Watchdog panel pans California high speed rail

Christian Science Monitor -0 Drawing a battle line over a high-speed rail project in California – and adding a yellow caution light nationally – a trusted and independent review panel has recommended that California not move forward on its proposed $98.5 billion bullet train, saying it poses “an immense financial risk.”

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The watchdog body, created by state law to guard the public interest (known as the California High-Speed Rail Peer Review Group), released its findings Tuesday and is recommending to the Legislature – which opened its 2012 session Wednesday – that it not approve bond proceeds for the project.

Will Kempton, the former director of the California Department of Transportation, or Caltrans, and current head of the Orange County Transportation Authority, chaired the independent review panel.

“We cannot overemphasize the fact that moving ahead on the (high-speed rail) without credible sources of adequate funding, without a definitive business model, without a strategy to maximize the independent utility and value to the state, and without the appropriate management resources, represents an immense financial risk on the part of the state of California,” Mr. Kempton wrote. . .

 “The panel is like a Gamblers Anonymous sponsor keeping a habitual bettor from blowing the rent at the racetrack. In a narrow sense, the lesson is that California policymakers should immediately scuttle this insane project,” says Jack Pitney, professor of government at Claremont McKenna College, in an email.

Sam Smith - Although the NY Times and the Obamadmin likes to make this out to be a left-right issue, it is in fact a matter of good transportation planning. High speed rail - which largely favors upscale business class customers - is a lousy priority when we should be providing for better conventional rail and bus service. Once again liberals have deserted their historic roots in favoring an upper class approach to a problem.