California passes Japan as fourth largest economy

superrific said:
In fairness, if China was running California, the little water your state has would be polluted as hell, in part because they would build so many bullet trains without much regard to the environment.

But yes, the idea that TX would be better at a high tech development project than CA is comical. CA has plenty of problems and the bullet train encapsulates so many of them, but I'd rather have Hollywood + Silicon Valley + hard to build bullet trains than oil + oil + wheat + easy to build roads any day.
Click to expand...
At this point, I’d trust China’s environmental stewardship over Greg Abbott and Ken Paxton.
 
Florida allowed private industry to build high speed rail between Miami and Orlando - Brightline - while Californias bullet train languishes.
 
Ramrouser said:
Florida allowed private industry to build high speed rail between Miami and Orlando - Brightline - while Californias bullet train languishes.
Click to expand...
This is one of those things where two things can be true.

1. The federal government and the states should do better with high speed rail development.

2. As anyone who’s spend time in Florida recently knows, Brightline has a lot of issues and is probably not a great example for how this development should happen.

www.tcpalm.com

Brightline Treasure Coast future bright? Not with deaths, lagging ridership, huge debt

Treasure Coast residents were warned about dangers from Brightline, from huge costs to inability to meet ridership projections. It must improve.
www.tcpalm.com www.tcpalm.com
 
Ramrouser said:
Florida allowed private industry to build high speed rail between Miami and Orlando - Brightline - while Californias bullet train languishes.
Click to expand...
1. And Brightline is building the LA to Vegas train as we speak, although stopping at Rancho Cucamonga, rather than downtown LA, is certainly an interesting choice.

2. The Brightline Florida project is only high speed for half the distance. It is at grade and slow in South Florida.

3. And it is not as though Florida has been pro-Brightline. The local politics on extensions have been absurd.
 
Just the mention of California triggers people (mainly, conservatives) that have never spent any meaningful amount of time in the state to go to the same tired and oversimplified talking points about how it’s a failed state or whatever lol. Kind of annoying because there are actually real issues with the state, but you can’t have a productive discussion about it because so many people argue in bad faith.
 
Peppers49 said:
Just the mention of California triggers people (mainly, conservatives) that have never spent any meaningful amount of time in the state to go to the same tired and oversimplified talking points about how it’s a failed state or whatever lol. Kind of annoying because there are actually real issues with the state, but you can’t have a productive discussion about it because so many people argue in bad faith.
Click to expand...
I would say it is more brainwashing than bad faith.
 
Brightline's not perfect but it's a start and better than anything anyone else has constructed in this Country (and it's actually up and running). It may get the ball rolling nationwide particularly once the Las Vegas line is built. Private industry must take the lead with the Federal and State governments providing support.
 
Peppers49 said:
Just the mention of California triggers people (mainly, conservatives) that have never spent any meaningful amount of time in the state to go to the same tired and oversimplified talking points about how it’s a failed state or whatever lol. Kind of annoying because there are actually real issues with the state, but you can’t have a productive discussion about it because so many people argue in bad faith.
Click to expand...
There's truth in this as many of my conservative friends hold this view of California. I try to convince them otherwise as I love visiting the state. I went to the Holiday Bowl a couple of years ago - went with a friend who lives in Palm Springs - and I could not get any of my local friends to go with me because of the California location. They would tell me they didn't want to deal with the homeless, poop, street gangs, marijuana - you name it.
 
Ramrouser said:
Florida allowed private industry to build high speed rail between Miami and Orlando - Brightline - while Californias bullet train languishes.
Click to expand...
I don't want to rain on the parade too much, but the company that built the Brightline is owned by a NYC hedge fund. Y'all in the south have no idea how dependent you are on the north and west. That hasn't changed for a hundred years or more.
 
superrific said:
I don't want to rain on the parade too much, but the company that built the Brightline is owned by a NYC hedge fund. Y'all in the south have no idea how dependent you are on the north and west. That hasn't changed for a hundred years or more.
Click to expand...
It’s not like Brightline is putting very much of its own capital into these projects. They are largely funded by bonds and grants. Of course, most of that bond and grant money is ultimately coming from the northeast and west.

Just kinda weird how all these terrible democratic run states also have all the money and all the other indicators of success (better education, better health, etc.)
 
Calheel said:
It’s not like Brightline is putting very much of its own capital into these projects. They are largely funded by bonds and grants. Of course, most of that bond and grant money is ultimately coming from the northeast and west.

Just kinda weird how all these terrible democratic run states also have all the money and all the other indicators of success (better education, better health, etc.)
Click to expand...
I don't know if the capital structure of these projects matters much. The point is that the company was not a red state creation. It's a blue state company that built stuff in a red state.
 
superrific said:
I don't know if the capital structure of these projects matters much. The point is that the company was not a red state creation. It's a blue state company that built stuff in a red state.
Click to expand...
And Ramrouser would probably note that the northeast company chose to build high speed rail in Florida, rather than in the Northeast where it would be more successful and a better product than Acela, because the Florida government has less regulation and is easier to build.

Although I think that argument sucks.
 
Calheel said:
And Ramrouser would probably note that the northeast company chose to build high speed rail in Florida, rather than in the Northeast where it would be more successful and a better product than Acela, because the Florida government has less regulation and is easier to build.
Click to expand...
Rail service is more or less a natural monopoly. Whether or not they would build something better than Acela, they never will because the capital costs are too high. Most of the time, infrastructure buildouts leave a lot of bankrupt companies behind, because the simultaneous expansion creates a glut that keeps prices too low to service the construction cost.

In any event, no company in their right mind would choose to compete with Acela when there are so many populated areas with zero competition.
 
uncgriff said:
and they have next to zero political power at the national level. the per capita political clout of a Wyoming voter dwarfs a California voter
Click to expand...
Yep. And that's a problem. Historically, that leads to a lot of rebellions when the provinces are sending tax dollars and don't get a say in how things work. At some point, California could decide that they're better off on their own.

With that said, California does have power in other ways. That big population ends up getting them more Representatives than anybody else. That big economy generates a lot of money that can buy a lot of votes. Pelosi and McCarthy were both Californians. So I don't think they're completely shut out.
 
Last edited:
the main issue(s) with HSR from DC to Boston is that the rails are WAYYYY too soft and old so they would need to be replaced with a higher carbon steel. On top of that small issue, the routes are owened by either CTX or UP so freight trains have ROW so any passenger trains would need to be on their own dedicated track and route so it wouldn't conflict with freight. AND EVEN IF you could somehow convice CTX or UP to give up some of their rail beds for HSP you'd still have to contend with straightening out most of the curves then build up the embankment to counter the train wanting to follow the laws of physics off the track.

HSR, is a fools errand in the NE because of the astronomical amount of $ it would take for it to be safe.
 
gtyellowjacket said:
Yep. And that's a problem. Historically, that leads to a lot of rebellions when the provinces are sending tax dollars and don't get a say in how things work. At some point, California could decide that they're better off on their own.

With that said, California does have power in other ways. That big population ends up getting them more Representatives than anybody else. That big economy generates a lot of money that can buy a lot of votes. Pelosi and McCarthy we're both Californians. So I don't think they're completely shut out.
Click to expand...
simple completely never going to happen solution. largest 25% of states get 3 senator and smallest 25% of states get 1.

still protects small states rights with tremendous per capita representation in the senate, just doesn't make it as stupid as it is now.
 

California’s GDP per capita has grown faster than the rest of the country​

Growth in GDP per capita since 1998​

figure - California’s GDP per capita has grown faster than the rest of the country
SOURCE: Bureau of Economic Analysis.

NOTES: GDP is the monetary value of goods and services produced in a place in a given year. This calculation uses population estimates in the middle of each year and GDP in inflation-adjusted dollars.

Cali leaving Fla in the dust
 
superrific said:
Pretty sure the train follows the laws of physics whether it wants to or not. LOL.

I know what you mean. Just a funny way of putting it.
Click to expand...
:ROFLMAO:

Yeah...I normally reread what I type out BEFORE I hit "post reply" but apparenlty my brain said "yeah...that's exactly how you want to say it! WELL DONE!"
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top