Quantum Windbag
Gold Member
- May 9, 2010
- 58,308
- 5,100
In the midst of the debate surrounding high-speed rail, the project remains a top priority to a diverse set of business, labor, civic, transportation and community organizations throughout California. High-speed rail development is an essential component of a forward-looking economic agenda that will immediately bolster California's job outlook and improve our economy in the long-term.California can't afford not to build high-speed rail
Initial high-speed rail investments in the Central Valley, as well as in the Bay Area, will immediately create thousands of jobs and spur growth in businesses that directly and indirectly support the project. In addition to the 100,000 job-years generated by the Central Valley project, high-speed rail investments in Caltrain electrification will result in almost 9,600 direct construction job-years -- a "job-year" being one job lasting for a year -- at a time when we need them most. [...]
The big obstacle -- and it is a legitimate one -- is the state's economic outlook. How can we undertake a project like this in the current economy? As the country experienced during the Great Depression, real investment in infrastructure helped put people back to work and built a lasting foundation for the economy to grow on. High-speed rail is a tangible project that will spur job growth, improve the lives of millions of Californians and help create a transport infrastructure for the state that supports the 21st century economy.
Starting the high-speed rail project will also generate jobs and material sales, which in turn result in more income and sales tax revenues flowing to the state during construction to improve the near-term budget situation. Delaying or canceling high-speed rail would make the budget situation worse, not better, even without taking into account the cost of alternative transportation like highway and airport expansion -- or the cost of inaction such as increased traffic, lost productivity and the environmental impacts of the current system.
That explains why the Democrat who chairs the Transportation committee in the California state senate voted against the project.