Seems train-watching commenters are eyeing the same well-monied deficit-spending philanthropist as the California High Speed Rail Authority: Uncle Sam. The SF-to-LA (or LA-to-SF, if you'd like) train's new business plan now wishes upon a star for up to 45 percent of the $33 billion required to come from the federal government. That's— count it— almost $15 billion. Which, assuming it happens, is a good thing, considering the plan only expects a fifth of funding from private sources, and that's in a non-apocalyptic economic environs. Nonetheless, even for a favorable Obama-backed transpo stimulus, some might consider $15 billion a shit ton of cash to be throwing into a single state. The prez of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, sworn nemesis of the high-speed rail, thinks so anyway: "Listen, I hope Santa Claus leaves me a Ferrari, too, but he's not going to." But you also haven't been a very good boy this year, have you?
· High-speed rail plan needs federal boost [SF Examiner]
· High Speed Rail: 4th and Townsend's the New Downtown [Curbed SF]
· Train Dude, Libertarian Go Off the Rails on Prop. 1A [Curbed SF]
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