Biden administration sends $6 billion

to California for high-speed rail projects

KCRA NEWS – DECEMBER 8 2023

More than $6 billion is going to high-speed electric rail projects in California President Joe Biden made the announcement today in Las Vegas.

The money is slated for two different projects, one connecting Las Vegas and Los Angeles and another linking Bakersfield with Merced.  Supporters hope the billions of dollars will get the high-speed rail system back on track.

“This massive federal investment takes us one step closer to high-speed rail as a reality,” said Rep. Nancy Pelosi, (D) San Francisco.  More than $3 billion is set to help build nearly 175 miles of track between Bakersfield and Merced.

In 2008, Californians gave the green light to the 500-mile project, which promised to carry passengers between San Francisco and Los Angeles in under three hours on a fully electric train traveling at speeds of up to 220 miles per hour.

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RIPE FRUIT FOR A CONSPIRACY THEORY

Given the fact that Washington D.C. and Sacramento are filled with fiscal financial morons, even they have to know that $6 Billion Dollars would not be enough funding to pay for a “Right of Way” access route for a high speed rail system between downtown Los Angeles and Las Vegas even with “Imminent Domain” theft of land.  California has already spent $9.8 Billion Dollars on a much reduced in size High Speed Rail System between Merced and Bakersfield  (Governor Jerry Brown’s original plan was for the High Speed Rail System to travel between San Francisco and Los Angeles).  Some 8 years  and 9.8 Billion Dollars later this Fiscal Black Hole has never carried a single passenger a single mile and almost assuredly never will.  These Big Budget “Pie In The Sky” projects are most often nothing more that a thinly veiled payoff to Political Supporters and Politically Loyal Labor Unions. 

For the conspiracy plan, maybe just maybe, this is Joe Biden’s way of throwing a $6 Billion dollar “bone” to his buddy and protege Gavin Newsom who is facing a 2023-2024 State Fiscal Budget Deficit of $68 Billion Dollars.  Once the state gets the $6 Billion who is to say they can’t just “delay” the rail project and use the $6 Billion Dollars to help finance a loan to balance the budget.  California already does this with gas tax dollars that are supposedly committed to roads.  That will be, of course, after some number of Millions of Dollars end up in selected pockets for “Feasibility and Engineering Studies” as well as “Executive Conferences” in specially selected “getaway retreats in private surroundings”.

Also it might help Governor Newsom in his “shadow” run for the Presidency just in case President Biden takes a further downturn and finds himself in a room with Winnie the Pooh wallpaper and a full time nurse helping him with his “jammies”, slippers, and warm cocoa “medicine”.  In such a situation  the Democratic Party would need a ready “stand-in” and Gavin is waiting in the wings.

As for High Speed Rail, California can continue with their current alternate system between Merced and Bakersfield.

Nine Billion Dollars Later

For my earlier writings on this subject you might want to visit:   

https://www.stoppullingthewagon.com/?s=high+speed+rail+2.0

Or, you can just type High Speed Rail 2.0 in the search box on this page.

I have found that sometimes it is better to laugh at the Clowns than get frustrated with their antics.

Bob Bandy – December 2023