Cali's high speed rail project

[gcode]

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I thought this was interesting

Since my account is somewhat anonymous I'm going to disclose where some of the California high-speed rail money gets wasted.

99% of you don't realize where giant chunks of the money is disappearing to. 

The California high-speed rail authority, literally owns thousands of parcels of land that are in various stages continued litigation, tenant improvements, eviction, and constant maintenance. 

For example, there are many homes and apartment complexes in the plant path that have been purchased years ahead of construction. Removing those tenants is a slow and expensive process. (let's ignore the extra stress on housing that all of these destroyed properties are causing)

In some cases, these are low rent apartments with a lengthy eviction process   
During that process, the state of California is the landlord and has to maintain the property codes the same as any other landlord.  This means repairs, adding smoke detectors, fixing roofs, vegetation management, landscaping, paying off tenants to leave early, boarding up Windows, constant trash cleanups, towing vehicles etc. 

But the High Speed Rail Authority doesn't just have to maintain these properties at normal cost.  Every single bit of that work has to be done at California prevailing wage rates.  The work can only be done through qualified contractors that have passed through a long series of idiotic mazes to qualify to perform the work. 

An average rate per hour (charge rate) for a worker to perform any service on these properties is approximately $200 an hour for labor only.  The cost go up for specialized work, like electricians, plumbers, or machine operators.   

Properties that are literally worthless are being maintained at huge expense just so the next round of homeless transients can break into the property and cause more damage.  For reasons I can't explain, the process to finally demo and remove the structures takes years. 

I'm only mentioning the tip of the iceberg regarding my firsthand knowledge. 

Completely separate from those outlandish costs are the inflation caused by the construction.  The prevailing word on the street is that nothing is getting done.
The truth is that a lot is getting done and none of it efficiently.

The amount of concrete being poured daily and monthly to build gigantic overpasses for both the rail and roadways is not understood.  In these work areas, every concrete mixing company is fully scheduled out and cannot offer building materials for other basic services such as building a house often times for weeks when the average lead time for many of these services used to be one day.   And that's just the schedule, never mind the huge cost increases from straining the supply chain and Labor pool.   

The amount of concrete and steel that has gone into the structures so far is massive. 

Dozens and dozens of new water wells have been dug just for dust control.
Thousands upon thousands of acres of highly productive tree fruits and nuts have been torn up and shredded. 

Utility scale solar fields have been uprooted and sometimes relocated at extravagant costs. 

Every type of business you can imagine has gone through either a closure, relocation, or a long-term tenant agreement with the rail authority.  In some cases, it's just a buyout where the business closes its doors forever. The owners get something all of the workers get nothing. 

Don't get me started on how thick the layers of bureaucracy are for these minute tasks that occur on all of these properties. 

The inefficiency is far beyond your wildest dreams.  In many cases, this is not related to fraud in any way it's just absolute ignorance, red tape, and failed leadership.   

I can go much deeper into specific examples, but I think that gives some of you an idea of what's actually happening in California.  If a rail is ever usable, some portions of the structures will be decades old and already in disrepair.

[YoDoug]

The entire Democrat operation is just one big racketeering operation. Politicians take money from tax payers, funnel to "projects" which consist of special interest groups, NGO's ,etc. Those groups kick back donations to Dem politicians. In the process they give just enough subsidies and freebees to majority to keep them voting blue. Rinse and repeat. The teachers unions are the largest racketeering op even created. Every light rail, Green energy, infrastructure project, etc. The goal is to feed and grow the Dem operation, every once in while some actual work happens in that process, but it is not the priority.

[Zoffen]

The entire Democrat operation is just one big racketeering operation. Politicians take money from tax payers, funnel to "projects" which consist of special interest groups, NGO's ,etc. Those groups kick back donations to Dem politicians. In the process they give just enough subsidies and freebees to majority to keep them voting blue. Rinse and repeat. The teachers unions are the largest racketeering op even created. Every light rail, Green energy, infrastructure project, etc. The goal is to feed and grow the Dem operation, every once in while some actual work happens in that process, but it is not the priority.

If they all were just corrupt but still competent no one would care but now they are all are corrupt and extremely incompetent now it's an issue lol

[YoDoug]

Don't get me wrong, The R's are not beyond the same corruption pattern. IMO R's have reached a 60%-80% corruption level compared the the Dems 99% corruption level.

[Bucky Cornstarch]

Is the high speed rail project now going to make it all the way to Alabama (presumably to deliver $$ to the revenue-sucking red state that it is), or does gcode just miss California?

RENT FREE!!!!!

[jstell]

You will own nothing.

The owners get something all of the workers get nothing.

[mowens]

What does Alabama have to do with gcode?

[jstell]

He's halfway there!

[MIL-TFP-41]

Don't get me wrong, The R's are not beyond the same corruption pattern. IMO R's have reached a 60%-80% corruption level compared the the Dems 99% corruption level.

I think you are being optimistic about the 60-80%. I see both parties equally. The only ones that might not be corrupt would be the freshman class....but they learn really fast.

Drain the swamp my ass. The place is as bad as ever.

[gcode]

or does gcode just miss California?

nope, I still get emails from the local paper in Cali.

I'm seeing record heat waves, unprovoked knife murders of two homeless men in downtown Riverside, record gas prices
etc etc etc.

I also see that the state of Cali rewrote  broke the 30 year rooftop solar contract it made with early adopters.

What was once a pretty good deal is now a dick in the ass.

I used to spend $150/week on gas. We've been here 3 weeks now and both cars still have plenty of gas.

I don't miss any of that.

A 23 day fast track escrow closes on my house next week.

I was selling to a friend at a friendly price, but his sister backed out.

I turned it over to a young woman who works for eHomes She got 28 offers during a 2 day open house.

I'm just hoping Cali can keep it together for one more week so Mrs gcode and I can collect our half million dollar

payday and put the PRK out of our minds.

[gcode]

What does Alabama have to do with gcode?

not a damn thing. I live in Arkansas now... and so far we love it here

[jstell]

Drain the swamp my ass. The place is as bad as worse than ever.

fixed

swamp ass indeed
https://x.com/DannyZuker/status/878311799199645696

[Bucky Cornstarch]

Alabama, Arkansas, my bad, gcode.

I've already thanked you for doing your part to make California even better, so if you're happy, it's a win for both of us.