Passenger Trains > CA Extends HSR Funding Source for 10 Years

"In the end, some Republican members -- enticed by measures such as a tax break for manufacturers and a fee waiver for rural residents -- joined Democrats Monday to extend the program from 2020 through 2030. One Republican backed the measure in the Senate's 28-12 vote, and seven Republicans supported it in the Assembly's 55-22 vote. The GOP votes in the Assembly were critical to reach the two-thirds majority required for new tax measures.

Monday's two-thirds margin should insulate the program from further legal challenges like the one brought earlier by the California Chamber of Commerce. It sued, arguing cap and trade is an illegal tax on businesses, but the program was upheld by a state appeals court in April, and the California Supreme Court last month declined to hear an appeal.

After the loss, the Chamber backed cap and trade as a better option than more-onerous regulations. Last week, it endorsed the governor's plan.

California began using a cap-and-trade program to curb greenhouse-gas emissions in 2013. The state imposes a limit on the CO2 that industry is allowed to release and then auctions or gives away permits for those emissions. Businesses are free to sell permits they don't need, allowing market forces to distribute and price these allowances.

Money from the quarterly auctions, so far totaling $4.9 billion, will also go toward a state fund used for projects that include one of Mr. Brown's priorities: a high-speed rail train from Los Angeles to San Francisco."

WSJ

Parallel universe.

Yes, we poor rural folks will not have to pay the "fire tax" anymore. I believe $80 million of the cap and trade money is going to go to CalFire to make up for them losing the fire fee, which has been a contentious issue for 5 years.

TJY

Just more of the usual ripping off the public
to line the already-overflowing pockets of the
very fat cats. Just business as usual.

"Nothing to see here, move along."

(Just please don't try to convince anyone that
California does not have the money for truly
essential things.)

Circling the drain.

ts1457 Wrote:
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> Circling the drain.


I was gonna say Pipe Dream, I mean nice, but that HSR over there is still a joke!

Now, let's be honest here: which has a better chance of being implemented?

A restored Amtrak service between New Orleans and Orlando, or California high-speed rail?

reindeerflame Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Now, let's be honest here: which has a better
> chance of being implemented?
>
> A restored Amtrak service between New Orleans and
> Orlando, or California high-speed rail?

Not falling for it. Try being more "sophisticated" by offering actual odds?

Last time California tried some "market based" solution called energy deregulation, look at what happened.

cchan006 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> reindeerflame Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Now, let's be honest here: which has a better
> > chance of being implemented?
> >
> > A restored Amtrak service between New Orleans
> and
> > Orlando, or California high-speed rail?
>
> Not falling for it. Try being more "sophisticated"
> by offering actual odds?
>
> Last time California tried some "market based"
> solution called energy deregulation, look at what
> happened.


The nonanswer speaks volumes. It's also hard to argue with $4.9 billion already collected.

The chance of NOL-ORL is zero. Everyone knows that. The HSR alignment is under construction. Once it is built, it can be used, even by the San Joaquins.

NOL-ORL is not quite dead yet. The Class 1s are being obstructionists, as usual, which simply means they are looking for a sweeter deal.

http://www.rtands.com/index.php/passenger/intercity/fra-issues-gulf-coast-passenger-rail-report-class-1s-not-fully-onboard.html?channel=279

trainjunkie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> NOL-ORL is not quite dead yet. The Class 1s are
> being obstructionists, as usual, which simply
> means they are looking for a sweeter deal.
>
> http://www.rtands.com/index.php/passenger/intercit
> y/fra-issues-gulf-coast-passenger-rail-report-clas
> s-1s-not-fully-onboard.html?channel=279


The problem is that there's nobody to provide a sweetner.

Yeah but once that hurdle is done it won't take long to get that section back on the map compared to the wasted HSR in my home state!

reindeerflame Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The nonanswer speaks volumes. It's also hard to
> argue with $4.9 billion already collected.
>
> The chance of NOL-ORL is zero. Everyone knows
> that. The HSR alignment is under construction.
> Once it is built, it can be used, even by the San
> Joaquins.

Looks like you're one of those folks who's thinking is limited by money. Until CA HSR demonstrates more competence, that $4.9 billion is money put to bad use.

Nope. Not everyone knows NOR-ORL is ZERO. Low probability, perhaps. Bait-and-switch plan to use the ROW under construction by San Joaquins is a cop-out argument for the "success" of the CA HSR project. I have no problem with that personally, but I hope your sarcasm advocacy can calm the taxpayers when they get mad from being tricked into a higher speed rail project, instead of a pipe dream 220 mph railroad.

ProAmtrak Wrote:
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> Yeah but once that hurdle is done it won't take
> long to get that section back on the map compared
> to the wasted HSR in my home state!

"Oh ye of little faith."

http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Brown-s-cap-and-trade-deal-could-eventually-11303901.php