Macedo eyes shifting $1 billion from High-Speed Rail for water infrastructure, wildfire protection

The cost of the Merced to Bakersfield portion of the scam known as the High Speed Rail will be approximately $130 billion.  Only the rich will be able to afford a ticket on this less than 200 miles route. Now it is obvious that for the next four years the Feds will not give it another dime, leaving is about $120 billion short!

“The big picture: Assembly Bill 267 would redirect $1 billion in annual state funding for the California High-Speed Rail Authority that comes from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. 

• AB 267 would redirect 25% of annual proceeds from the fund that currently go to the High-Speed Rail Authority to the general fund to enhance funding for water infrastructure and wildfire protection. 
• Allocating funding for water infrastructure and wildfire protection projects would be at the Legislature’s discretion within the general fund.”

This boondoggle for donors, friends of politicians and unions must stop.  We can not it while the State is in deficit and crippling taxes and costly regulations.

Macedo eyes shifting $1 billion from High-Speed Rail for water infrastructure, wildfire protection

High-Speed Rail is now estimated to cost around $100 billion more than first expected when voters approved the project in 2008.

by Daniel Gligich, The Sun,  1/23/25  https://sjvsun.com/california/macedo-proposes-bill-to-redirect-1-billion-from-high-speed-rail-to-water-infrastructure-wildfire-protection/

A new proposal would redirect $1 billion annually that is earmarked for High-Speed Rail to wildfire prevention and water infrastructure in California. 

The bill was introduced by Asm. Alexandra Macedo (R–Tulare). 

The big picture: Assembly Bill 267 would redirect $1 billion in annual state funding for the California High-Speed Rail Authority that comes from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. 

• AB 267 would redirect 25% of annual proceeds from the fund that currently go to the High-Speed Rail Authority to the general fund to enhance funding for water infrastructure and wildfire protection. 
• Allocating funding for water infrastructure and wildfire protection projects would be at the Legislature’s discretion within the general fund. 

Driving the news: High-Speed Rail was initially approved by California voters in 2008 with an estimated cost of $33 billion to cover Los Angeles to San Francisco. 

• But costs have ballooned over the last 17 years, with the authority spending $13.7 billion so far with a projected budget for the whole project now reaching around $130 billion. 

What they’re saying: “Families are devastated beyond words, and entire communities have been wiped out by the raging wildfires in Southern California,” Macedo said. “Sadly, this is not a unique catastrophe. The State needs to do more to prevent such tragic disasters.”

• Macedo called High-Speed Rail a “colossal failure.” 
• “The $1 billion spent on High-Speed Rail each year would be better spent on the protection of lives, homes and jobs against wildfire and securing water infrastructure for our economy to grow,” Macedo said. 
• Along with Macedo’s bill, which will likely face opposition from the Democratic supermajority in Sacramento, Rep. Vince Fong (R–Bakersfield) said he will advocate for California water and wildfire protection projects on the federal level. 
• “The state needs to do something differently. It is crucial that the state act with a sense of urgency and dedicate more resources to remove vegetation and properly manage forests to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires,” Fong said. “Our state has endured years of multiple wildfires persevering through unfortunate devastation, and this is a better use of precious taxpayer dollars. I will advocate on the federal level to help to protect Californians from wildfires and strengthen our water infrastructure.”