Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Calfi Governor Jerry Bown's SF area Caltrain-HSR Altar of Death. NJ Gov Christie bridgegate is nothing to compare!

What's the big deal with Christie's 4-day Bridge-gate when Calif Gov Jerry Brown admitted in 2012 on CBS' Face the Nation with Bob Schiefer that he "has been working for 30 years to bring High Speed Rail (HSR) to California." Indeed. Thirty years ago, nearing the end of the first term of California Governor, JB's (a rail "foamer" to be ssure) in 1982, Jerry Brown's administration gave SF Bay Area the initial 3 year funding for the deadly ~60 mile "Caltrain" from San Jose (and later Gilroy) to SF--the same rail as HSR is to take in this Democrat-one party, monopolized SF Bay region. Since his 2010 election, Brown has come out of the closet to support the Caltrain-HSR dangerous and deadly boondoggle even more up the SJ-SF Peninsula--with budget cuts elsewhere to support HSR's huge costs (over those of the needy poor and disabled, e.g., Calworks, InHome Services, MediCal cuts, etc). Despite all negative State Audit, Legislative Analyst and Transportation Expert Peer reviews, court decisions (HJTA vs HSR C060441 in 2011-- ergo, the 2008 ballot language was unconstitutional and illegal (a sales pitch, not objective), and the judgment now against it that halts funding (Judge McKenney) for compliance, JB's rail fetish overwhelms his sense of duty to the people of California. Ever since a granddaddy neighbor was killed crossing the Caltrain tracks near my home, I've tracked Caltrain fatality reports (via San Jose Mercury News) back to 1/1/1995. SInce 1995, 203 deaths on this 1864 (yes, Civil War, post Promotory Point, pre-auto, pre-urban, re-electricity, light bulb etc) Caltrain trackway. JB supports/protects this killer track, though BART makes more sense to close the loop around the Bay, Caltrain, as a placeholder uses the same standard rail width as HSR. About 12/deaths/yr occur by suicide or accident on the street level tracks by the 50-70 mph Caltrain Express trains. Two dead already this year. Prior deaths are indiscriminate: a visiting Indiana Obama-supporter, former Stanford professor, teenagers, despondent lovers, good samaritans (trying to save others on the tracks), kids, public employee union members, and more. Gov JB's (RailBeam?) 2012 admission, on air, to Schiefer, my ignored Tweets to JB about the danger, his $250M in this years Calif budget and now $29 million interim during the Court's HSR halt, only shows JB's true callous disregard and open admission of his Caltrain-as-a a-placeholder while at-grade Caltrain kills, maims, and congests/pollutes over 36 million vehicles/year (100k per day, per 1985 study), this on his (and Democrats') Caltrain-HSR Altar of Death. Obama is coming to Fresno this Friday, ground zero for not only the Calif Drought, but also HSR's starting point....presumably to deliver his Valentine wishes about both. But, even Democrat support is waning with Lt Gov. Gavin Newsom telling Joint Venture Silicon Valley's Russell Hancock, that his support for HSR is "softening" now (aired on KLIV, 1590 last week) due to the financial and other issues. 
So, what is with Christie's supposed 4 day issue, eh? Gimme a break. JB's Caltrain-HSR has millions congested/yr and hundreds die. The dead are dead. GW Bridge Delays were temporary delays--no deaths, and not for 20-30 years, while BART (street separated by law) waits finishing the planning for the last 21 miles to complete its long-envisioned, safe, loop around the bay (think like the efficiency of the complete Chicago Loop)