California's "high-speed rail to nowhere:" Over $100 BILLION totally wasted by Democrats

One of the ways corrupt politicians get richer--faaabulously richer--is to start a stupid,  corrupt, taxpayer-funded project, by finding corrupt "experts" who will support the bullshit claim that the project is totally feasible and reasonable, and will solve some fictitious problem, like "Globull Worming."

So the corrupt pols get the corrupt congress to "appropriate" billions to start dis faabulous project, which dey claim will only take X years to complete, and will "only" cost Y dollars.

Of course most voters have no idea if the bullshit claims are true, because they don't have the tech background to know when so-called "experts" are clearly lying thru their teeth.

SOoo...California--the state with more people than any other--has way more electoral votes than any other state: 54 to second-place Texas's 42.  As a direct result, California's congressional delegation can get anything they want.  And they're almost entirely Democrats.

So way back in 2002--22 years ago!-- California's corrupt, Democrat-ruled Assembly realized they could make a few hundred million in bribes and kickbacks by pushing a faaabulous "high-speed rail line" between Sacramento and Los Angeles.  For those unfamiliar with the state, the straight-line distance is just under 400 miles.  

You can fly it in about 80 minutes.  So why would Cali "lawmakers" and governors want to spend billions to do a slower rail route?

Because Democrats had scared Americans into believing the scam that CO2 was causing "Globull Worming," so anything that cut duh deadly gas was a sure win.  Electric trains din' make none of dat awful, DEADLY poison gas carbon dioxide, eh?  An' since duh Dems were (and are) absolutely sure CO2 iz killing duh Erf by causing duh deadly Globull Worming, spending a few billion to save duh Erf was a bargain, eh?   And of course Europeans had "high-speed rail" an' Dems love anything Europeans do.

SOooo...here was the original pitch:

Phase 1 of the high-speed system will run from San Francisco to Los Angeles in under three hours, at speeds capable of exceeding 200 miles per hour.
   The system will eventually extend to Sacramento and San Diego, totaling 800 miles with up to 24 stations.  In addition, the Authority is working with regional partners to implement a statewide rail modernization plan that will invest billions of dollars in local and regional rail lines to meet our 21st-century transportation needs.

Are you moronic Democrat voters having orgasms yet?  But wait, there's more!

Our zero-emission trains will be powered by 100% renewable energy.
    On average, California’s electrified high-speed rail will keep more than 3,500 tons of harmful pollutants out of the air every year.
    We have planted more than 7,100 trees to offset emissions produced through construction.
    We have avoided over 420,000 pounds of criteria air pollutants during construction.
    We have preserved or restored more than 2,900 acres of habitat.

Wow, I'm ecstatic from all these orgasms of total environmental delight!  You too?

Oh wait: Electricity is "fungible."  If you're a young American you're probably not familiar with that term.  What it means is that all electricity produced goes into a big bag, so when a "use" takes electricity out of the bag, you have no way of knowing how that particular amount of electricity was produced, eh?

But in terms of lies and waste that's just a triviality.

So...in 2002 the corrupt, totally-Dem-ruled state "assembly" passed a bill authorizing $10 BILLION dollars to "finance the HSR system."  (Senate Bill 1856, 2002.  Look it up if you doubt this.)

Note that the money would be raised using a "bond measure"--borrowed money, with interest.  Meaning taxpayers would pay back double what the original amount was.  The extra is profit for the lenders--which is normal.

Whoa, think there may have been a shitload of bribery there?  Nah, no need: the Dems who rule Cali would vote yes regardless, cuz...virtue signaling, eh?

The corruptocrats originally promised the project would cost $33 BILLION, with three-quarters of that cost to come from the federal government--i.e. YOU.  "But it's reeeeally worth it!" Besides, the rubes in flyover country will nevah know dey iz payin' $24 BILLION fo' ouah virtue-signal!  

The pushers said it would take ten years to finish the initial LA-to-San Fran segment.  Remember that number because it's important.

SOooo...the first year, the corrupt legislators appropriated (seized) ten BILLION taxpayer dollars to get the project going.  That's a LOT of money!  So what did those ten BILLION dollars of taxpayer funds accomplish?

Lots of powerful politicians and consultants made lots of money.  Those ten BILLION dollars went in the pockets of a few hundred "consultants" and corrupt pols.  But that cash did something even more vital: it was the proverbial "nose of the camel:" once they spent the first ten billion dey could always squeeze taxpayers for more by bleating "Surely yew don't want that earlier ten BILLION to be wasted, do ya?"

So the first billions opened the spigots for an endless shower of tax dollars that continues to this very day.

Example: In 2009, with Obozo in power, Democrats in your corrupt congress ordered that a whopping $8 billion in federal (taxpayer) funds be given to the Cali corruptocrats as part of the utterly wasteful, corrupt "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act."  

How this utter waste could be considered "reinvestment" is a bit...unclear.

2015: Construction begins.  Yay!  Start the clock, eh?  Remember how long it will take the first segment (L.A. to San Francisco) to be finished?  Ten years.  So, finished next year, eh?

2018: Time for a "progress report," eh?  To trumpet fanfare, duh CEO of duh "high-speed rail authority," Brian Kelly,  tells the fawning, slobbering Dem-loving media about all the progress that's been made in the past three years--"while candidly confronting challenges going forward."
  Translation from baffle-gab: "We're making great progress.  Unfortunately we need another $40 BILLION."

Wait...you lying motherfuckers said the ENTIRE first segment would cost...what was it?  Oh yeah:  $33 BILLION.  But now, after the initial $10 BILLION you say you need another $40 BILLION??

At this point the scam should have been obvious to all.  But of course...Democrat-ruled government, eh?

2019:  'Due to the faaabulous skill of ouah planners, we now have "a path forward for the Merced-Fresno-Bakersfield line," a "building block project that matches the available funding."
  For those unfamiliar with California, the distance from Merced to Bakersfield is 165 miles.  So the "Authority" has burned thru all the money and has yet to complete 165 miles, less than half of the 384 miles first pitched to gullible Dem voters.  Hasn't laid a single mile of actual rail.

So recall that in 2018 the corruptocrats demanded the extra $40 BILLION, and that was to complete less than half of the original pitch.  But it turns out that was a nothing compared to what happened next:

In 2019 the head of the project told state lawmakers that after spending $50 billion on this total scam--and without having built a single mile of actual rail or bought a single railcar--they needed another $100 billion just to finish the measly 165 mile nowhere-line between Merced and Bakersfield.

That, citizen, is progress, Democrat-style!

In an interview, CEO Kelly admitted that the original $33 billion estimate was, as the interviewer put it, "unmoored from reality."

That's a masterful bullshit phrase.  Translation: The original $33 billion estimate was utter horseshit.  An estimate made "before any work was done.  None of the environmental work was done, none of the design work was done," he said. "It was an estimate based on paper."

"An estimate based on paper"?  That's the kind of phrasing a corrupt grifter uses to hide the truth that they just made up the original number--a number designed to be low enough to get stupid voters to vote for it (if they really did).  Cuz once you spend a few billion, the grifters and scammers waaaail to high heaven dat "We can't just let all these billions you've already spent go to waste!!"

And the grift goes on: The utterly corrupt Biden-Harris regime recently gave another $3.1 billion to the failed California High-Speed Rail project, which has already wasted $95 billion in taxpayer funds 

December 5, 2023--The US Department of Transportation has awarded the High-Speed Rail Authority nearly $3.1 billion "for continued progress on the [fucking boondoggle]...to achieve the project’s goal of clean, fast and affordable transportation from Los Angeles to San Francisco.

Except that's a brazen lie: The only segment they're working on does NOT go between those two major cities, but between two far smaller cities you can drive between in 3 hours.  But if "the Authority" told you that, people would begin to recognize this as the endless grift it's always been.

Governor Hairdoo (Gavin Newsom) bleated

“This show of support from the Harris regime is a vote of confidence, and comes at a critical turning point, providing the project new momentum.”

Ahh, "new momentum," y'say?  "Critical turning point," y'say?

Summary: your corrupt government at work.  The corrupt harris/biden regime refuses to spend two billion dollars to finish the wall, but is happy to throw another $3.1 billion into this useless make-work train to nowhere.

Burn down DC.  Fire every member of congress who voted for the bill that had this obscene pork-fest buried in it.  Your children will never be able to pay off this debt.

Oh wait, I forgot: "maff beez raaaaacis'!"  You have no idea about how much it costs just to pay the interest on our gargantuan national debt, so you'll keep voting for corrupt grifters.

You deserve what's coming.  Your kids don't, cuz they didn't vote for any of this.  But they'll still suffer--horribly--for your stupidity. 

Source (one of many) 

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/make-small-govt-great-again-musk-talks-trump-about-govt-efficiency-commission