CALIFORNIA BULLET TRAIN PROJECT STILL LACKS THE NEEDED fiNANCING
Managers of California’s bullet train project announced what they termed an “historic milestone” last month: “the creation of more than 10,000 construction jobs since the start of highspeed rail construction.”
That takes a little explaining.
Government agencies that build public works projects and their contractors habitually overstate economic impacts, nowhere more obviously than in claims of job creation.
Each day, according to the High-Speed Rail Authority, about 1,000 men and women are working on the construction of an initial San Joaquin Valley stage of what is supposed to be eventually become a statewide system of very fast trains.
An ordinary person — someone with no vested interest — would interpret that statistic as meaning the project supports 1,000 jobs. But in government-talk if 1,000 people have been working for 10 years, it means the project has created 10,000 jobs, which sounds much more impressive as political justification.
The celebratory press release quoted Amit Bose, who heads the Federal Railroad Administration, as saying, “Ten thousand jobs created is one of many milestones to come on this historic project, and the Federal Railroad Administration remains committed to strengthening state partnerships to advance even more progress and deliver the passenger rail benefits people want and deserve.”
However, it doesn’t mention that, a few days earlier, the federal government had rejected an application for a $1.2 billion in grants that the project needs if there is any hope of actually completing the San Joaquin Valley section between Merced and Bakersfield.
“There is no doubt that we want federal money, that we need federal money,” Brian
Annis, the project’s chief financial officer, told the Fresno Bee.
The San Joaquin segment is being built with funds from a $9.95 billion bond issue approved by voters in 2008, a previous federal grant and some proceeds from the state’s auctions of carbon emission credits, but they are not enough. The 171-mile stretch is currently projected to cost $22 billion, roughly one-fifth of what the entire north-south system would need. When the bond issue was being presented to voters 15 years ago, the total cost was pegged at about $40 billion with an assumption that federal funds and/or private investors would complete financing. Since then, the projected costs have risen steadily to more than $100 billion and officials have searched in vain for additional money.
Govs. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jerry Brown were enthusiastic supporters. But when Gavin Newsom became governor in 2019, he was openly skeptical.
“The project, as currently planned, would cost too much and take too long,” Newsom said as he took office. “There’s been too little oversight and not enough transparency. Right now, there simply isn’t a path to get from Sacramento to San Diego, let alone from San Francisco to L.A. I wish there were.”
His critique was widely interpreted as a desire to cancel the project, but its supporters — particularly construction unions — ramped up pressure and Newsom quickly insisted that he wanted to not only continue construction but expand it on both ends to connect Merced with Bakersfield.
He later overcame legislative resistance and appropriated the remainder of the 2008 bond issue to continue work.
Nevertheless, the bullet train’s fundamental problem remains: how to get enough money to complete the San Joaquin segment and find another $80 billion or so to make it a statewide system.
The answer may depend on what happens in national politics since generally Democrats support high-speed rail as a tool to battle climate change while Republicans oppose it as a boondoggle – and one of the more vociferous opponents is House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, whose hometown is Bakersfield.
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support foundation because the water sat for five days.”
In addition to the home and its infrastructure on the brink of failing, Chevalier said the flurry of rain that the region has experienced since the beginning of the year has now caused mold to grow inside.
And it’s not only her home, but many of her neighbors that are experiencing the same issues, she said.
“I can’t have my kids in there until its treated for mold because they both have asthma,” she said. “My home is sinking and pulling apart.”
Chevalier said she has tried to contact FEMA for an explanation, but has not received any return phone calls.
A phone call to the agency’s representative in San Joaquin County was not returned to the News-Sentinel Wednesday.
Hilary Crowley, San Joaquin County Deputy County Administrator, said the eligibility rate for FEMA’s Individuals and Households program is 30.93%, meaning a third of those who apply for assistance are approved for relief.
Crowley said that as of Feb. 27, FEMA found 184 homeowners throughout the county were able to return to their residences because repairs were not required. Homeowners are allowed to appeal that decision if they disagree.
In addition, inspectors were unable to contact 38 homeowners three times to survey any claimed property damage, and another eight homeowners were denied assistance because they failed the identity verification process.
Seven more homeowners were ineligible because they had insurance coverage.
The agency added that 84 rental households were safe to occupy, and inspectors were unable to contact 44 rental households three separate times.
Another 29 households were ineligible for rental assistance because they were unwilling to relocate, six households had duplicate reviews submitted, three failed the identity verification process and three failed because their occupancy was not verified.
To date, FEMA has provided nearly $2 million in housing assistance and more than $135,000 in other assistance to the county’s disaster survivors.
“Each survivor’s situation is unique and evaluated on a case-by-case basis,” Crowley said. “Each applicant will receive a determination letter from FEMA that will provide next steps. A determination letter may indicate that an applicant is ineligible for assistance but that is not a denial. Within each determination letter, applicants are provided a reason for the ineligibility and told what they need to do to appeal the decision.”
Crowley said often times, applicants only need to provide more information, which can be done at one of the Disaster Recovery Centers, or by contacting FEMA at 800-621-3362, or online at www.disasterassistance.org.
“The evacuation order was lifted when state and county entities, plus the utilities, deemed it structurally safe to do so,” she said. “The condition of the interior was never assessed; no one entered their private property. The county is providing access to resources for residents. Depending on their issues, the park’s property manager would also be involved and not necessarily the county.”
According to the San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services, the California Department of Housing and Community Development is going to follow-up with its code enforcement division to ensure or confirm that no Arbor residents are unable to return to their homes.
Depending on what HCD finds, the county’s Human Services Agency will work on providing long-term shelter to residents until homes are habitable again.
Chevalier said she and her family have a mobile trailer and are currently parked on her mother’s property in Lockeford.
She returns to the mobile home park daily to drop her 1-year-old daughter off at a neighbor’s house to babysit, then takes her 4-year-old son to school in Morada before driving to work in Stockton.
Her neighbor, she said, was one of the lucky residents whose home did not suffer nearly as much damage as others.
Chevalier said she was going to try and call FEMA again Wednesday afternoon.
“It just feels like their looping us all around,” she said. “It’s very hard to find out anything and get help from anyone. We’re still trying to get things done.”