Yesterday there was a diary criticizing CA Prop 1A and I felt the need to respond.
This is something I wrote for my Political Science class.
(First time diary, be gentle)
All my information comes from the California High Speed Rail Blog, a great blog on the subject.
If you are in California, please vote yes on Prop 1a.
California High Speed Rail Legislative Initiative Amendment
This Year, California voters will be deciding on Proposition 1A. This proposition will allow the state to sell 9.95 Billion Dollars in Bonds to begin financing a statewide high-speed rail network to service intercity travel in California. Right now, you have 4 options to travel throughout the state, to drive, take the bus, take the train, or to fly. Driving takes a long time and is very exhausting, and is getting more costly each year with the massive increase in gas prices. The bus is uncomfortable, and to the train is very slow. To fly is very expensive and is getting more unpleasant each year. High Speed rail will provide Californians with another option. High-speed rail is fast, clean, and comfortable, while providing travel from city center to city center.
Detractors of Prop 1A like to point to the high cost of the system saying that these funds could be used elsewhere and now is not the time to begin new spending. The problem is however; not building the system will cost more. Our airports and highways are already running at maximum capacity and will need massive spending to increase capacity. An editorial in The Fresno Bee writes "Expanding Highway 99 in the Valley to an eight-lane interstate would cost as much as $25 billion alone -- and that's just to serve the Valley, not the entire state." These highway improvements will become necessary if the new high speed rail system is not built. As the editorial clearly states, this will only service the central valley and will not address overcrowding at LAX and SFO international airports.
Even from a pure fiscal standpoint, California’s Legislative Analyst’s Office shows that the state can afford more bond debt at this time. Our current debt/service ratio is at only 4.4% of our current spending. Even if all of the Bond Measures on the 2008 Ballot pass the debt/service ratio will still only be 6.2% in 2011, and will quickly drop in the years to come.
As the price of oil has skyrocketed, the need for new transport options in California has never been more apparent. The costs of flying, driving, and the other transit options have all been affected. High Speed rail provides another option that is not directly tied to the price of oil. California’s High Speed Rail network will be powered by electricity and will be positioned to take advantage of all the developments in renewable sources of electricity. In Spain, a country that is similar to California in size, geography, and population density, has had a resounding success with their new high-speed rail system. Ridership is above expectations and the system is making a profit. "By 2010, Spain will have the largest HSR network in the world"
California needs this system to remain competitive in the global economies. Our current infrastructure is tied to the price of oil, leaving us vulnerable to the rising price in oil. This project will create 160,000 new jobs in the construction industry at a time when the industry is being decimated by falling housing prices, and lack of demand for new homes. This project will also create 450, 000 new jobs in associated industries such as tourism. These are American jobs that cannot be outsourced.
The political will to act is there on the national level. Congress is ready to support high-speed rail projects. Congressman John Kerry (D- MA) and Congressman Johnny Isakson (R – GA) have both voiced the idea for creating a new fund to provide for new high-speed rail projects.
Now is the time to for California to embrace high-speed rail. Al the pieces are in place. We have the support of the federal, state, and local governments, the political will to act, the support of environmental, trade, and transit organizations, and the need for alternatives to our current transportation options been so great. California has a choice this November to vote yes on Prop 1A and provide California with modern fast transportation comparable with any other around the world or to vote no on Prop 1A and to continue on our same path of car dependence and continue expanding our airports and highways to keep up with demand.
Vote Yes on Prop 1A