To the editor: It’s hard to believe that the state of California continues to support this dismal high-speed rail failure. (“Newsom and state leaders stress high-speed rail progress amid new challenges,” Jan. 7)
Gov. Gavin Newsom “disapproves of the criticism.” He says, “We can’t go back. We just have to accept the responsibility of where we are.”
Where we are? You mean building a useless stretch of rail to serve the Central Valley? You mean continuing to support a project that will cost $100 billion more than originally estimated? You mean wasting taxpayer dollars so you can crow about “thousands of jobs the project has provided”?
You can go back, Gov. Newsom. Here’s how: Abandon that silly, wasteful white elephant, and convert the viaducts that have been constructed to be used by trucks that move goods and produce. Turn those workers loose on rebuilding our roadways or constructing reservoirs.
Jerrold Coleman, Santa Clarita
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To the editor: California high-speed rail is an enormous and technically ambitious project that will help the state meet its climate goals. It will provide a clean alternative to driving and flying and help reduce traffic at our overburdened roads and airports. The system will also link the state together in ways that will be economically beneficial for generations to come.
As Los Angeles burns, critics of high-speed rail double down on fossil fuels. Their shortsightedness will only make these disastrous wildfires even more intense and frequent in the future.
Now is not the time to pull back from high-speed rail. Instead, it is time to push forward with even more urgency and complete this transformative project.
Donald Flaherty, Los Angeles
