Gov. Jerry Brown is still deeply unclear on the concept that California cannot start building high speed rail until it identifies where funding will come from. The new, just-released business plan for the project (say hello to the new plan, same as the old plan) doesn’t address these legally binding issues. It pretends funding may come from the federal government (even though the 2014 budget explicitly rules that out) and/or from the private sector (who of course are always happy to invest in dicey projects that may never get built or make money.)
On Friday, the California High-Speed Rail Authority released a new business plan for the bullet train project. The authority’s document still doesn’t identify how it will pay for the 300-mile initial operating segment, the $31 billion question that led Sacramento Superior Court Judge Michael Kenny to rule the previous plan was illegal.
Perhaps Tinkerbell will sprinkle pixie dust on the High Speed Rail project and then financing will magically appear.