Tracy Press

Prop. 1A is a nearly $10 billion bond with $9 billion for implementing the high-speed rail system and $1 billion for other rail services that connect to the high-speed rail lines. The first set of tracks would start in San Francisco, go through San Jose and Gilroy, over the Pacheco Pass and down the valley to Los Angeles. The second phase would connect, in a route similar to Highway 99, Sacramento to LA and eventually to San Diego.

Think of it as a big Y placed smack dab in the middle of California.

No, think of it as a big WHY?

Proponents tout its ability to eliminate commuter congestion, reduce air pollution and provide an alternate mode of transportation.

At last week’s transit forum sponsored by the city, I didn’t meet any Tracy-to-LA commuters, just Tracy-toward-the-bay commuters.

High-speed rail won’t help reduce their congestion along the Interstate 580-205-120 corridor.

Supporters of the bond reluctantly claim that the total cost of the high-speed rail system could reach $40 billion. They expect $10 billion from the feds and the rest from “private investments.” Bet you can’t wait to see the shenanigans and shady deals that are put together by our bureaucrats in Sacramento.

And have you noticed that as projects grow from city to county to state, they get worse? Just look in our own backyard at the multi-county San Joaquin Delta College disaster. Gee, what a shocker that the big city of Stockton gets all the goodies and the neighboring towns get shafted.

But back to Prop. 1A and its cost estimates. It’s a huge underestimate comparison, but let’s use recent and planned BART extensions as a template. The almost $2 billion Millbrae-to-SFO connection and the now estimated $7 billion Milpitas-to-Santa Clara line will be a total of less than 40 miles of 1960s technology. Total cost: $9 billion. Does that number sound familiar? Can you imagine the higher cost of a state-of-the-art bullet train?

Like a giant vacuum cleaner, the bigger cities will suck the green out of the bond money with the desire for bigger and more grandiose train stations. Delta College, all over again?

So picture this: You drive over to San Francisco, and after waiting through long Homeland Security lines, you start your Southern California trip from the marble-laden San Francisco station, with your hair figuratively whipped by 200 mph winds. You race down the peninsula watching blue “Your Tax Dollars at Work” signs whiz by. You roar into the polished granite San Jose station and literally fly off toward Gilroy.

Oh, no, the train is slowing, and you see a “Track Closed” barrier ahead. As the train grinds to a halt, you notice there is no Gilroy station, just a retired garlic worker wearing a conductor’s hat sitting in the sun at a card table! Off in the distance, you faintly hear, “Sorry folks, we ran out of HSR money.”

It’s the words of politicians in Sacramento.

Recently it was written (Our Voice, Aug. 30) that this 800-pound gorilla of a proposition may generate $11 million for the Altamont corridor. It could improve the ACE tracks or lead to building a separate rail line. With the costs of land acquisition, planning, designing and environmental impact studies, that money would be burned up before the first spike is driven.

Even with some nebulous matching-fund scheme, the current cost of rail track construction would net Tracy about 3 miles of track. Well, if Alaska can have a bridge to nowhere, we can a track to nowhere.

Prop. 1A would do absolutely nothing to improve our commuter problems. So why would we saddle our residents with this massive state bond debt?

Furthermore, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is floating a 1-cent increase in sales tax to close the current $15 billion deficit. If BART costs are any indication, expect the true cost to put in the stations and 800 miles of track to easily exceed $100 billion. So expect repeated massive income and sales tax increases in the future. Do we really need this debacle?

A better choice for Tracy commuters is to push for more high-paying local jobs, give incentives to attract business and work on the commuter problems locally. Last week’s transit forum was a start.

Don’t hold your breath. Hold your wallet. Vote no on Prop. 1A, the biggest boondoggle and waste of your taxpayer money in history.

Craig Saalwaechter, a community volunteer and 23-year resident of Tracy, is among a select group of local residents with columns in the Tracy Press.

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written by SJDCwatch , September 06, 2008

True, Delta College is having its own problems as of late, but the comparisons of a state-wide train system to Delta College don't make much economic or geographic sense... To learn more, visit SJDCwatch.blogspot.com

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written by brianc1279 , September 06, 2008

Wow you sound very bitter about Delta CC. You do know they are building another CC right next door to you in Mountain House right? Probably should have mentioned that in your one sided article. Perhaps it's time that you put on your big boy pants and start looking at the big picture. As we continue to increase in gas prices, traffic, and polution it makes more sense to invest in mass transit environmentally friendly solutions that, oh by the way, have had massive success in other parts of the world. If your going to rant you should start a blog. If you want to write articles you need to take out the small minded opinions and write articles that truly explore both sides of an issue. Perhaps some CC Journalism classes could help. Delta anyone?

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written by Dave Hardesty , September 08, 2008

I am still wondering, from the first time it was mentioned a week or so ago, just how far do we expect 11 Million dollars to go to improve ACE and other transportation between Tracy and the Bay area to go?

Also, given all the hype over high speed rail services up and down the state, for something like 10 Billion, assuming it can be done for that, and considering the state is feeling the financial pinch as are the rest of us, how likely are we to pass an 11 Billion dollar bond to get new State Courts around the state with Tracy vieing for some 43 Million dollars of that money in order to erect the South County Court House in the Tracy Bow-tie area?

Just wondering with everyone loosing jobs and houses where all of this money is going to magically appear from?

Dave Hardesty

Dave Hardesty

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written by Tracy RealNews , September 08, 2008

Craig,

The Delta College comment in this article was a poor example. SJDC Trustees have been under investigation on more than one occasion? And the jury's not out yet? Type a Mountain House street address into Yahoo. It doesn't show up as a Mountain House, CA address. They have a Tracy, CA address.

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written by Observer , September 09, 2008

Sure wished they had considered Chrisman and 11th for the campus, that would promote Green Living in Tracy? Have engineering classes in producing alternative energy as well as classes for law? Put the "courthouse" along with the campus? Would it save them money, too?

Will the Mococo line affect any candidates' plans? I wish Churchill and Ives luck in trying to convince the UP to use other existing rail, but looks like a tough fight is ahead of them if not already.

Garamendi have any ideas on this subject? How will Mococo line affect her plans as well?

-amy

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written by Dave Hardesty , September 09, 2008

amy

For certain if UP decides to go with their suggested plans it will have an effect on all the candidates plans. It will also have an effect on all the residents as well.

But in looking at UPs statement, and considering where this line runs and how many communities it runs through, meaning how many streets it crosses, I don't believe they are as serious about this as they might sound.

40 two mile long trains per day would equate to one train rolling through all of these communities at the rate of one train ever 36 minutes. Each train, traveling at 40 mph, and assuming it didn't stop or slow down, would block each intersection it passed for approximately 3 minutes for each train.

Considering all of the problems this will cause for all of these communities I don't really see this happening as a worst case scenario without some governmental mandates, either from the Fed or the State to better mitigate the problem.

Still, when the railroads can move one ton of material approximately 436 miles on one gallon of petrol fuel, it is something to consider.
http://www.factcheck.org/askfa...ove_a.html

I am wondering though, just how "green" do the citizens of Tracy really want to be? To be sure this is a big NIMBY issue.

Dave Hardesty

Dave Hardesty