Passenger Trains > CA Senate Leader: new $200 million annually for CA HSR

A total of $200 million would be dedicated to high-speed rail construction each year, generating $4 billion over 20 years. This amount would be in addition to existing state and federal funds already committed to the project and thus endorses Governor Brown's proposal for dedication of a significant portion of cap and trade revenues to high-speed rail development.

"Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg said his willingness to pivot from a higher tax on gasoline, propane and other consumer fuels was driven by the need to fund environmentally friendly infrastructure projects while helping low-income Californians with housing. The Sacramento Democrat also threw his support behind Gov. Jerry Brown's budget proposal to help finance the $68 billion bullet train with money from the cap-and-trade fund that was established as part of the greenhouse gas law.

"I think it's visionary. I think it's a major job-creator, and I think future generations will be glad that we withstood the controversy," Steinberg said.

"I am a quick learner," Steinberg said at a Capitol news conference surrounded by transit, housing and environmental advocates. "Unlike the last time, I am thrilled to stand with a broad coalition."

Jim Evans, a spokesman for Brown, said the governor's office doesn't comment on pending legislation but "looks forward to working with the Legislature on an overall cap-and-trade funding plan."

The Brown administration wants to spend a total of $850 million on transportation, energy efficiency and water projects in the next budget year under provisions of California's 2006 greenhouse gas emissions law, known as AB32. Within that, Brown wants to direct $250 million to the high-speed rail project from the cap-and-trade fund, which raises money from California industries in a sort of emissions marketplace that is designed to reduce air pollution.

Under Steinberg's latest plan, about 40 percent of the cap-and-trade fund would go toward affordable housing projects, 30 percent to transit, 20 percent to high-speed rail, and the remaining amount to other environmental and climate projects."

http://www.kmjnow.com/common/page.php?pt=Steinberg+Backs+Off+Carbon+Tax%2C+Still+Backs+HSR&id=7933&is_corp=0



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/15/14 09:15 by reindeerflame.

how much gasoline tax is he planning to layer onto the current tax?

it's already about 60 cents at retail (with the storage tank charge, etc), plus another 30 cents or so on the refinery, plus the feds.

So we will have a little bit bigger "Cincinnati Subway"?

Maybe California should take the $200 million annually and use if for a fresh approach to HSR. The state's current path is leading to a fiasco.

so how do the taxpayers of California feel about the current staffing levels of their police fire services, the amount of hospital emergency rooms that have closed, the amount of social services available to those who need them, and prison overcrowding when many BILLIONS are being spent on an hsr system?

66

Californians will be able to vote against high-speed rail in June, when Governor Brown is on the ballot. From all accounts, it may be a close race, with the public seemingly so angry about HSR. Can he survive? In the end, it's another referendum on HSR.

I have no faith and cannot trust Sacramento, anymore....

And, as far as voting goes: Why would anyone think
the votres will be counted correctly if the results will
not be what the 1% want?

Voting is -- and has been for some time -- very overrated
as a way to change things for the better, for many reasons --
and not counting votes correctly is but one of them. Another
reason is the corrupting influence of the huge amounts of
money giant corporations and billionaires have poured into
elections.

This whole CAHSR is a vast money put only benfitting the
extremely wealthy. The money would have been MUCH
better spent if divided into equal checks and given to everyone
who makes $20,000 a year or less. Remember: the late
Dr. Martin Luther King was very much in favor of a Guaranteed
Annual Wage.

Back to mandatory rail content: IF the CAHSR monies must
be spent on rail, they should be spent on traditional rail,
adding to and improving what we now have: longer Caltrain
consists, more Capitol Corridor trains, many more ACE trains,
trains to Monterey, Salinas, Hollister, and Willits, as well as
restoring LA-Bakersfield rail service, and hourly San Joaquin
service,a nd 3 or 4 Coast Starlights per day.

These are the things that should be done with all the billions
that the CAHSR is getting and wasting.

Margaret_SP_fan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>(snip)
>
> This whole CAHSR is a vast money put only
> benfitting the
> extremely wealthy.

(and the construction unions who spent heavily to get the vote approved)

>The money would have been
> MUCH
> better spent if divided into equal checks and
> given to everyone
> who makes $20,000 a year or less. Remember: the
> late
> Dr. Martin Luther King was very much in favor of a
> Guaranteed
> Annual Wage.
>
> Back to mandatory rail content: IF the CAHSR
> monies must
> be spent on rail, they should be spent on
> traditional rail,
> adding to and improving what we now have: longer
> Caltrain
> consists, more Capitol Corridor trains, many more
> ACE trains,
> trains to Monterey, Salinas, Hollister, and
> Willits, as well as
> restoring LA-Bakersfield rail service, and hourly
> San Joaquin
> service,a nd 3 or 4 Coast Starlights per day.
>
> These are the things that should be done with all
> the billions
> that the CAHSR is getting and wasting.

Improving the systems we have is often very low on politicians' lists of things that need to be done. Much sexier to talk about a 300 mph train, and get trips to China and Japan out of the "inspections"

reindeerflame Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Californians will be able to vote against
> high-speed rail in June, when Governor Brown is on
> the ballot. From all accounts, it may be a close
> race, with the public seemingly so angry about
> HSR. Can he survive? In the end, it's another
> referendum on HSR.

thanks for this info. it will be very interesting to see how Californian's vote on this.........

66

Ok, they're getting that, where're the earthmovers to start breaking ground at? This is just as a waste like it was when the bond passed back in 08!

Just one more way to waist our tax money, But hay the people can always pay more tax to keep Jerry Brown's name name on his toy.

Yeah, a toy that hasn't moved in 6 years!

I thought that a certain percentage of funding for HSR (1/3, maybe??) was supposed to come from the private sector. Where is it? Is this stealth funding, or hasn't it happened?

reindeerflame Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Californians will be able to vote against
> high-speed rail in June, when Governor Brown is on
> the ballot. From all accounts, it may be a close
> race, with the public seemingly so angry about
> HSR. Can he survive? In the end, it's another
> referendum on HSR.


What accounts? By CREDIBLE accounts it most likely will be a landslide re-election for Brown:

http://www.dailynews.com/government-and-politics/20140227/california-gov-jerry-brown-is-running-for-a-fourth-term

Transportation issues will typically be a side issue at best.

I bet if that gets destroyed by voters in June, I'll still say what I've been saying for years now, nothin' but a pipe dream! The biggest joke is how they said they don't have to worry about subsidies and it will make a profit! What a joke!

ProAmtrak Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I bet if that gets destroyed by voters in June,
> I'll still say what I've been saying for years
> now, nothin' but a pipe dream! The biggest joke is
> how they said they don't have to worry about
> subsidies and it will make a profit! What a joke!


Really. What is it exactly that will get destroyed?

If you're that blind Reindeer, something defiantly is wrong, because you should know as well as everyone else on this board knows, is that it's just a bunch of bull crap and nothin' actually began for the 1ST Right of way, so like I said, once it does get eliminated, it'll just be another dream that hasn't become reality because of the so called "Claims" just to get it on the ballot!

ProAmtrak Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If you're that blind Reindeer, something defiantly
> is wrong, because you should know as well as
> everyone else on this board knows, is that it's
> just a bunch of bull crap and nothin' actually
> began for the 1ST Right of way, so like I said,
> once it does get eliminated, it'll just be another
> dream that hasn't become reality because of the soefec
> called "Claims" just to get it on the ballot!


But suppose, for a moment, that Governor Brown gets reelected in a landslide. Wouldn't that have the opposite effect...a mandate to continue with HSR?

Can't wait to read Steinberg's next campaign contribution report. And Gov Jerry will win big...look at the so-called opposition. June is the primary, November is the final.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/17/14 07:39 by masterphots.

The Wall Street Journal notes that the proposal to use cap and trade funds is running into a challenge.

The issue is that the funds would be used to finance an increase in pollution during the multi-year construction, rather than lowering pollution. It's likely that some pro-environmental supporters wold challenge this use/mis-use of cap and trade funds in court. The authority responds that it is confident it can use the cap and trade funds, and may also apply for Railroad Rehabilitation funds from the federal government.

The authority expects to go ahead with the first 30 miles of construction soon.

subscription site, but should be available with an internet search of California Eyes Plans to Speed Bullet Train