DC should be a little more like CA!
By Thom Hartmann A...
California has big plans for the future. Last week, the Golden State made not one, but two, big announcements about how they will respond to the climate crisis. On Monday of last week, Governor Jerry Brown was praised for his proposal to get half of all California's energy from renewable sources by 2030.
And, only one day later, that state broke ground on our nation's first-ever bullet train project, which is expected to reduce the massive carbon footprint of California's transportation sector. Considering that state has about 32 million registered vehicles on the road, a high-speed rail system will be a great step towards reaching that 50% renewable goal.
As the environmental group Earthjustice said, “We applaud Governor Brown for working to secure a cleaner, brighter future for California and paving the way for the rest of the country and the world to follow.”
Comments
#2
Maybe someday we can have a bullet train going from california to Las Vegas, the one thing we need to do is to catch up with the rest of the world on modernizing our transportation system, our health care system, our education system and many other social systems.
#3
I am all for clean energy. Four years ago I installed a 12 KhW solar system. I voted for the proposition to build the bullet train. Unfortunately, what we voted for, what we were told it will do and what we were told it would cost is not what we are getting. The train even at current projections will cost more than twice what was promised. That means about 5 times when all is said and done. When the train actually reaches from San Francisco to Los Angeles it really doesn't. You will have to actually take three trains (two of which are already in operation and certainly not bullets) to get from SF to LA. And of course the projected 2 hour and 40 minute trip is a fantasy. Furthermore the ridership projections have been cut numerous times because the numbers were literally pulled out of....well you get the idea. Lastly because of the cost to build and the lack of ridership the ticket prices will be more than flying.
I lived on the East Coast for many years and loved to take Amtrak from DC to NY so I'm not against trains. I just don't want to build one that will not get cars off the road and will be a financial burden for my children and their children.
This is a boondoggle to create jobs for union laborers. I have no problem with that. Give them the jobs, pay them but tell them to stay home to save money.
#4
Thanks for being honest Dr 818. It's not just the hundreds of billions it will cost but it is the trillions the tax payers will have to subsadise it forever as well. No one will ride it because we spent trillions on infrustuture for cars. Why not spend that money on better roads so no one is sitting on the freeways burning fuel at a stand still for hours.
#5
How about DC be a little more like a Democracy?
#6
Not sure the bullet train is such a good idea.
Brown is doing some good things--better than many-- but parts of CA could be under water by 2030.
Also, he refuses impose a moratorium on fracking,
He's got a vision but it's not sufficient.
#7
#8
Caller Scott, who's a Soc. Sec. lawyer has a story just like mine. I too have a friend that should be trying to get disability benefits under SSDI, but won't because he thinks welfare recipients are just people ripping off the taxpayers. This friend is a total indoctrinee of the right wing, but I want the best for him. When it comes up, I'll try to get him to understand that he's been paying into this insurance program for years, and it's time for him to receive benefits, just like with any other insurance.
#9
I think the Bullet Train is a great idea! A long time coming. Not only will it benefit the environment, businesses all across California will benefit from the convenience and speed offered by the train. It is an investment that will pay for itself several times over in the decades to follow. In short time, Californians will wonder how they ever existed without it. Here in the Bay Area, BART (The Bay Area Rapid Transit train system) was an equally ambitious project when I was a kid. There was much doubt that it would ever be a success. Now, thousands of Bay Area residents rely on the infrastructure on a daily bases. Yet, it is safe to say that BART has indirectly affected the lives of all Bay Area residents. BART has affected the value of homes as well as where people have chosen to live and work. Whenever it goes down, everyone on the road sufferers from the increase in traffic. When it is available, everyone benefits from the decrease in traffic. I have every confidence that in the same way the Bullet Train will be a huge success; and, as a Californian, I personally cannot wait till the day the ribbon is cut.
#10
TARGET pulls out of CANADA and NOW we are left with WALMART
Walmart owned by the Walton family of the US, who have more wealth than 140 million Americans combined and run a BUSINESS MODEL that PAYS POVERTY WAGES , that shifts the weight of these poorly paid employees onto the shoulders of our social programs. Then this same FAMILY who create worker poverty , use their right wing conservative toadies , to scream WELFARE STATE, and further cut and thrash our safety net , so they can further justify corporate and personal tax cuts.
#11
NOTHINGS CHANGED
Back in Sept of 2014 SIRIUS SATELLITE abruptly pulled the plug on PROGESSIVE RADIO in CANADA , yes SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO , one day decided to mute the voice of THOM HARTMANN, Stephanie Miller, Bill Press, Mike Malloy and the rest. No rythme or reason was given for this , just one day i woke up , turned on my Sirius Satellite radio and POOF they were gone. I called the Siruius people here in CANADA and the person Canadian polite as usual , told me it was a business decision by Sirius Satellite.
#12
Follow up to NOTHINGS CHANGED , a comment about SIRIUS SATELITE pulling the plug on PROGRESSIVE radio here in CANADA. Well i've rebounded from my doldrums , i've fired Sirius Satellite Radio here in Canada, they no longer will be part of my news source AND I've taken the money that i would normally have paid SIRIUS SATELLITE and I've bought podcast subscriptions to ALL of my favourites on left wing Liberal radio. Now i can listen to them each day when it's convenient for me, so i stay abreast of the true news, the real news, not the corporate media circus that dress themselves up as news.
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