Letter: The disaster of high-speed rail

I am mystified by why Quentin Kopp takes exception to citizens rallying behind the California high-speed rail project to ensure the best possible outcome for the largest public works project in California history ("The Siren Song” guest perspective in the Feb. 25 edition of the Daily Journal).

In 2008, even the savviest voter was hard-pressed to unearth details of the high-speed rail project. To quote one esteemed Assembly Transportation Committee Member, "The title and summary of Proposition 1A was a complete fraud!”

The unbiased Legislative Analyst Office provided a highly critical analysis of the recently revised HSR business plan. Some of the grave issues include uncertain and inadequate financing, flawed ridership projections and no completion risk strategy, to name but a few.

The California High Speed Rail Authority has deflected community concern by calling citizens NIMBYs, naysayers, troublemakers and rotten apples. They have stalled on releasing documents requested under the Freedom of Information act, including analysis on property takings under eminent domain and most recently, they have trotted out outrageous and unsubstantiated figures for much-needed jobs, to incite labor union backlash to community involvement.

However, many of these jobs are years away. Many are based abroad with production, design and construction in Asia and Europe. Of greater concern to labor unions should be our governor’s recent decision to eliminate funding for shovel-ready transportation projects from the federal stimulus application that would have created jobs in California immediately.

So why is Mr. Kopp unwilling to accept community engagement requiring him to envision high-speed rail differently? Perhaps because he can no longer blame a small group of troublemakers for what has grown into statewide outrage over the biggest impending financial and environmental disaster of our time.

Betsy McGinn

Burlingame