California Republican Wants To Take Back HSR Funds
Jerry Lewis, a Republican Congressman from Southern California (Redlands, to be specific), is leading his party’s efforts to use their majority to embarrass and frustrate President Barack Obama’s efforts at economic recovery by proposing a bill to take back all unspent stimulus funds – including California’s $2 billion in high speed rail money:
Wasting no time after a victorious midterm election, GOP Congressional leaders who promised to slash spending are looking to make an example out of the nation’s priciest public works project: California’s $43 billion high-speed railroad.
A coalition of 27 House Republicans, led by the ranking member of the committee that controls spending, wants to yank $2 billion in stimulus funds promised to California to kick start the massive project.
U.S. Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Redlands, last week introduced the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Rescission Act,” which would return the final $12 billion in unspent and uncommitted stimulus funds to the U.S. Treasury to help fight the $1.3 trillion U.S. deficit.
About half the remaining stimulus money is set aside for planned high-speed rail projects. The largest is in California, which has spent nearly $200 million of its $2.25 billion award on planning but is saving the rest for construction.
It’s worth noting that if nothing is done – if this bill dies and no other bill undermining stimulus funding is approved – then the status quo remains. Congress has already authorized this money to be spent, so the Executive Branch can award the funds and deliver them from the US Treasury to the state of California.
Is this a serious threat to the HSR project? Hard to tell. It’s difficult to imagine this getting through the US Senate or getting the president’s signature. Unfortunately, Democrats have also become adept at making “compromises” to appease the right in the rather odd belief that doing so would help Democratic fortunes, so we can’t rule this out entirely.
Republicans are making noise about using the spring vote on raising the country’s debt ceiling to force massive spending cuts. That would be the moment when I could envision Obama caving to the Republicans. He has made a big show of his support for high speed rail, but if Republicans are forcing him to choose between a national debt default and cutting back his HSR program, well, I’m not convinced Obama would call the Republicans’ bluff.
It should be obvious that cutting these funds would be an insanely reckless thing to do – but that’s the House Republican Caucus for you. They’ve totally abandoned any effort to provide economic recovery or build new infrastructure, and are determined to shackle this country to its cars in order to enrich their oil company friends.
The best way to stop this from happening is to take action. We’re going to be doing that as soon as we can. Californians will need to speak up loudly to ensure that our Senators and the president don’t cave in to these ludicrous and reckless Republican demands.
The congressman from Redlands would make better headlines referencing TSAs paying $200,000 each for their 373 body scanners and approx. 700 more on the way. Why didn’t these people challenge the trillion dollar cost of the “off the books” Iraq War, financed by China, which ran up the deficit in the first place?
Obama is a weak leader. There, I said it. he’s just not experienced enough and has a pathetic desire to be liked, not feared. The GOP wants to destroy him, and he wants to play nice bipartisanship with them. It’s exactly what we do not need in tough times.
D. P. Lubic Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 4:50 am
Obama has disappointments, that’s true, and things like this are why I call the Republicans the Repugnant Ones, but my real disappointment is in my fellow citizens who fall for the Repugnant Ones who, as Robert said, want to keep us chained to cars and the oil biz.
Such things make me wish they would take Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” off the air; I’m not “proud to be an American” in these times. (And besides, Kate Smith and Irving Berlin did it better back in the day.)
On the other hand, we may have one good thing about this, and that is that this fight is in the open as it is. In the past, high interest in passenger rail redevelopment was smothered by the debate on the Vietnam war, got sidetracked in the 80s culture wars (which is part of what drives the “conservative” vs. “liberal” debate now), and most recently was delayed (again!) by the health care fight. Now we have the spotlight!
We need to get out the facts that (a) the highway system is unsustainable and too expensive, (b) that rail transit, ranging from light rail to HSR is cool and fun (and there is a lot we can learn about that from the “olde tyme” school that some are so critical of here, see that California Zephyr virtual museum site), and (c) that we need to quit misusing our military (most of the members of which are underpaid for what they do) as the muscle for an oil company protection racket.
Robert, if you and your Democrats can’t do something both factual and passionate with that, even in spite of Obama’s own weaknesses (and for what it’s worth, I still think he was the better of the choices we had available), then we deserve the Repugnant Ones and their corporate and oil tyrany.
What would one of my posts be without links? William Draves, of the LERN Institute, and a big proponent that the internet is what drives kids driving less (I think he greatly overplays it, although it is a factor), and his most recent comments on the Tea Party and electric cars:
http://nineshift.typepad.com/weblog/2010/11/the-future-of-the-tea-party.html
http://nineshift.typepad.com/weblog/2010/11/breaking-news-latest-problem-with-electric-cars.html#comments
Robert Cruickshank Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 6:52 am
Totally agreed. So far we’re seeing a replay of the Carter Administration at best, the Buchanan Administration at worst. Spring 2011 will show us what Obama is really made of.
Peter Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 9:36 am
I say Obama should give the Republicans two months in the House to give them a “chance” to be bipartisan, aka prove they’re incapable of doing so, and then start hitting them HARD with the message of being obstructionist.
synonymouse Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 11:44 am
Barack’s dilemma can be summed up, unfortunately for him, by observing that the American majority expected a president from Illinois but got one from San Francisco.
jimsf Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 5:24 pm
ha, obama is no where even close to having bay area politics. On what planet to you live?
Is this the part where I’m suppose to not say something nasty about republicans…
What are you suppose to do with a party who, in such dire times, is more focused on revenge for revenge sake than on helping the country. Republicans are the sleaze of the earth. They liars, they are hypocrites, they are pathetic and the embodiment of evil. Smarmy, sleazy, underhanded and disgusting. They make me sick. The same goes for anyone who gives them a pass.
D. P. Lubic Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 5:00 am
You don’t have to say anything nasty, Jim.
You just have to tell the truth about them, like Harry Truman!
Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho!
jimsf Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 5:08 am
and now I have to go to work with “republican” on the the brain. smarmy sleazy sobs…. ugh.
D. P. Lubic Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 4:23 pm
Just a good read, with some interesting perspectives.
http://www.nationalcorridors.org/df2/df11222010.shtml#TheCost
D. P. Lubic Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 5:50 am
Here’s a start on the truth:
http://capntransit.blogspot.com/2010/11/gift-from-randal-otoole.html
YesonHSR Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 5:57 am
As stated nothing will happen with this bill…pure grandstanding they just want media attention.And the area he represents is open desert and defense bases..so I dont wan to hear from him the wasteful FED spending spin when large amounts flow to his district
Victor Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 7:10 am
His Bill will never pass and yep, He knows It and so do We, Cause Democrats hold the High Ground(Senate and White House), It would be nice when the Congressional districts are redrawn by the redistricting commission, So that We could vote out these Repugnican Trolls.
Missiondweller Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 9:45 am
I’m guessing the reason these “Republican trolls” were voted in might have something to do with a Democratic majority that sought to get their way by writing bills behind closed doors literally in the dead of night then forcing a vote before anyone could read the legislation.
The American people didn’t like the “Democrat politburo” and now we face a backlash. Its unfortunate that HSR has become the target of spending reductions and I hope they find other areas to cut and let California move forward but the posters here that completely ignore the irresponsible way that Democrats governed and created the historic loss of democrats seats are woefully out of touch with most of America. Democrats brought this onto themselves and now WE ALL HAVE TO PAY with concern to HSR.
Peter Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 9:54 am
The main reason for the “historic loss” you talk about is people being “angry” at the state of the economy. Blaming a current government that has been in power for less than 2 years for the state of the economy is unrealistic. 2 years are too short a time to have any major influence on the course of the economy.
And yes, I did argue the same thing about the Bush Administration. 2 years is too short to really know what impact an Administration’s policy would have on the economy, good or bad.
Ben Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 9:54 am
“I’m guessing the reason these “Republican trolls” were voted in might have something to do with a Democratic majority that sought to get their way by writing bills behind closed doors literally in the dead of night then forcing a vote before anyone could read the legislation.”
Like the tens of millions of dollars in secret donations the largest corporations and oligarchs used to buy this election for the GO(B)P?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/22/opinion/22mon1.html?scp=1&sq=donations%20AND%20crossroads%20&st=cse
The reason why Republicans won this election is simply because of jobs and the frustration with the 9.5 percent unemployment rate. This is not to comment on the wisdom of voting for a party that wants to deny those who are without jobs unemployment assistance or that has no plans for putting people back to work, other than more massive tax cuts for the wealthiest 2 percent.
D. P. Lubic Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 3:01 pm
Public money for sports stadiums? Always thought that was silly.
Gambling venues that “lose” money? A gambling establishment is essentially a private mint! Something’s wrong there, and it isn’t in Washington. . .
I was looking for a clip from one of the Pink Panther movies, in which one character tells his gangster boss, “Something is cahootsa around here.” Instead, I found this. Now, I like bluegrass, to me it’s the best music in the world, but this is just a slight bit crude for me. At the same time, I think some people here might enjoy it. . .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzZV0mhxQeU
D. P. Lubic Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 4:06 pm
A special for Robert, which I admit is about as off-topic as can be, but it’s good for a smile or two, especially if you like cats as I do. . .
http://www.catster.com/group/Democats-3761
jimsf Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 5:28 pm
Loved that!
synonymouse Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 11:31 am
Boondoggling is becoming a hot button issue for the general public:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/22/nyregion/22train.html
This is what happens when essentially logical and reasonable projects are hijacked by politicians and dumbed-down or otherwise rendered dysfunctiional. In the case of the CHSRA Palmdale in the south and San Jose in the north managed to twist the routing for their benefit and in the process have undermined the viability of the whole undertaking. PB was permitted to arbitrarily dismiss both the I-5 median and Tejon options with a flip of the wrist. To top it off Kopp and Diridon resolved to pick a stupid and gratuitous fight with the Peninsula over berms and aerials. PAMPA is mostly liberal and supportive of putative “green” undertakings like the hsr and you have to wonder if these two senescent functionaries aren’t working out some long-simmering vendetta with their constituents.
Ditto with the Central Subway, allowed to be totally screwed up by a local ward healer.
Appoint Richard Tolmach to the CHSRA. The public deserves an ombudsman amidst all those PB zombies.
tony d. Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 3:28 pm
It must suck to be miserable like syno!
synonymouse Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 5:36 pm
You really want to build out a third-rate ghetto scheme? Like those 60′ Fresno aerials which will be the instant objects of derision. This is no Roman aqueduct but an Embarcadero Freeway with rails.
Why not go for something transcendental instead of duplicating the UP with bigger and longer tunnels? You might just as well pay the UP to lay more track and install catenary.
StevieB Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 2:55 pm
With Republican governors winning in many states redistricting for the next election will favor Republicans.
Republicans forget who started this defecit with the Trillion Dollar war that was borrowed to push an agenda and control the wealth of another country and take out it’s leaders for not cooperating. Then they play a back and forth game of the blame game. I say that the Dem, GOP fight has no place in any recovery effort. It will not happen and if you chose a side you will contribute to the fighting battle, if you chose to Opt. Out then you will be called un-American. I’d rather Opt-Out and just focus on what will progress our society so it’s better than when we first started and not put it on a treadmill getting us nowhere. What I’m saying is that basically you can say I side with Dem’s but I don’t, because at the end of the day, it’s the same damn people at the top pulling the strings on both sides and all of you people thinking it’s a battle between good and evil. Of course your party being the good and the other being the evil. What a joke!
YesonHSR Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 8:26 pm
I think it might be time to end the federal gas tax and return the money to each state where it comes from.! You’ll hear all these red states start screaming when they have actually pay for all their roads instead of mooching off the blue donor states.. of course that doesn’t include Texas which I’m sure would go along with the plan since they are also a donor state. You probably get a nice increase in all of our transit systems including funding high-speed rail without waiting for some pathetic handout that we have to beg for from DC.
NEWS FLASH
We are hearing from the Governors office the prioirty corridor will be Shafter to Madera and they will be using the existing Amtrack stations in these tiny towns. Even though the stimlus funding specifically states that two High Speed Rail stations must be constructed. I am sure President Obama intention was not laying a bunch of tracks in the middle of the valley without stations.
I dare any bloggers to prove me wrong!
StevieB Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 2:57 pm
Is the bond legislation worded so that a segment built must contain two stations or does it say stations must be new construction?
J. Wong Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 3:07 pm
What? This isn’t a “News Flash” without a reference. That said, the alignment would include the Fresno station, at least. The use of existing stations would apply to the San Joaquins that could use the new track if HSR is delayed. None of this is in conflict with the White House’s intentions as specified in the ARRA.
observer Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 3:26 pm
ARRA is irrelevent… The California state bond however requires the CHSRA to show the following before AB3034 bonds can be appropriated:
(E)The projected ridership and operating revenue estimate based on
projected high-speed passenger train operations on the corridor or usable
segment.
(G) Construction of the corridor or usable segment thereof can be
completed as proposed in the plan.
(H) The corridor or usable segment thereof would be suitable and ready
for high-speed train operation.
(I) One or more passenger service providers can begin using the tracks
or stations for passenger train service.
(J) The planned passenger service by the authority in the corridor or
usable segment thereof will not require a local, state, or federal operating subsidy.
Gee Wiz, The people of the state of California must have really known what they were doing when they voted for this measure – they want HSR, they ONLY want it if it will pay for itself, and they aren’t going to pay for any half finished piece of Amtrak tracks.
observer Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 4:19 pm
Ok Peter – just for clarity’s sake just below in describing what the authority must submit tot he legislature it clarifies that point…
(D) the planned passenger train service to be provided by the
authority, or pursuant to its authority, will not require operating subsidy,
and
YESONHSR Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 5:06 pm
This is the Fresno-Bakersfield section as I thought and it will have a new Station in Fresno and it will have a connection to the existing Bakersfield station so its not really just between those 2 little towns as it connects on either end it current passenger rail..
Risenmessiah Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 7:27 pm
Um, there is no Amtrak station in Shafter.
Otherwise, what you said makes sense. ARRA money can pay for the area outside of Hanford and Fresno, and use Fresno to Hanford as a match. That way, almost the entire Central Valley segment is built in one shot. Not to mention Jim Costa gets a huge boost for his district, UP is avoided, and Mayor Swearagin gets credit too.
YesonHSR Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 8:34 pm
Correct there is no Amtrak station in Shafter no will there be this is just the point at which the high-speed right-of-way will merge with the current and temporary BNSF entry into Bakersfield, and yes it is a great first segment about 127 miles long with the new high-speed rail station in downtown Fresno. After that it’s not much more to get to Merced and then will have the main 200mph spine completed. Then comes the big fight a link with the Bay Area first or the LA metro area and who has enough money to complete the first link though we are all one big effort here to get phase on open in the fall 2020.. I can’t wait to start construction in the Valley
J. Wong Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 8:47 pm
Me too. I’ll be watching all the milestones with high anticipation.
E – cant wait to the see ridership and revenue projections for THIS usable segement (with exactly two stations, one in shafter and one in Madera? HA
G – so THIS usable segment, fully funded, can be completed with this bond appropriation…
H – here’s your answer on the existing stations… Are the ready for HSR train operation? If not, then the CHSRA plans will have to include rebuilding those stations. Are THOSE among the 24 in the plan? Or are the building EXTRA stations now besides?
I – Ok, for sake of yuks – lets say this will Amtrak San Joaquins
J – Wait, isn’t Amtrak subsidized????
Peter Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 4:04 pm
Note (j): “The planned passenger service by the Authority”
The Authority is not planning on running trains on this segment. Therefore they do not have to meet the subsidy requirement of AB3034.
synonymouse Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 5:44 pm
The Arnie and Jerry Show will have to get a compliant judge to effectively invalidate parts of Prop 1A they don’t like. I expect we are going to see some lawyering-up all around.
J. Wong Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 5:59 pm
Like anything, it’s open to interpretation, not invalidation. It’s not clear whether the ridership and revenue projections need to apply to the usable segment or to the ultimate full corridor. So running the subsidized San Joaquins on the tracks wouldn’t count because it’s not the Authority doing it. The existing stations are not planned for HSR-service so any requirements around that do not apply. And as been discussed before, HSR ready means just that the track is ready once electrification is completed, which is a separate issue from building the tracks themselves.
synonymouse Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 6:16 pm
The word that was coined to describe this type of argumentation is “casuistry”. Or to quote Uncle Junior from the Sopranos: “Be sure to get him to commit – he is a slippery f**k”. They don’t make more slippery than Prop 1A.
J. Wong Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 7:19 pm
Life is ambiguous. It is simply impossible for any human affairs to not be imprecise. Get over it.
peninsula Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 7:41 pm
Usable segment ready for HSR operations. That’s what is says. NOt electrified? Not ready for HSR operations. Wong – just because its not clear TO YOU, doesn’t mean its not clear. Its actually quite clear that they consider an application for appropriation for the of building a usable segment or corridor that meets all of the above criteria. The farther away from a segment (and closer to a corridor) you get, the less in compliance with the rest of the requirements. For example, will they have 100% funding identified for a corridor? Will they have 100% environmental signoff, ready to break ground, for an entire corridor?
J. Wong Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 8:03 pm
It’s very clear to me, and I’m assuming the Authority, exactly what is required. That’s what the lawyers do. The funds will be released for the initial construction of the Central Valley segment 50% matched by the ARRA funds. And it will be done meeting the legal requirements of Prop 1A.
And yes, I fully expect lawsuits to be filed and quickly tossed out after review by a judge, just as the PAMPAS lawsuit over the EIR was tossed (not that they won’t try again).
Couldn’t immediately find what I was looking for on this site (was looking for a report on a trip to Atlantic City and an alternative future for it, as its casinos are “losing” money, too, and at least some people are considering what amounts to a bailout of the casinos–phooey!) but the site is what I think is cool, and the manager is big on trains–they are part of his “recipe for an American Renaisance” . . .
http://www.roadsideonline.com/
Doesn’t Lewis’ position go against that of John Mica? Speaking of Lewis, this stupid piece of GOP legislation may prove to be positive for the Dems/nation in the future.
We’re starting to see just how extreme these Tea Party wing nuts really are. Two more years of this “no taxes for anything except the rich and wars” and the Dems will romp once again come Nov 2012.
I hope youi’re right but this assumes voters will pay attention. The Chamber of Commerce, Karl Rove’s group, and the other oligarchs will also spend whatever it takes to buy the election and lie and distort facts to confuse voters. It also assumes there will be no 100% manufactured issues such as the Burlington Coat Factory mosque to distract voters from the GO(B)P’s record on the economy.
This bill is hardly worth talking about. It will not pass the Senate, and will not be signed by the President.