High-Speed Rail Takes a House Hit

Federal funds for California's high-speed rail plan in the coming fiscal year were knocked out of a House of Representatives' spending plan last week. According to the Los Angeles Times, the Republican-dominated House took the action as the Members considered a transportation bill. The GOP has been extremely skeptical of the fast train proposal due to highly worrisome financial projections provided by a number of outside analysts who have warned that HSR in California would be budgetary folly. On the Peninsula, Caltrain authorities have been lobbying hard to grab close to $1 billion in HSR monies in order to electrify the commuter rail line. Whether such a move would be legal remains to be seen, however. As for the latest House vote, the next step in the process will come in the Senate which has a slim Democrat majority. Stay tuned.