California’s Gavin Newsom throws Green New Deal train network under the bus

I would say no to paying the money back and the Federal Taxpayer money spent is probably a wash as to what California has paid from it's own state treasury into Amtrak and other Federally subsidized programs that did not stretch enough because the Feds were too stingy with their national subsidy. Secondly, if you read carefully, California did not cancel the program it only revised the timeline. In fact the State has every intention of one day extending the system to SFO and LAX, if it gets Federal money to do so. It just no longer wants to be beholden to a fixed timeline of when the project ultimately completes. It will be interesting if the project turns a profit from Merced to Bakersfield or if it will require an annual subsidy from the state. The big mistake California made was made by Governor Brown who insisted on first class 220 mph standards for the entire project in the first pass and adjusted the route to transverse a mountain range twice to enter and then leave California's Central Valley. The Entrance and Exit would have been expensive as a Mountain Crossing but Brown insisted the rail system bore through near the base of the mountain range, which is horrifically expensive. When started the projected cost was $25 billion for the project. After Brown and other politicians got involved the price inflated to close to $100 billion.

It is my understanding that the Federal Government loaned California 3.5 billion. For the green revolution we are supposed to have coast to coast high speed rail lines. Seems a little stupid to me. Florida’s line failed and most places they have rail lines they end up being heavily subsidized by the local government.

Seems almost criminal we have to foot the bill for crap like this.