Dear Editor:
Jim Hillum is absolutely correct about the enormous cost to
build and run the California high speed train project.
Dear Editor:
Jim Hillum is absolutely correct about the enormous cost to build and run the California high speed train project.
Such a mammoth civil engineering project would almost certainly cost more than the $35 billion estimate. (Bullet train only adds up to big burden for California taxpayers” – Opinion June, 4.”)
The high-speed train project is being hyped by some state politicians, who are misleading the public. Even with help from the federal government, the state could still face great financial risk due to much higher costs for the project.
With the state budget in deficit, California’s bond indebtedness may soon exceed $80 billion, when bonds already approved the voters are sold. If state bonds are approved for the high-speed train and costs ultimately double or triple how it would affect state finances and the budget?
California could find itself further cutting spending for education, highways and public safety.
Boston’s Big Dig a, 7.5- mile underground turnpike is an example of how costs can escalate. The Big Dig project started in 1993 was first estimated to cost $4 billion, but ballooned to $14.6 billion by completion in late 2003. Proponents of the train project should to be honest with the public and up-front about the fact that the cost could be much more than $35 billion.
The project should not even be considered until the state’s economy has recovered and the state no longer runs a deficit. The best solution is to let the private sector take the risks by building and running the train for profit. Perhaps our politicians do not want to admit that California high speed train project can not work without big taxpayer subsidies.
Warren Seifert, Gilroy
Submitted Monday, June 7 to ed****@****ic.com
