride it? The legislators? Of course the tax payer will buy the 200 dollar ticket everyday. The chauffeur will drop them off. 😂
No one will use it.
Before you write off California as a failed state, consider that politically, California looks much like the rest of the country. The high density urban cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco have driven the failed policies that come out of Sacramento. As DOGE continues their incredible auditing of federal expenditures, more and more waste, fraud and abuse will expose the Democratic party as the primary source of failed governance across the board. Like the rest of the country, California is getting a wake up call to the America First agenda.
There has been considerable debate about the correct pronunciation of DOGE.
I believe the correct pronunciation is as for the word “dodgy”
The Doge of Venice was not dodgy – learn your history.
Now that I think of it, we actually model our electoral system here after the selection process for the doge of Venice.
Once again Turls ignores all the court losses racked up by King Donald who flaunts all kinds of laws while indiscriminately firing Inspectors General and other federal employees and tearing down the federal government— in favor of criticizing California because it is a blue state. California has terrible problems with highway congestion and air pollution, and it has limited intrastate public transportation. A high speed intrastate rail system would be a godsend, and to be fair, the high cost has to be evaluated in context with the benefits of reducing congestion and air pollution —but Turls has to shovel the chum to the disciples if he’s going to get that federal judgeship-/ so it must be a boondoggle.
No. The good professor is just pointing out the stupid of the failed state of CA. The cost of their high speed rail is the perfect example of waste, fraud and abuse. And the failed state of CA not only embraces the waste, but doubles down on it. High speed rail does work. I have been on them in Japan and China. But they were done with efficiency, and oversight to make sure they delivered on what was promised. And on budget. Something the failed state of CA is not known for.
The good professor does not need a federal judgeship. He appears quite content with his written columns on sites like The Hill, USA Today. His book is so successful it was on it’s fourth printing. He is sought after for his Constitutional legal input that he has appeared on Capitol Hill more than a few times. And he is a successful professor at GW university. Why would he need a federal judgeship? That would only slow down his success.
A godsend GIGI? Cutting emissions by 1% and costing 150-200 BILLION? HA HA HA
It would only be a godsend if God sent the money to subsidize purchase a ticket to ride since it would be otherwise too expensive for most working class people to afford. The well to do and the wealthy will more likely than not fly between San Fran and LA than take the train. It’s time for the federal government to cut its losses.
Public transportation has been subsidized for years.
Not one sane adult in this nation wants to aid ANYTHING for california. In fact, the meme going around about Denmark buying california sounds good to me, if only they could tow it over to Demark in exchange for Greenland. California is almost as bad as gaza at this point and who needs it – it is filled with angry feminists, screaming confused men dressed as women, illegals, and DEI hired faculty at all of their putrid woke schools. No thanks; let is at least sink into the Pacific if we can’t con Denmark into taking it off our hands.
the concept is called “sunk cost fallacy.”
# It’s called stonehenge and btw LA will never be rebuilt. Bulldoze and let nature reclaim it. There’ll be tent city and like Somalia, they’ll squat and deficate in the sand. Nose dive, crash and burn, no survivors.
If you stand just right the pylons point to the sun …
Flight time between LA and SF is about 90 minutes. The high speed rail estimate is 150 minutes; the LA terminus would bd well outside downtown LA and train passengers would need to rent a car or take a bus to get into the city. The projected ticket price for the “high” speed rail is significantly higher than air. The Justice Department should open an investigation into this boondoggle. Some people are making a lot of money bilking CA and Federal taxpayers of billions $.
What an astoundingly stupid and ignorant comment. You obviously do not live in California.
Flight time may be only 90 min between LAX and SFO but it takes longer than that to check-in and get through security in both places. If you are really lucky on a slow day it would take a couple of hours.
The rail terminus would be outside downtown LA, just like LAX. No need to rent a car. Uber or cab just like you do getting to LAX.
So says a satisfied, entitled communist. What does that have to do with forcing innocent federal taxpayers to pay for something they will never use? You might look into free enterprise as part of free industry in the free markets of the private sector, comrade. It works every time. Did you say astoundingly ignorant in the land of the free?
No taxpayer money for california at this point, they can’t even obey federal laws so cut them loose and let them fend for themselves, just like illinois and maine.
Oooo, but security checks for the bullet! In the good old days, 25 years ago, catching a plane was like a taxi. No security checks and none needed.
The failed state of CA continues to prove to the rest of the country why they are such a failed state, in a failing state. And they keep doubling down on the stupid. The upside is this is out in the open. With Musk and DOGE taking government agencies to audit, I am sure they will find similar hidden away in waste, fraud and abuse.
Wrong. The only people who’ve been the subject of a failure are the lower middle class and the poor. Boo hoo. Maybe they should have showed up for class and handed in their homework. California is the most capitalist state in the country and leads in GDP by a wide margin. Check out the list and check out the failing welfare red states at the bottom, lol, Jethro.
https://usabynumbers.com/states-ranked-by-gdp/
Once-magnificent California is now an invaded and conquered, disgusting, putrescent foreign cesspool.
malignant money made by the scum of society. I would rather do without all the trouble that they have spawned in this nation – good riddance to them; hopefully Denmark will take it off of our hands in exchange for the sane people of Greenland.
I live in California and have thought this was a terrible idea from the beginning. Now the only way politicians can make a case for it is to say we have spent so much money already we can’t abandon it. Shouldn’t be sending good money after bad. Even when built it still won’t have the necessary ridership
so operation will then need to be subsidized. People in California like to drive or can cheaply fly from one part of the state to the other. The train will not make travel cheaper or faster. Another great idea from the left that initially looks good on paper but falls apart when you really look closely.
# shorten it again and make it into a circus ride.
I also live in CA.. Planning to move in the next 2 years!!!
Moving to the wonderful right wing extremist paradise of Kansas? Enjoy.
Building Trade unions are extremely strong in Ca. They are a huge beneficiary of this government largess.
Unions are illegal unconstitutional criminal organizations and no contract with a criminal union is legal.
The only bargaining chips of unions are illegal criminal acts such as criminal trespass, intimidation, harassment, property damage, bodily injury, vandalism, violations of employment contracts, AWOL, etc.
Americans are free to operate a private property enterprise, or accept or reject employment.
Who knows? Californians with a functioning brain may be relieved.
It is time to end the Center Money Slush Fund
End federal aid and loan backing to cities, states, non-profits and colleges
Also Ban Public Unions!
Stop rewarding failure
Good! California basically, continually, invents the grifts and nonsense the rest of us then subsequently have to deal with as they trickle. If we are doing hyperbole, then make them bite the bullet. They are absurd, and everyone thinks so. Wake up, Californians: there is never going to be high speed rail in your state, and your pandering to the people that have lied to you and stolen your money is just kind of pathetic at this point to the rest of us. I know CA is a big state, but we’ll be perfectly happy to move on without you.
Maybe you can be your own country, and we’d welcome it. Spare us any further boosheet, because we are done with it. And stop moving to our non-ruined states and then going about ruining them with your same old, predictable songs and dances. We do not want you.
Building a wall around CA would be expensive.
No. It will not. As long as Trump continues to win, MAGA winning, the woke illiberals will stay in their failed state in fear of . . . MAGA!!
How marvelous!
James,
Well said. It is projects like this, the grift, which is the reason why so many companies and people are leaving. They are fed up with high taxes, over burdensome regulations, high cost of living and the stupid. Those with money, who can afford it, are leaving the failed state. Meanwhile, the failed state of CA is gaining in population who are much, much lower on the economic scale, less likely to pay in taxes or are illegals who go to the failed state for all the free benefits at the cost of the rest of the legal CA taxpayers. Some parts of the failed state of CA already look like a third world country. If this mass exodus trend continues, CA will be in fact a third world country within a decade.
Maybe selling it to Demark isn’t such a bad idea. We might get of our money back.
I’d throw in New York and Illinois as a deal sweetener.
In addition to an exorbitant burden to taxpayers, the California’s high-speed rail project runs counter to the progressive concept of the urban planning model of the ’15-minute city’.
Democrats will scream bloody murder about this, and they’ll place themselves in the position of defending the worst boondoggle in world history. The people are not in any mood to countenance waste at this level. If we’re ever going to dig ourselves out of the incredible hole we’ve dug, it has to start somewhere. What I’m hearing from Democrats is, “Sure, we need to cut waste, but NOT LIKE THIS!”
The California High Speed Train fraud has been going on for decades. The thing is you can not go from Sacramento to LA, or San Fran to Sac, or LA to San Francisco with out going over “unstable ground”. Cal is full of Faults. You can build a Rail system but you can’t run the train at high speeds. It’s a joke and a fleecing of the Government. Newsom knows it. Musk knows it because of his Boring Company findings in LA.
There’s a similar project underway on the island of Oahu, Hawai’i.
This hysteric response from the left is only emphasizing just what type of grift, corruption and waste these prog/left dems are willing to support and you need to ask them, directly, why they would support this nonsense and if they can’t defend their stance with other that woke, racist nonsense, they need to be heavily exposed before their next election cycle so that they are sent to the trash bin of useless gangsters in congress.
Debating their intransigence or even giving them room to obfuscate this grand exposed mess is giving them too much aid in staying afloat. Just publish their nonsense and explain all their “connections” to their money moving schemes and then wish for the return of the public town square stocks so that the taxpayers can vent their rage on being ripped off.
No new money. Can Congress claw some back in the long-awaited reconciliation bill?