tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post5194986063577423078..comments2023-10-30T09:03:07.163-07:00Comments on California High Speed Rail Blog: AB 3034 DelayedRobert Cruickshankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06906581839066570472noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-81428726181042859402008-08-13T10:20:00.000-07:002008-08-13T10:20:00.000-07:00In the five months I've been running this blog I t...In the five months I've been running this blog I think I've deleted one comment, and as I recall it's because it had a nasty personal attack on someone. I prefer a freewheeling discussion within *very* broad guidelines.<BR/><BR/>I agree that the process of building HSR is inherently political. How can it be otherwise? You're right that politics did play a role in the EIR/EIS decision and that's not a bad thing either.<BR/><BR/>What I want to avoid is the insinuations that I keep hearing, without any evidence, that CHSRA board members have a conflict of interest, or land holdings, or are engaging in other unethical behavior. And the key there is "without any evidence." If folks could find hard evidence then we'll surely discuss it here.<BR/><BR/>But in its absence, if folks want to beat up on the Authority go right ahead. Sometimes they deserve it. All I ask is that the criticisms refrain from making accusations that can't be supported.Robert Cruickshankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06906581839066570472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-64812933763354263572008-08-13T09:42:00.000-07:002008-08-13T09:42:00.000-07:00@ robert cruickshank -I hope you will continue to ...@ robert cruickshank -<BR/><BR/>I hope you will continue to be very judicious in exercising your right to delete comments on this excellent blog.<BR/><BR/>You yourself have pointed out that politics has played a part in the EIR/EIS process, which is to be expected. The whole Altamont vs. Pacheco discussion has been a tug of war between San Jose and Central Valley interests.<BR/><BR/>If anything, the process did not come up with an accurate and neutral summary of the arguments for and against each option. Consequently, it could not articulate a well-reasoned decision. This <I>perceived</I> lack of due process is now the basis of the lawsuit over Altamont vs. Pacheco. $40+ billion is a big chunk of change and how it is spent will benefit some more than others, so genuine due process does matter. Just going through the motions is not good enough.<BR/><BR/>Similarly, the fact that HSR critics are able to post on this blog is a key reason why the mainstream media and the sites of some politicians prefer to quote from <I>your</I> posts and not those of say, derailhsr.com. Refuting arguments is tedious and frustrating, but there is a payoff.<BR/><BR/>@ bikerider -<BR/><BR/>All the countries you mention do pass regular laws by simple majority, though Switzerland - like California - also relies heavily on referenda. Italy's constitution is a mess, but for different reasons.<BR/><BR/>Just because California's railroads are hopelessly antiquated does not mean the state's constitution has to be. My argument actually applied to lawmaking in general.<BR/><BR/>The reason the Western world has <I>representative</I> democracies is precisely that most voters lack the knowledge, skill and/or time to make an informed, well-considered decision on every single issue. That's why they <I>delegate</I> this task to professional politicians.<BR/><BR/>As for prop 1A, it will not be decided on engineering minutiae. Instead, the question is really if Californians want HSR along the proposed route at all. Considering that railroads persist over many decades, seeking the wisdom of the crowd on this particular issue strikes me as a smart idea.Rafaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05471957286484454765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-70630921606638036702008-08-12T17:45:00.000-07:002008-08-12T17:45:00.000-07:00If people are going to make accusations of miscond...If people are going to make accusations of misconduct or unethical behavior, those claims need to be backed up with evidence. It'd be unfair to allow such charged to be made against anybody.<BR/><BR/>I've never had a problem with the HSR deniers posting here. I find it ironic that their own site has no comments whatsoever - we have nothing to hide or fear from open dialogue here.Robert Cruickshankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06906581839066570472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-37010757675960369882008-08-12T17:44:00.000-07:002008-08-12T17:44:00.000-07:00@i.c. weinerRafael is the only voice on this blog ...@i.c. weiner<BR/><BR/>Rafael is the only voice on this blog that has knowledge and is willing to listen as well as advocate.<BR/><BR/>Those of us who oppose this project, respect his views and have learned from them.<BR/><BR/>As far as being anonymous, most writers here try to maintain their privacy. This includes Rafael, and that is just fine.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-90352439478629702792008-08-12T16:56:00.000-07:002008-08-12T16:56:00.000-07:00Where do you get off using language like that towa...Where do you get off using language like that towards a guy who has only been excedingly tolerent towards disinformation diseminated on this blog.<BR/><BR/>Grow up, mister "I'm too chicken sh*t to even identify myself" <BR/><BR/>"Oh rafael, Robert is being mean to me make him stop...boo hoo"<BR/><BR/>In the real world ( ie. not blogworld) when one makes accusations or arguments they support their position with EVIDENCE, not inuendo and slander. If YOU HAVE EVIDENCE, I for one would love to see it, it might change my possition on this.<BR/><BR/>All I've seen from you derail hacks is sour grapes. The last resort of a desperate man.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-336470044083822472008-08-12T16:28:00.000-07:002008-08-12T16:28:00.000-07:00Robert writes:Robert Cruickshank said... Do you...Robert writes:<BR/><BR/>Robert Cruickshank said...<BR/><BR/> <B> Do you have any evidence, bike rider, of "politicization of the CHSRA"? I am not averse to criticizing them but you need to put up or shut up. From now on posts that make those claims without hard evidence will be deleted.</B><BR/><BR/>The Nazi in Robert rises to the top. WOW talk about censoring. The blog will lose all its credibility.<BR/><BR/>Rafael please note.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-85912788738052562432008-08-12T16:24:00.000-07:002008-08-12T16:24:00.000-07:00Do you have any evidence, bike rider, of "politici...Do you have any evidence, bike rider, of "politicization of the CHSRA"? I am not averse to criticizing them but you need to put up or shut up. From now on posts that make those claims without hard evidence will be deleted.Robert Cruickshankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06906581839066570472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-43881757605490240212008-08-12T14:32:00.000-07:002008-08-12T14:32:00.000-07:00Almost everywhere else in the democratic world, si...<I>Almost everywhere else in the democratic world, simple majorities are enough for just about everything except constitutional changes.</I><BR/><BR/>Not true. Just ask the Italians. Or the Germans. Or the Swiss.<BR/><BR/><I>This isn't the 18th century - a modern economy needs technocrats with specialized subject matter expertise</I><BR/><BR/>Well, our railroads are very much 19th-century! <BR/><BR/>But seriously...California technocrats really aren't in the same league as their Swiss/Norweigan/German counterparts in the area of passenger rail. This is actually not that much of an issue because outside help can be hired (case in point: the Argentine, Turk, Korean, and Chinese HSR projects). <BR/><BR/>Rather, the big problem is the politicization of the CHSRA -- much like Bush's DOJ and CIA. So you have politicians saying "all trains have to stop in San Jose", and the engineering staff have to say "ok", even though it might add $10B to the cost and have no conceivable benefit.<BR/><BR/><I>A referendum on a major long-term project like HSR is ok, but such single-issue questions should be the exception rather than the rule.</I><BR/><BR/>A referendum is quite problematic for a big engineering project, because so much of the population in California is totally illiterate in the areas of engineering and mathematics. Note how even on this blog, many (including the main author) would dismiss $10-$20B cost escalations as no big deal -- an amount of money sufficient to build an entire new BART system.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-17714211880209391502008-08-12T12:54:00.000-07:002008-08-12T12:54:00.000-07:00Harry ..are you from Menlo Park?Harry ..are you from Menlo Park?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-72589093528673132182008-08-12T07:36:00.000-07:002008-08-12T07:36:00.000-07:00Click here for another article with a pro-AB 3034 ...<A HREF="http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080812/A_NEWS/808120321/-1/A_NEWS14" REL="nofollow">Click here for another article</A> with a pro-AB 3034 quote from a Sierra Club spokesman (and lawsuit saber-rattling from Stuart Flashman).Matthew Melzerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16918563599426381098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-86338744885627020372008-08-12T07:14:00.000-07:002008-08-12T07:14:00.000-07:00@rafaelI agree with much of your comments regardin...@rafael<BR/><BR/>I agree with much of your comments regarding the State constitution and super majorities.<BR/><BR/>However, the rules in the US senate really mirror these same problems.<BR/><BR/>So the US Senate needs 60 votes of 100 to close off debate, which is really the same kind of added power given to the minority parties.<BR/><BR/>What's is so out of whack here in California right now, is a Governor, who claims to be a Republican, but acts many times, if not most times acts like a Democrat.<BR/><BR/>Here the Republicans have realized what a lousy project this has evolved into, yet the Governor seems, at least right now, to support it. Insiders at the Capitol just shake their heads (on both sides of the political spectrum), and say he just doesn't understand what is really going on; he listens to advisers like David Crane, who comes from the venture/private capital world and who on this project is looking for a vehicle for his friends in that world to make a killing.<BR/><BR/>Why in the world doesn't the CHSRA board have real railroad people, rather than spouses of State senators etc.<BR/><BR/>The project is headed to defeat. Poor Robert will forever be preaching the "state can't afford to not build this HSR"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-22264810412999443482008-08-12T04:26:00.000-07:002008-08-12T04:26:00.000-07:00Well folks, this is what happens when your constit...Well folks, this is what happens when your constitution is so messed up you need a supermajority for even basic legislative tasks like budgets. Almost everywhere else in the democratic world, simple majorities are enough for just about everything except constitutional changes.<BR/><BR/>Representative democracy is the least bad form of government only if elected officials actually have a chance to formulate a coherent package of policies, enact them into law and be held to account at the next general election. This isn't the 18th century - a modern economy needs technocrats with specialized subject matter expertise, not a bunch of generalists with gerrymandered constituencies.<BR/><BR/>A referendum on a major long-term project like HSR is ok, but such single-issue questions should be the exception rather than the rule. As it is, some 80% of the state's discretionary spending is allocated through propositions yet the Assembly, Senate and Governor are still responsible for the budget as a whole. Common sense should tell you that's a recipe for chronic problems.<BR/><BR/>This blog is focused on HSR, but recent events have highlighted why California has fallen so far behind on essential public works efforts. Remember, the constitution is really just the infrastructure for making regular laws and, it has more potholes than all the highways put together. At some point, muddling through will no longer be an option.Rafaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05471957286484454765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-11176412013693012432008-08-12T03:24:00.000-07:002008-08-12T03:24:00.000-07:00@bikeriderYou make good points here. I wonder if w...@bikerider<BR/><BR/>You make good points here. <BR/><BR/>I wonder if we will see the promised business plan? Without peer review by a "real" panel, it won't mean much anyway.<BR/><BR/>Morshed says 42-45 billion to build the project and I presume the business plan, if it is produced, will say the same. The ridiculous ridership numbers generated by "Cambridge" are a classic case of "garbage in garbage out" in computer language.<BR/><BR/>The project is a pig; it should be slaughtered right now.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-79783829183807938062008-08-11T22:29:00.000-07:002008-08-11T22:29:00.000-07:00Most likely it did not pass because the provisions...Most likely it did not pass because the provisions in AB3034 were far too trivial to bother with.<BR/><BR/>The hand-picked technical advisory committee won't have any real power to provide fiscal oversight. And while the prohibition against a Los Banos station was a nice gesture, everyone knows that this will be removed once develop pressures build up.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-40127467142111046072008-08-11T20:09:00.000-07:002008-08-11T20:09:00.000-07:00Maybe, just maybe the votes aren't there to pass A...Maybe, just maybe the votes aren't there to pass AB-3034 in the Assembly.<BR/><BR/>The Senate made a lot of changes, some of which really riled up the republicans.<BR/><BR/>All may not be what it appears.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-85779378607114319952008-08-11T19:41:00.000-07:002008-08-11T19:41:00.000-07:00That's an interesting idea, tony. "Vote for them b...That's an interesting idea, tony. "Vote for them both!" would work for me, but you'll see conflicting messages from various groups - the Sierra Club, for example, would be saying "No on 1/Yes on 1A" which is itself confusing.<BR/><BR/>In any campaign, but especially ballot measures, simplicity is key. Find a core message and hammer it home. Having to deal with two ballot props undermines that. Perhaps not fatally, but it's better to have one than two.<BR/><BR/>The irony is I strongly doubt that Prop 1(A)'s fate is going to hinge on whether AB 3034 passes and I don't think most voters know enough to have their opinions swayed by the rather technical differences between the two. AB 3034's value is it would make the HSR coalition bigger, and if it helps get someone like the Sierra Club on board without jeopardizing the project, well, so much the better.<BR/><BR/>I think the world of Speaker Karen Bass, and I agree that this is a sensible decision - especially if all sides agree that resolving this in a way that gives voters in November clarity is key. <BR/><BR/>Plus the quote from Arnold's spokesman was pretty damn good - our activism might just have paid off there.Robert Cruickshankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06906581839066570472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-8222084053276761072008-08-11T19:36:00.000-07:002008-08-11T19:36:00.000-07:00Given the risk of Schwarzenegger not signing the b...Given the risk of Schwarzenegger not signing the bill and using it as a prop to cite the legislature as not being focused and prod them into action on the budget.... <BR/>....I feel Karen Bass made a wise deciscion.<BR/><BR/>I'd rather see AB3034 inacted, but the risk was too great for a conflict.Brandon in Californiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14796810137823230737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-3264134467262079302008-08-11T19:19:00.000-07:002008-08-11T19:19:00.000-07:00Robert,Only if it came down to this: Would a "Vote...Robert,<BR/>Only if it came down to this: Would a "Vote Yes for Prop.1/Prop.1A" bundle work? With Prop. 1A language superceeding Prop.1? Just thinking way outside the box. As for today's news making passage of the bond immensely more difficult, I believe the %56 polling in favor was with the original language. AB3034 might have put approval above %60, but without it HSR should do just fine this November. lastly, good to see voters who won't get initial service, and those in affected areas, supporting HSR...we need more of you!Tony D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/03392232221747908883noreply@blogger.com