This is an artist's conception. It will be a very long time before California has anything more than that.California High-Speed Rail Authority
California’s bullet train, currently scheduled to begin operation sometime in the 23rd century at a cost of 5 trillion quatloos, is having trouble. The LA Times reports that the latest problem is that practically everyone—and I mean everyone—is suing to make sure the train doesn’t go anywhere near their neighborhood:
Over the last half-dozen years, the project has been bombarded by a dozen lawsuits and sharp protests….In the low-income communities in south San Jose, residents are objecting to the bullet train’s path, arguing that their area long has been sliced and diced by freeways….The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority requested that rail officials construct viaducts that would allow wild animals a migration path from the Diablo Range to the Santa Cruz Mountains….And the small, unincorporated area of San Martin is fighting a plan to locate the rail line along its main highway, arguing it would destroy the rural character.
Here’s my favorite quote:
Jeff Martin, an olive oil rancher in the area, said he could lose his entire 30-acre grove and new milling plant if the state decides it needs his land. “I voted for high-speed rail and I found out it is all smoke and mirrors,” he said. “This project puts hundreds and hundreds of people like me in limbo.”
This is like all those people who voted for Trump and were then gobsmacked when he tried to take their Obamacare away. I try to be sympathetic to people who don’t eat and breathe politics like I do, but sometimes it’s hard.
