High-speed rail survives -- barely
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed the much-delayed state budget, and it appears that high speed rail survived -- by the skin of its teeth.
The high-speed rail funds, which had appeared to be threatened by the governor's inexplicable coolness to the project, amount to $17 million, with an additional $3.5 million earmarked for a project in Anaheim.
That's much less than the $55 million originally included in the budget by the Legislature, and vastly less than the $103 million sought by the state's High Speed Rail Authority, but it should be enough for the project to squeak along until voters have a chance to approve a $9.5 billion bond measure in November 2008 -- unless the governor and the Legislature pull that measure from the ballot, as they've done twice before.
Why is getting such a good idea under way like pulling teeth?
Comments
That's good news, for a change. But what was included in the $700 million the Governor cut? I'm guessing the tax deduction for yachts survived, too.
Posted by: Mike D. | August 24, 2007 1:46 PM
There is a big difference between interesting, deceitful, and important.
The high-speed rail is interesting. The just-passed sales tax exemption for the wealthy to purchase yachts and planes was deceitful. And taking care of our elderly and our homeless who are mentally ill is important.
The Fresno Bee has missed the train in giving more attention to the interesting than to both the deceitful and important.
Posted by: rOEN | August 26, 2007 4:33 PM