Passenger Trains > CA to Increase Surfliner Funding

Governor Brown's revised proposed California state budget now includes $18.6 million in additional funding to bring the state's share of Pacific Surfliner operating cost funding from 70% to 100%, in connection with PRIIA. The state is already paying the higher share on the other intercity corridors. The lower percentage on the Surfliners is a vestige of the time when the original three LAX-SAN roundtrips were federally funded as part of the basic Amtrak system. Most frequency augmentations on this corridor were paid for by the state, including the extensions to SBA and SLO.

Drop in the bucket, just read all the money CA has to spend. That bullet train should be chugging along in no time.

Bob

robj Wrote:
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> Drop in the bucket, just read all the money CA has
> to spend. That bullet train should be chugging
> along in no time.
>
> Bob


It's a wealthy place, and has a budget surplus.

Budget surplus? What a joke!

ProAmtrak Wrote:
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> Budget surplus? What a joke!

Really!

Jerry Martin
Los Angeles, CA
Central Coast Railroad Festival

ProAmtrak Wrote:
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> Budget surplus? What a joke!


I believe what the means in part that government operates on a cash basis. Private companies can't do that, people go to prison, that what was Enron was all about, moving liabilities off books. I don't believe government even considers them. So like Social Security was always shown as a positive cash flow until the last few years ignoring the fact that for every dollar coming in say in 1995 there were well over a dollar of future liabilities accruing.

There are all probably kinds of liabilities built into California plus many of the sub state government units are operating on a shoestring. Of course that is never a problem until it is a problem and then.........

Bob

reindeerflame Wrote:
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> robj Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Drop in the bucket, just read all the money CA
> has
> > to spend. That bullet train should be chugging
> > along in no time.
> >
> > Bob
>
>
> It's a wealthy place, and has a budget surplus.


A "budget surplus" only because of the massive budget cuts of the past 10 years or so.

I don't buy it since that's always the last state to recover from any economic downturn nationwide, and we're still sluggish nationally!

I live in California and I can tell you that Gov. Brown has done a fantastic job in getting our financial house in order. He is the kind of leader who actually makes things happen instead of just talking all the time. His years of experience has really paid off for all of us who live here. Overall, a very good guy IMO. And a supporter of rail, I might add. And a real tribute to all the older guys who can still kick you know what.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/15/13 22:25 by rdjtrains.

While many don't like him, at least he gets the job done.

Jim