CalTrans Overstaffed by 3,500 Positions Coupled with No Funded Projects,
“Are You Kidding Me?”
SACRAMENTO, CA – In today’s “Are You Kidding Me?” segment, Assemblyman Jones (R-Santee) denounces the latest budget gimmicks put into play by Governor Brown and Legislative Democrats which overstaffs the Department of Transportation by 3,500 positions. According to the non-partisan Legislative Analyst’s Office, being overstaffed by about 3,500 full-time positions will cost the state more than $500 million beginning in 2014-15. “What’s an even bigger slap in the face is that the legislative budget committee recently approved cutting 195 positions, but then added back almost that exact number of positions to develop projects over time,” said Assemblyman Jones. “But where the money to fund these projects will come from is unknown. Maybe instead we should defund California’s high-speed rail plan that has yet to materialize.”
Comments 3
Assemblyman Brian Jones. It’s easy to complain about broken roads and wasteful liberal spending, but I really wish you and your colleagues in Sacramento could provide some smart solutions to these problems. You talk about road congestion, and yes it’s horrible, and it’s going to get worse. But in many industrialized countries there is really convenient public transportation. My wife and I used to live in Japan and the trains, subways and hi-speed rail, albeit, crowed at times, saved a lot of the hassles we encounter driving on the roads here in California. Japan’s hi-speed rail and subways were cheap and convenient, and in Japan, on-time. The subways in NY and Washington DC also do well. The future is having something like subways and hi-speed rail, not millions of cars on more and more congested roads. I agree with you that the way the project is being done is wasteful and marred with politics on design, routes, etc. Why can’t we limit the scope of this project and do it smarter? Maybe build it over the I-5 corridor on more direct routes (San Fran to LA is one). Use the latest technology and make it work. Your suggestion is the easy one, just throw the baby out with the bathwater. The hard and smart solution would be to sit down, figure out how to make this work for the future of Californians within a budget that Californians can afford. Are our politicians really that inept? We can send a man to the moon in the sixties but forty plus years later we can’t figure out to get a high-speed train to work in the eighth largest economy in the world? Are you telling me that a third world country like China, who did a successful 6,200 mile hi-speed rail system is more innovative than California and Silicon Valley? Personally, I think the hi-speed rail failure is a result of our politicians in Sacramento failing because they’re more interested in fighting along party lines than actually doing something—like their jobs.
Tony Teora for State Assembly 71st
http://www.tonyteora.org
Wow! Jerry Brown is running against Brian Jones
Wow! That’s a real thoughtful and insightful response to why we should not try to fix public transportation.
Rather than attacking my suggestions on something concrete you would rather try to associate me with Jerry Brown. That ad hominem attack does not refute the validity of my earlier argument. For reference you might want to note the positions of some others, including the Republican Party.
“Let’s go ahead and be really bold, and go head to head with the Chinese in developing and implementing maglev trains that move at 280, 300, 320 miles an hour.”
New Gingrich- June 2009
“Republicans support, where economically viable, the development of a high-speed passenger railroad system as an instrument of economic development and enhanced mobility.”
Republican Platform- 2004
Some might ask why people are now fighting a great technology that can improve people’s lives. I think it’s because politicians and their trolls would rather smear people and parties rather than working together on true solutions. That’s exactly why people elected have the lowest approval ratings in years.
I plan to take the high ground and do and say what I believe is right, not puppet some party talking points. The rail system is currently a mess, and I do not support it. But if we can change it; make it smart, affordable and remove the dirty politics, I would support it. I think we should work together to get good public transportation like hi-speed rail to work rather than giving up and using it as a political weapon.
Tony Teora for State Assembly
http://www.tonyteora.org