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5 years agoon
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gvwireDan Richard, the longtime chairman of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, told a Bay Area newspaper columnist Thursday that he is “OK” with allowing voters a second say on the controversial, budget-busting bullet-train project.
“I actually would be OK with that,” Richard told Richard Borenstein, a columnist and editorial page editor of the East Bay Times. “I do think this is a choice that people ought to make. … At some point, sure, I’m happy to call the question with the voters.”
Voters approved the project, which was placed on the ballot by the Legislature, 52.7% to 47.3% in 2008. Proposition 1A authorized the state to issue $9.95 billion in bonds for high-speed rail. The remainder of the construction funding, proponents said, would come from the federal government and private investors.
To date, private investors have contributed nothing. Federal funding has stalled at the $3.5 billion provided by the Obama administration before the Republicans gained control of Congress.
But contributions from California’s cap-and-trade program are keeping the project afloat. High-speed rail is counting on $8 billion from the fund through 2030.
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