High Cost Rail – Part 87 Kopp Finally Flip-Flops

March 19, 2013

I have not been posting the blow-by-blow legal and funding maneuvering that accompanies the High Cost Rail boondoggle, but Quentin Kopp's turning point is notable. You can find some of the background here, here and here. Kopp is quoted as saying

"The plan has been distorted in a way directly contrary to the high-speed rail plan the Authority attempted to implement while I was Chairman, namely, a true HSR system containing all the features, terms and protections desired by the Legislature and honoring restrictions placed upon use of Proposition 1A bond proceeds by the Legislature."

I suppose a hearty "Better Late Than Never" is in order. Will it matter? Probably not. Do I wish the B'game City Council had voted to spend $5,000 supporting the suit? Absolutely. But we may still end up with a little section of a railroad to nowhere down in the Central Valley. It will be a Brown spot on the state's reputation for a long time.

Quick Update: Could it be that Quentin Kopp and the SF Chronicle wake up in the same week? Check out this cartoon from the March 21 Chron:

Tom Meyer_Chron HSB cartoon

Posted in High Speed Rail

2 responses to “High Cost Rail – Part 87 Kopp Finally Flip-Flops”

Joe

March 21, 2013

From the Washington Times…more Brown stains:
Bonds are what enable politicians to build expensive projects today while leaving the full cost as a gift for future generations. Here the interest payments for the train bonds would have been formidable: $54 million a month for 30 years. So Sacramento legislators authorized a 40-year maturity for train bonds, thus reducing the state‚s monthly payment to merely $48 million. The extended terms further sends the cost of paying off the bonds soaring to $23.2 billion. Suddenly, the $68 billion deal will cost $81 billion and that‚s before the inevitable cost overruns.
pat giorni

March 24, 2013

I never thought I’d sit in the same balcony as Mr. Transportation!
However, to say QK has flip-flopped is erroneous…he is attempting to protect his legacy by not having his name attached to what has become a conventional rail project. He wants it “done right” as has become everybody’s battle cry, for which one cannot fault him. I can only applaud his willingness to uphold the law which the Legislature has chosen to ignore.
http://www.myfoxla.com/story/21762783/lawsuit-threatens-california-high-speed-rail-project
http://www.myfoxla.com/story/21725911/retired-judge-rail-project-may-violate-law

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