Why California Is Fucked

[RockX]

Got to hand it to the assholes of California...


Those hoping to ride the state's high-speed train next decade will have to dig much deeper into their wallets than officials originally thought, a harsh reality that will chase away millions of passengers, according to an updated business plan released Monday.

The average ticket on the bullet train from San Francisco to Los Angeles is now estimated to cost about $105, or 83 percent of comparable airfare. Last year, the state said prices would be set at 50 percent of comparable airfare and predicted a ticket from San Francisco to Los Angeles would cost $55.

As a result of the higher fares, state officials now think the service will attract 41 million annual riders by 2035, down from last year's prediction of 55 million passengers by 2030.

Finally, the cost of the project — recently pegged at $33.6 billion in 2008 dollars — is now estimated at $42.6 billion in time-of-construction dollars.

The gloomy forecasts are included in the California High-Speed Rail Authority's updated business plan, which the state Legislature required the authority to submit by today.

The authority last produced a business plan in 2008. State officials had used what turned out to be optimistic ridership and ticket price forecasts in presenting a $9.9 billion bond measure called Proposition 1A, which voters approved in November 2008.

http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-...nclick_check=1

Leave it the the idiot voters in California to vote for every money sucking bond that comes down the road.

[cawacko]

This was kind of my question regarding CBO projections as well. When have major government projections on cost ever come in on target? (This is not to say it doesn't happen in the private sector because it does.)

[Topspin]

could we spread some more bullshit gloom about Cali, especially the Frisco area with all the gays and what not. It's still way too expensive for this Cajun.
But one day I will follow baby sis to Berkley.

[DamnYankee]

83% of air fare is still a good deal. I'm a fan of HSR; point to point times are probably better than air travel. Almost ALL big public projects, especially linear transportation projects, go over budget.

[Chapdog]

problem with California is to many people don't work. stop giving them handouts and make them work for there food. This aint no charity case.

[Topspin]

I want a job at CBO, shit there's zero accountability on estimates.

[Cypress]

Got to hand it to the assholes of California...



Leave it the the idiot voters in California to vote for every money sucking bond that comes down the road.

Fascinating that the same people who defended Dumbya’s 1 trillion dollar blunder in Iraq with every breath they had, are whining about a cost estimate that varies by about ten billion.


No worries, Mr. Teabagger. Every developed nation on the planet can operate an efficient and popular high speed rail. I'm sure Americans are capable of it. Now, if you teabaggers in the south hate technology, science, education, and infrastructure so much, more power to ya. Ya’ll can have your creation science, your churches, and your horse and buggies, and your 19th century transportation infrastructure. Face it, the South is always last in everything, have ya’ll finally accepted that the Earth is spherical? Personally, I’m stoked for a 21st century transportation infrastructure, and everybody I’ve talked to here would rather take a bullet train to LA than screw around with the fucked up airports.

[Topspin]

Hey maybe the teabaggers could decend on Cali and light fire to San Fran. Just stay away from Knobb Hill.
Come on know tea baggers eliminate the heathens.


I'm pretty sure I could afford half what they are getting now.

[evince]

what percent of the US's tax revenue comes from california?

[cawacko]

what percent of the US's tax revenue comes from california?

what does that have to do with why California is f*cked or not?

[cawacko]

Hey maybe the teabaggers could decend on Cali and light fire to San Fran. Just stay away from Knobb Hill.
Come on know tea baggers eliminate the heathens.


I'm pretty sure I could afford half what they are getting now.

You can come kick it with me in Pacific Heights top. I'll take you over to Height-Ashbury so you can hang with the hippies.

[Topspin]

You can come kick it with me in Pacific Heights top. I'll take you over to Height-Ashbury so you can hang with the hippies.

Baby sis has a cool rent controled pad on top of Knobb Hill, I was down at the waterfront real touristy area. Some old senior is burning tree like it's a Malboro. I LUV CALI

[Cypress]

I've never understood the teabagger hostility to technology, science, and modern 21st century green technological development.

[TuTu Monroe]

True, people from all over the country come here for their hand-outs and they have no intentions of working.

problem with California is to many people don't work. stop giving them handouts and make them work for there food. This aint no charity case.

[FUCK THE POLICE]

Because of conservatives.