Could it be that the federal government is more protective of the interests of California taxpayers than the state’s own politicians and bureaucrats? Two stories from last week certainly support the theory.
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First, recall that the U.S. Department of Transportation had already announced in June that it was pulling the plug on any further federal funding for California’s controversial high-speed rail project. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy was blunt in his assessment that, “we don’t want to invest in boondoggles.” The decision to cut off funding was set forth in a 315-page report to the High Speed Rail Authority confirming that the “boondoggle” label is accurate.
A few weeks after the announcement, California High-Speed Rail Authority sued the federal government in the U.S. District Court as an “arbitrary and capricious abuse of authority.” Then last week the state moved for a preliminary injunction to prevent the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Railroad Administration from reallocating the funds to other transportation projects.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta justified the move saying that, “If (the) defendants transfer the funds to other recipients before the Authority’s challenge to the grant terminations can be decided, the case will be moot, irreparably harming the Authority and dealing a severe blow to a historic public works project that promises to transform the Central Valley and the state’s transportation network.” The motion will be heard in November.
Taxpayers should applaud the cutoff of additional federal funds as a first step in a 10-step process of forcing state officials to recognize that the project should be terminated in its entirety. That would save California taxpayers $1 billion per year for 20 years, the amount that the latest state budget allocated to the project from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. That’s the fund in the state treasury that’s filled up with the extra charges you pay for gasoline, electricity and anything in the state that uses energy, such as trucking food to supermarkets.
State leaders know that an appropriation of “only” $1 billion per year is barely enough to keep the High Speed Authority on life support. The “funding gap” to finish even part of the project is many billions more, and no one has any idea where to find that money.
As this column has argued ad nauseum over the last 15 years, the continuation of funding from any source is a waste of taxpayer funds. If the federal shutoff of the money spigot results in a rethinking of HSR’s viability, that would be a good thing.
The second example of the federal government protecting the interests of taxpayers is the announcement last week by U.S. Justice Department of charges against two real estate executives for defrauding California’s Homekey program. According to the Acting U.S. Attorney, Bill Essayli, the two misappropriated millions of dollars intended for homeless housing.
WHAT IS THE JOKE HERE???? WHAT IS THE LIE HERE????
“””U.S. District Court as an “arbitrary and capricious abuse of authority.” Then last week the state moved for a preliminary injunction to prevent the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Railroad Administration from reallocating the funds to other transportation projects.””””
THE STATE OF CALIF. HAS BEEN DOING THIS BY THROWING FEDERAL MONEY INTO A LARGE POT AND THE ALLOCATING IT INTO STATE STIP AND SHOP FUNDING while pretending it is the State of Calif. money.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta is a tool that does not come with batteries.
When will the supposed elite of the RSP going to figure out that they have been had for decades?
The continuing joke is it is for the poor and for the environment… (you know like wind farms in the ocean that disorients fish and migratory patterns). Or burying broken fiberglass wind farm blades in a canyon in Wyoming (because why not it is Republican and no one lives there). What is the biodegradable life of fiber glass? GETTING IT????