California’s Bullet Train Is a Model of Progressive Governance

Trump gave Newsom a perfect opportunity to cut his losses and shift blame. Why didn’t he take it?

By Allysia Finley. Excerpts:

"At the current construction rate, the 500-mile choo choo between San Francisco and Orange County won’t be completed in the governor’s lifetime. The state as of last month hadn’t begun to lay tracks on the first 119-mile segment between Madera (pop: 68,079) and Shafter (pop: 21,915).

This first leg should have been relatively easy since the state’s rural Central Valley is lightly developed and populated. No need to raze strip malls and housing developments. A private company built a 235-mile high-speed train from Orlando to Miami in 11 years for about $6 billion. Yet it has taken California more than a decade merely to bulldoze permitting barriers and clear lawsuits."

"China has borrowed some $1 trillion to build nearly 30,000 miles of high-speed rail lines, many of which connect lightly populated towns and carry few passengers."

"Democrats claimed the train would cost a mere $33 billion and be complete by 2020. The 500-mile train trip from San Francisco to Anaheim would supposedly take only 2½ hours and cost less than flying."

"The state high-speed rail authority at the time projected 65.5 million annual riders by 2030, about five times as many passengers who take Amtrak’s trains in the more densely and heavily populated Northeast Corridor."

"But the rail authority is at least $7 billion short of what it needs to complete the first segment and needs more than $90 billion to build all 500 miles."

"healthcare for undocumented immigrants (estimated to cost $12 billion this year)."

"Democrats spent $24 billion to combat homelessness, yet the result was more homelessness. State K-12 spending has risen by 50% since 2018, but student test scores have fallen. Electric rates have surged yet power has become less reliable."