Loco Motion

The same dysfunctional politics that create a sense of hopelessness about the future of our democracy also make it impossible to get big things done. We’re no longer a can-do nation, and it’s not because of the doers, it’s because of the politicians. For one example, hop aboard the high speed rail system that California has been developing since 2008—which was already decades after Europe and Asia began operating similar trains. Actually, hopping aboard will just land you in a pile of dust because California’s high speed rail has been railroaded. “The state was warned repeatedly that its plans were too complex. SNCF, the French national railroad, was among bullet train operators from Europe and Japan that came to California in the early 2000s with hopes of getting a contract to help develop the system … The company‌ ‌pulled out in 2011 … ‘They told the state they were leaving for North Africa, which was less politically dysfunctional. They went to Morocco and helped them build a rail system.’ Morocco’s bullet train started service in 2018.” Where do things stand? For a price of $33 billion, Californians were supposed have a high speed route from SF to LA by 2020. The current plan costs about $113 billion and will amount to “starter line” in the center of the state by 2030. Want to get from LA to SF quickly? At this point, the only thing you can board is an artist’s rendition. NYT (Gift Article): How California’s Bullet Train Went Off the Rails. The shortest distance between Los Angeles and San Francisco should have been a straight line, but the lobbyists and leaders instead led Californians into a statewide circle jerk.