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California Supreme Court declines to hear high-speed rail lawsuit
Future sources of funding are always ‘uncertain.’ Unless, of course, you happen to have a crystal ball readily available. Mine broke about 50 years ago and I still haven’t been able to find a reliable crystal ball repair technician.
Opponents will always be there for every project that anyone dreams up that might make life a little better. In Kansas City, MO, opponents defeated an expansion of the light rail line that would have included about half of the residents in the most needy areas of the city. The expansion would have created jobs, improved access to transportation, and improved access to needed services for thousands of residents, but a small but vocal group of citizens managed to defeat the proposal at the ballot box. Consequently KCMO will be stuck for the foreseeable future with a 2-mile route than runs through downtown and accesses only 2 tourist areas.
Here is a perspective from the California High-Speed Rail Accountability.
Frank Oliviera, co-chairman of Citizens for California High-Speed Rail Accountability, provides these encouraging words to all Californians (and Americans) concerned about how the most expensive endeavor in human history continues to advance in defiance of law.
Here Is Where We Are…
What is the Meaning of the October 15, 2014 California Supreme Court Decision?
On October 15, 2014, the California Supreme Court denied petitions asking the court to review a disappointing appellate court decision that sided with Governor Brown and the California High-Speed Rail Authority. This outcome is a setback but certainly not the end of the citizen campaign to ensure accountability for the California High-Speed Rail project.
The news media is mistaken when it echoes the triumphant claims of Governor Brown and the California High-Speed Rail Authority that this court decision is a major “go-ahead” for construction to start. It is not. This project is not inevitable and citizens on the side of the rule of law should not surrender to the interests pushing it.
The appellate court decision simply said that the trial court (the Sacramento County Superior Court judge) erred in rejecting the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s FIRST funding plan. The appellate court declared that the first funding plan was simply notification to the California legislature before the legislature appropriated money for the project. The appellate court also said that the Authority COULD NOT USE or SPEND Proposition 1A bond funds UNTIL it had gone through the rigorous requirements and procedures of a SECOND funding plan.
Without the ability to spend Proposition 1A bond funds, the Authority is still hindered in its plan to take land and direct its design-build contractor Tutor Perini/Zachary/Parsons to demolish buildings and prepare land and build bridges for actual rail construction in a few y
Opponents of this project better realize that a major reason for cost overruns is the very same senseless lawsutis they file to stop them. Their attitude is “If we can’t beat the people at the polls, we’ll beat them in the courts”.Iwouldn’t be surprised if this lawsuit was crafted by a few wealthy egomaniacs who are interested in protiecting their own selfish interests and let we the people be damned.
Ordinary citizens voted for HSR . I not a political person and I don’t really understand how the bond system works. Maybe they should outlaw fuel powered vehicle and allow only electric powered vehicle overhere. That is what happened in some places on the east coast and the railroad is the only one that can comply with with that kind of law. I don’t know of any (large) electric powered aircraft although we are seeing electric powered cars and bus. Maybe in the future there will be planes and trucks that are electric powered. Ordinary citizens want cleaner air , California was one of the first to push for cleaner cars and had higher pollution standards then the other 47 states. The people here put good health , high on their priority list. Sometimes I feel there are too many people here in California. HSR is one way to move closer to a more pollution free state.