High-speed rail: California Supreme Court eliminates hurdle

[alp227]

Source: SJ Mercury News

The California Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to review a key case regarding funding for the bullet train, eliminating one of the project's biggest legal hurdles and allowing construction to begin.

Eleven months ago, a Sacramento Superior Court judge stunned supporters of the Los Angeles-to-San Francisco rail line when he blocked the California High-Speed Rail Authority from selling $8.6 billion in bonds that voters had approved for the train, leaving almost all the project's funding in limbo.

So when the Sacramento-based 3rd District Court of Appeal ordered Judge Michael Kenny to vacate his decision, it was a huge victory for the rail authority and Gov. Jerry Brown, one of the project's biggest champions.

The appellate decision will now stand, and it appears the oft-derided "train to nowhere" is finally headed somewhere.

Read more: http://www.mercurynews.com/News/ci_26733677/Highspeed-rail:-California-Supreme-Court-eliminates-hurdle

[calimary]

1. I would love to see this happen!

Would LOVE to train it up to San Francisco! Training back and forth to San Diego is really quite pleasant! A commute that's actually restful!

[Helen Borg]

12. Yay!

[davidpdx]

15. They really need it from Vancouver to SD

going up through Rogue Valley in Oregon, to Eugene, Salem, and Portland. When I go to visit home there is basically no decent way to travel other than a car or flying.

[calimary]

24. YES. YES YES and YES!!!

I'd love to take a train ride like that!!!

[davidpdx]

35. Me too

With high speed it might only take a few hours from Seattle down to the Rogue Valley. It sure would open up tourism down there. They need the money in their economy.

[calimary]

36. I just don't see the sense in the opposition.

WHAT is to oppose? There's nothing like a train ride to appreciate the scenery you pass through. And our country has some really exquisitely beautiful scenery! Especially running up and down the West Coast. You go on a train and you can get up and move around whenever you want, relax, read, zone out, just enjoy. Fear of flying? No worries here, and you STILL get from place to place faster than by car! But the thing is - you're relaxed! Train travel is the ultimate in relaxing travel, seems to me. It avoids the congestion of the roads especially in these times of not bothering with our infrastructure and so much of our road-and-highway system is in disrepair (OH NO!!! CAN'T RAISE TAAAAAAXES!!!!!!!!). You're saving on gas and not using as much. At least for the time being, anyway, you don't have to go through those humiliating searches and long lines going through the gropers and the metal detectors.

And I would also pose this question: HOW DOES IT FEEL to look at other countries with their high-speed rail and other forward-looking, futuristic developments and their investments in state-of-the-art transportation solutions - and then look at ourselves and wonder WTF? WHY don't WE have that? WHY are these other countries passing us by? WHY aren't WE doing that, and showing the world how we do it better and smarter and slicker and all the rest of that. WHERE is the leadership America is purported to have in the world? IF there really is such a thing as the FABLED "American 'Exceptionalism'", then WHERE IS IT? If we're out there pumping our fists and ugging "USA USA We're NUMBER ONE We're NUMBER ONE" - just exactly what are we "NUMBER ONE" in, anymore? And I don't like the answer it's starting to point toward. That America is NUMBER ONE in backwards? That America is NUMBER ONE in stupidity? That America is NUMBER ONE in short-sightedness and poor judgment?

We need MORE trains. Of the COOLEST kind. We should be leaders in THIS, too. Instead of showing the world how what we're REALLY leading in is greed, gluttony, and willful ignorance. As the dude said in "Animal House" - "Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son."

[PasadenaTrudy]

31. That would rock! n/t

[EEO]

2. If this country doesn't start modernizing its infrastructure we'll find ourselves in a...

third world country soon. Some areas are already there. You know who you are.

[flamingdem]

3. Yay, and Santa Monica is getting light rail

We're catching up.

[americannightmare]

7. Cool! Are they...

extending the Exposition line?

[flamingdem]

21. Yes, it's already being built out

They should be done in a year. All aboard for Culver City

[americannightmare]

37. Awesome! When I was...

still living there in '06, I heard talk that they might use some of the original right of ways from the old streetcar lines (such as the one along Culver Blvd)...heard anything about that?

[mindwalker_i]

4. Republicans wanted a high speed horse and buggy

And give the funds to the wealthy as tax breaks.

[liberal N proud]

19. Horse and buggy don't use oil

Republicans block any new technology or energy source that threatens oil.

[BrotherIvan]

5. We need it!

Let's show the rest of the country how to do it!

[Psephos]

6. Yet there's no money to fix the water shortage crisis.

Hmmm.

Water...?

or

A really fast train...?

Have to think about that one - so tough to choose which should come first.

[americannightmare]

8. Sounds like a republican...

they can't do both?

[Psephos]

9. Haven't looked at Cali's balance sheet lately have you?

You're the one who sounds like a pug, actively avoiding facts you may not like.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

11. California isn't broke. That's a fact....

As far as water, expect another El Niño complete with mudslides and endless plays of "...it never rains in California..." on the commute as you realize you need wiper blades.

[Throd]

20. Only if you ignore debt and unfunded liabilities.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

22. Republicans only believe in debt when Dems are in power....

Dems can EASILY pay the debt with tax hikes on the rich. BTW: Contrary to Ayn Rand fanatics the rich aren't going to flee a tax hike. If that were true than the South wouldn't be poor.

Besides, this is paid for with bonds. The reason Republicans HATE bonds is because the Bond Market is a RIVAL to the Stock Market. They call bonds "IOUs" with utter contempt. Fuck em. Bonds are more secure and they know it. The only way they won't pay off is if the United States Government no longer exists,....which is their wet dream. You know,...because they're all patriotic and stuff.

[Le Taz Hot]

14. Money doesn't make it rain.

Our problem is less with storage and more with lack of rain and OVER BUILDING. Taken a look at the Grapevine lately?

[denbot]

16. Do you think you can buy rain?

Or did you get sucked in by those idiotic "man made drought" signs agribusiness' and their teabagger supporters spout off about?

[Psephos]

27. Do you think you can buy water supply infrastructure?

I do.

[Hatchling]

30. Prop one on the ballot,

Intended to address that problem.

[Psephos]

33. Now that makes some sense. n/t

[mackerel]

10. The train is needed unfortunately it probably won't be down until after my boy graduates.

I hate both I-5 and 99, they simply not designed for the amount of traffic that flows through either. I-5 is a little better in design but not by much.

[Le Taz Hot]

13. They're already clearing land for this

in Fresno and most of us are thrilled. Yes, there are some naysayers but they would denigrate anything new and that serves the common folk anyway. There are also Bay Areans and people in Southern California are totally pissed that the Central Valley will get the first leg and that makes me even more happy.

[denbot]

17. Um..

cough.. You're welcome. cough cough..

[savalez]

23. I drove through the farmland areas

surrounding Fresno recently and the billboard signs on the corners of the farms regarding the train were nauseating. One was so offensive it was ridiculous. Those farm owners that do that are stupid wackjobs. It's hard to believe they run a business at all.

[Le Taz Hot]

25. The farmers do not own the signs.

They are paid for by monied interests. I notice you said "drove through." You should try stopping sometime. Meeting the actual people who live and work in the Valley as opposed to passing judgment on millions of people based on some signs you read off the highway.

Tax dollars flow OUT of the Valley into the Bay Area and Southern California. Been that way for years. Finally, FINALLY, some of the tax dollars we've been paying out all these years comes back to our area and it's about damned time.

One more thing. There are thousands of farms in the Valley and many of them are family farms. Yes, we still have family farms in the Valley. The vast majority of farmers I've met, and I've met LOTS of them, have nothing in common with the right wing nut jobs that allow those signs on their property. But you wouldn't know that because it seems you just "drive through" those farmlands. Try stopping at the farm stands instead of driving by next time. Talk to the farmers. Talk to the farm workers. I think you'll see they are not the stereotype of them you have in your head.

[savalez]

26. Wow.

I think you went a little overboard here.

as opposed to passing judgment on millions of people based on some signs you read off the highway

I did no such thing. My judgment was clearly aimed toward the farm owners that allow the signs. I figure since they allow the signs they must believe the message. Apparently you agree with me on this.

The vast majority of farmers I've met, and I've met LOTS of them, have nothing in common with the right wing nut jobs that allow those signs on their property

Why the hostility?

P.S. I do know people there. That's why I was there in the first place.

[Le Taz Hot]

32. No hostility.

Just responding to your negative post about the Valley.

[savalez]

34. Wait, what?

Oh nevermind.

[allan01]

18. re: high speed trin

when we can have more snow , we can fix the water shortage . also i favour this decision. i am in sonora ca. it takes me 8 hours currntly to get to la. also under gov arnold the population densitiys went up and no regard to where we are going to get the water.

[ripcord]

28. If this project is so great

Why isn't it meeting the criteria set forth in the ballot initiative that approved it? It isn't meeting the travel times, funding or environmental limits that were passed by the voters

[SunSeeker]

29. Can't wait for the rail line to come to L.A.!

Too bad all the right wingers filing lawsuits against it have delayed construction.