"US Dept. of Transportation cancels nearly $1 billion grant for California's high speed rail project"
Original Article, CNN source
Original Article, CNN source
Summary:
In his first State of the State Address on February 12, 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom of California declared that the state's high speed rail project would "cost too much" and "take too long." Governor Newsom thus ends the plan to build a high speed railroad across the state connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles, which was introduced by Jerry Brown as the previous governor.
State of the State Address TIME Clip
The project's total initial funding of $3.5 billion came from two sources: the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 which provided $2.553 billion and the Consolidated Appropriations Act which provided $929 million. President Donald Trump aims to collect back all the funding. The US Department of Transportation announced on February 19 that the $929 million federal grant to the California High-Speed Rail Authority has been cancelled.
However, the $2.553 billion grant is under agreements, making it harder for the Trump Administration to get the funding returned. California has no obligation to return the $2.553 billion, but the Administration continues to fight for it legally, declaring how the project has not met its expectations and thus is not entitled to the grant.
In response to President Trump's tweet criticizing the project as a "disaster" and demanding back the funding, Governor Newsom declares that he will fight to keep the money. Governor Newsom also claims that California will build high speed rail, but only focusing on connecting areas of the Central Valley. He sees Trump's motive of attacking the rail project is to find more funding for the wall on the southern American border and in response to California leading a lawsuit against President Trump for declaring a national emergency on the border.
Fake news. We’re building high-speed rail, connecting the Central Valley and beyond.— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) February 14, 2019
This is CA’s money, allocated by Congress for this project. We’re not giving it back.
The train is leaving the station — better get on board!
(Also, desperately searching for some wall $$??) https://t.co/9hxEfEX8Vm
Reaction:
The conflict over the funding of the high speed rail seems to be a result of a polarization in domestic politics. Democrats are unwilling to compromise with the Republicans and both sides work against each others' policies.
Connection:
The desire for high speed rail in California to better transport goods and people connects to the use of railroads for mobilization during WWII and the Silk Road. During WWII, the need for the construction of railroads gave civilians jobs and mobilized the home front. The completed railroads were used for the mobilization of armies as trains transported troops and their supplies to and from battles. For the same purpose of building high speed rail in California, the Silk Road was created to better connect economic centers throughout Asia and facilitate the transport of goods and technology.
Discussion questions:
- Is Trump justified in wanting to get back the funding from the cancelled high speed rail road project? Why or why not?
- Is Newsom's decision to stop the construction of the high speed rail in California justified? Why or why not?
- What is the main obstacle of building high speed railway systems? Is it the cost, or is it something else?
Trump is not justified for wanting to get back funding. I think the high speed rail road project is a great idea because it will improve the lives of many people who live in California. It will provide an efficient way to get to and from the two big cities which will be very nice for many people. I hate how Trump is trying to ruin these great projects just to build a practically useless wall out in the middle of now where. Newsom's decision to stop the construction seems to be influenced politically. In your article he says "It's no coincidence that the Administration's threat comes 24 hours after California led 16 states in challenging the President's farcical 'national emergency." These seems contradictory though because in another article by CBS Sacramento it says that "the state risked having to return $3.5 billion in federal money if building stops." If this is true, then why would Newsom want to stop the construction, knowing it would risk losing the money. I think there is another reason then that he isn't telling the public. The main obstacle for building the high speed railway system is the cost. It is very expensive and it is not a necessity. Air planes will still be a faster way to travel from San Fransisco to LA so the train will only be important for people who want to save money. Also, Elon Musk is developing a hyperloop with the same intensions which further devalues the high speed train idea.
ReplyDeletehttps://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2019/02/12/gov-newsom-pulls-plug-high-speed-rail/
In my opinion I believe that the bullet train railroad was an amazing idea based on the current traffic issue in California especially in San Francisco and LA. The project is estimated to cost roughly $3.5 billion dollars compared to California’s yearly spending being extremely high.(https://ballotpedia.org/California_state_budget_and_finances) On top of this project not making a large dent in california’s yearly spending the annual cost repairing and overseeing the caltrain system is $13.6 billion dollars a year since 2018. (https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3745) The caltrain is effective but not nearly as effective as the bullet train system would be and the bullet train would also lower pollution levels with less cars on the road along with the replacement of the caltrain system overtime. Stopping the production of the bullet train system did not make much sense as California does have the budget for it along with the fact it is “green friendly” which most democrats would support. The only plausible reason I can see for stopping the production of the bullet train would be safety concerns but those could be solved relatively easily with good engineering. At the same time I can see why Trump is upset and why he wants the money back as money was given to CA for this project just for CA to cancel the project once receiving the money. CA doesn’t have to give the money back but in way I feel it isn’t right to keep it especially when CA has the highest budget in the US and the money could be given to another state with a much lower budget as Texas has only 10 million less citizens but is receiving at least $80 billion dollars less every year.(https://ballotpedia.org/Total_state_government_expenditures) If CA is not going to use the money for the railroad system the money should be given back the the US gov as it is taxpayer money and be allocated to other projects around the US.
ReplyDeleteI agree that building a high speed railroad would be a good idea and that Newsom's decision to cancel production was rather disappointing. However, as others also mentioned, the calculations for the amount of time and money that the project would require seemed unreliable. At the same time, I agree with your idea that building a high speed railroad in California would be both possible and beneficial, especially with better planning. This efficient form of transportation would lower pollution levels and the economic benefits would outweigh the cost. Precise engineering and planning would account for any environmental concerns, maintenance, and residence issues. I also agree with your stance on the issue of the funding for the railroad. Because the railroad was not completed as promised, it seems reasonable that Trump wants the funding returned, although California does have the right to keep it.
DeleteI actually understand from both points of view. I think because we're Californians, we're probably going to be biased. I personally agree with Newsom in that Trump shouldn't demand the money. After all, we are still using it. However, I also kind of agree that it's not the most efficient way to spend it. Like Joshua said, there are other states who may need it for more important things than an extra means of transportation. It's an unnecessary project that I believe is being used by Newsom as a way to spite our president. I have no objections to that, but I think that was an added bonus as to why Newsom is going ahead and still building the railroad even though it won't span as far as initially intended. The length of the railroad is the only thing that's being hindered by money and time costs. Trump is trying to do away with the entire project altogether.
ReplyDeleteThe obstacle for building a high speed railway system isn't money. This is because money is easily funded through the government and supporters of the idea. The main obstacle would be time. The amount of time it takes to build a railway system from San Francisco to Los Angeles would take several years. Gathering the materials, planning out the path for the railway, and actually constructing the railway would eat away at time. Also, another obstacle would be lack of practicality. I don't think people really need a high speed railway system just yet. Cars are and have been serving people well for the past century. The amount of people that would take this railway system might just prefer to take an airplane. Also, since the railway is restricted to only in California, it's not really worth building. When all these factors come into hand, it prevents the railway system from being built.
ReplyDeleteI think that Donald Trump is not justified for taking the money from the state of California. In my opinion, this could be another way for Trump to get his money for the wall, which is unacceptable. Gavin said, "this is CA's money, allocated by the Congress for this project". I believe that Trump can't walk in and snatch the money like it's his. I think Newsom's decision to stop the conjunction of the High speed Rail in California is justified. As Technology advances, there will be better ways to travel and a bullet train Will be old and outdated. For example we look at iPhones, each year there's something new recently since I came out with the new foldable phone. Just like that the train will be up to date. Not to mention, building a new rail system will have to change the infrastructures from San Francisco to LA. I think the main obstacles will be the time it will take to make it. Like I said before, by the time we finish building the train tracks, new technology will surpass the bullet train. https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/19/politics/california-high-speed-rail-cancel-grant/index.html
ReplyDeleteTrump is not at all justified in demanding the funding back just like that. I do not think that he had considered the entire picture before making his decision. The high speed railways have many economic and environmental benefits as well as increased convenience and mobility, so I see no reason for the project to be discontinued. In the article, the main obstacles of building the high speed railway systems is cost and time. However, I disagree because I believe that the construction of this railway will eventually be profitable in both convenience and money. The website https://www.apta.com/highspeedrail/benefits/Pages/default.aspx lists many different benefits of the railway network, as well as stating that “Every $1 invested creates $4 in economic benefits”. This means that although the project seems like a great deal of money, it eventually will have powerful benefits to our development in infrastructure. Many other countries have already been able to develop this high speed network, especially China.
ReplyDeleteAn American writer from https://www.forbes.com/sites/salvatorebabones/2018/02/13/chinas-high-speed-trains-are-taking-on-more-passengers-in-chinese-new-year-massive-migration/#322a6602423f states that: “This year, Chinese authorities expect 390 million chunyun trips to be taken by rail, 58% of them by HSR. Much cheaper than air travel, HSR is faster and safer than conventional road and rail transportation.” This proves the huge benefits of the rail network and gives the US another reason to expand its technologies.
I do believe that Trump is justified in taking the money back from California. The money was meant for the railroad connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles together to be built, and if it is not being built, California rightfully owes the money to the federal government. However, the article assumes that Trump will use this for the wall. In fact, it is highly unlikely that is the case. The money will be under the control of the entire Federal Government, and cannot be forced out of their hands by Trump. Instead, it will most likely be used for other federal expenses, such as government employee pensions. According to usgovernmentspending.com, 19% of the Federal Government's budget was spent on government employee pensions, at $1.5 trillion. I do believe Newsom made the right decision in stopping the construction of California's highspeed railway. Although it could prove to be a cheaper alternative to air transport, railroads that long need constant maintenance, especially in a state that is known to have many earthquakes, which can damage the rails and prove the railway to be very pricey. Furthermore, a railway that long separates the east and west side of the railway. This makes it hard for wildlife to cross, and California is very careful with leaving the wildlife as undisturbed as possible. I do not believe there is one main problem that is preventing the railroad from being built. A combination of price, time, maintenance fees, and wildlife preservation all led to Newsom's decision to not build the railroad.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Amanda and Peter. While it is easy to oppose Trump because he is Trump, he does have valid points on this one. California received the money from federal funds to build the train, but ended up not doing it, so it seems fair for them to refund at least some of it. It would be a different story if the money was all from California. I see a lot of comments saying why would Trump be against a bullet train, it's so uselful! I totally agree that it would really help, especially with the annoying traffic, but people are talking about it like it is already being built; it's not, Gavin decided against it. California got some money from the government specifically to build the train, but now they decided against it, so why should they get to keep the money?
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, both sides are at fault. The entire high-speed railroad project is not well planned from day one. As a public organization, the California High-Speed Rail Authority failed to estimate the amount of time and money needed for this project. If they were able to propose and calculate the right amount of effort needed, the project might not even start in the first place. In addition, the decision to end this project is not well made. The initial plan is to end building in 2022, and there are still at least three years to complete the constructions. The government of California should estimate the profit this railway system generates and rethink about the time issue. On the other hand, Trump asking to return funding is completely unjustified. Based on the agreements, “California would not owe any money to the federal government -- even if no trains were built for the track.” All funding was voluntarily allocated from the Congress. This shows that the government considered the possible outcomes and was willing to fund this project. Therefore, Trump shouldn’t force returning of money. There are several obstacles to the building of railway systems. I think one major difficulty is the residence blocking the construction pathway. In order to connect LA and SF, the railway has to go through or above towns and roads, this might require citizens to move, which leads to complaints.
ReplyDeleteIn regard to the threats coming from the government about the return of money, I agree with Peter and his point that the government technically has a right to demand for the money back. There was an agreement between the two parties about what California would do if they received the money, and since that agreement was not honored, it is not right to keep the money. On the other hand, cancelling the project might inhibit potential growth in the area- examples through history show that growth in transportation benefits the economy and increases mobility, similar to what Amy said.
ReplyDeleteIn another article (https://www.vox.com/vox-sentences/2019/2/15/18226867/vox-sentences-california-high-speed-rail) I learned that the Green New Deal touches on this subject as well- the deal advocates for the expansion of train transport to reduce air travel. “Trains use 2 percent of all energy used for transportation and offer comparable prices to planes for passengers in some areas. California’s struggle reveals how reliant American is on air travel.”
ReplyDeleteHigh-speed rail trains are very popular in high-density places such as Japan or Spain where cities are full of commuters going to work and school every day. However, in wider ranging places like California (the route from SF to LA), the necessity and popularity of these trains aren’t as high. Though I do believe that the high-speed rail trains can benefit some people in their commute time and price, the government must also look at the side effects and consequences of such a huge project. For example, environmentally, vital species that fit in the current wildlife might not be preserved, either due to splits or drastic changes in habitat. Businesses and houses along the railroad plan would also have had to be relocated and destroyed. I believe Newsom’s decision to stop construction was justified (at least for now) as there are still issues that fall before the plan.
Link: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/2/15/18224717/california-high-speed-rail-canceled
I actually do think Trump's action is justifiable because California cancelled the High Speed Rail project and therefore, should return the money to the Federal Government. Us, California of all states do not need $2.6 million since our state is very progressive and has a lot of money compared to other states. Like what many people already said, the money should go towards other states that need it more. For example, sates that have encountered massive natural disasters that need to rebuild infrastructures. I may not agree with many things Trump says, but I do agree that Governor Newson and California should return the money to the Federal Government from the cancelled High Speed Railway project.
ReplyDeleteI think that Trump is both justified and unjustified in taking the money back as such a large project requires a lot of time and preparation to commence, but if nothing happens after funding, then it is justified to return the money. I think Newsom is justified in stopping the project as there are more important issues that could be covered with the money. I think the main obstacle of the high speed rail is both cost and time. To make such a large railway costs a lot of manpower and money while also taking a lot of time to plan it out and to create it. Investors would probably be more willing to invest in something that has an even bigger impact in a smaller time span.
ReplyDeleteI think Trump is not justified in his decision to get back the funding from the bullet train project. Bullet trains can go as fast as 200mph, and would definitely be a very easy and convenient way to travel or commute. It'd replace a great number of plane and car trips and would overall help the environment. Additionally, Newsom's decision to stop the construction was not justified. Los Angeles and San Francisco are two major cities in California, and to cut off a connection between them would be detrimental. However, I can see the reasoning behind cutting off the funding. California is already one of the US's richest states and the funding could go towards something else. Both sides are at fault in this situation.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that Trump should have the right to take back the money that was granted for the high speed railway in California. The decision to grant money was not part of his time in office, therefore meaning that it should not be in his ability to decide what to do with the money already promised to California. Even though nothing much is happening, in order for this plan to succeed, this money and other money will be necessary in order to complete the project. I think that Newsom should have the ability to stop this project, although it is not wise to do so at this stage. Since the current railway being built is between Madera and Fresno, there is not many people that would use this railway, making it a huge waste of time and money. It would be more beneficial for the state to finish the railway from San Francisco to Los Angeles, because more people in large cities would use the railway compared to people in relatively small towns in the central valley. This project in particular is highly difficult because California is such a large and highly populated state. This railway has to run hundreds of miles between large metropolises, which means that a large amount of land and resources are needed to make this railway a reality. Also, a route has to be planned that is the most efficient possible without dislocating many people and preserving the environment. I believe that this project will be possible although it will take a very long time with many setbacks as well as a huge amount of money paid by the government as well as California taxpayers.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Train-to-nowhere-Here-s-how-high-speed-project-13621347.php
https://www.npr.org/2019/02/20/696413664/trump-threatens-to-cut-grant-money-for-high-speed-trains-in-california
I do not think Trump is justified in wanting all of the allotted money back. As mentioned in the original article, Governor Newson still plans on going through with part of the high speed train, but it would only stretch to the central valley. I do think it may be more justified to take back the 929 million than the 2.5 billion dollars, because the department of transportation said California missed multiple deadlines relating to the grant. Given the fact that California has already spent some money on the project, I do not think it would be wise for Newsom to entirely cancel the project. I agree that it should not be built all the way to from SF to LA, because it may disrupt the areas where rail is being laid. Although, the project may not profit if it doesn't stretch north to South, given the heavy populations of SF and LA, and the potential for tourism revenue. (https://www.npr.org/2019/02/19/696146089/trump-threatens-to-cancel-california-s-929-million-high-speed-rail-grant)
ReplyDeleteOverall, Trump isn't justified in wanting the funding back from the high speed rail project. It is reasonable to see how he may be disappointed that something that money was used towards turned out to no effect, but the way he approached the situation turns people away from supporting him. The way that he tweets out all of the issues he is facing gives a undertone of an agenda he is trying to push especially when he himself associated this seemingly unrelated train project with California leading a lawsuit against his decision to call a national emergency. It is disappointing that Newman cancelled the high speed train project, but it does seems reasonable. The estimates were much too high for the initial funding and cancelling the project wouldn't cause any harm, it would just not do any good.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Trump is justified in getting his money back for the railroad project. As much as the Government has given it to California, it was designated for the rail project. It is similar to how if you bought something online and didn't ever receive it, you could file for a refund. In the same way, Trump is justified in requesting the money back. I believe Newsom's cancelling of the railroad was not justified, but was reasonable. It was not justified because it makes it seem as if he cancelled the railroad just to take the money from the project and spend it elsewhere. I think it was reasonable at the same time, because, although trains are normally a great method of transportation, the U.S. has a continued history of weak train transportation compared to other countries. England is a great example, with their subway system that keeps traffic from flowing through the inner streets. The U.S failed at this because commercial railroads will only be popular in large, dense cities. Instead, the high-speed railroad would only connect 2 large cities instead of solving this problem by working as an alternate method of inner city transportation. For the cost, the railroad is not worth it, especially because dense amounts of people travel within cities, and there would be a lower demand for city to city transport, as well as the continued inner city traffic. Therefore, I also believe the main problem for the project is cost. Especially because California has to protect its wildlife, there are lots of added costs towards building the railroad. Quite frankly, I also do not believe it will produce the expected income because of the lower demand to travel compared to other train systems, which mostly pay off by their high demand (i.e cargo trains and subways). Overall, I think the high speed railroad project needed to be reconsidered for its benefits, because, although it connects California, it fails to reduce on of the main issues: inner city traffic. This and the cost make the project irrational, which is why it should be cancelled and the money returned to the government.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Trump does not have the right to take away funding already given to the project. Money and spending is the job of Congress and I think once Trump starts doing things outside of his presidential abilities, something or somebody has to put him back into his place. I think that Newson's decision to the project was a bad call because transportation is still a very important problem with pollution and all that. I think that pursuing these innovative ideas can help that situation and it is worth it to spend our time and money on that. There are probably a lot of obstacles when designing and building something like that but the main points that come to mind are how the tracks will affect the surrounding people if it runs through cities and how you're going to clear a path to build that rail.
ReplyDeleteEric Liu
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