Commentary When the $10 billion high-speed rail bond was on the ballot in 2008 and being pushed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger as part of his environmentalist personal makeover, I made two predictions: 1. It really existed only to dole out billions to private contractors and construction-union members. 2. It never would get built, except possibly…

Commentary I’ll give California’s high-speed rail project one thing. For 14 years, it’s given me something to write about as an example of government waste. From the beginning, when it was advanced as Proposition 1A in 2008, I have pointed out it existed only to spend billions, never to get near completion. The original cost…

Commentary Governor Gavin Newsom’s bullet train project from Merced to Bakersfield makes so little sense that members of his own party are trying to put the brakes on it. Thus far about $9 billion has been spent with virtually nothing to show for it. In his recently proposed state budget, Newsom seeks another $4.2 billion,…

Commentary It’s alive. The California High-Speed Rail boondoggle, that is. In explaining parts of his new budget proposal, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statement on Jan. 13: “The California Blueprint includes a proposed $9.1 billion package to advance clean transit initiatives that support the state’s climate and public health goals, promote equity and bolster the…

Commentary Of all the bills I introduced while serving for six years in the California State Senate, the one that seemed to capture the Central Valley and national media’s attention the most was SB 319 in 2019. Customarily, a senator can only author twenty bills each year. My staff and I would have nearly 100…