High-speed rail

It's me, the taxpayer, the American person.

California's high-speed rail, the bullet train, is the one everyone's been laughing at this week, and for good reason.

The piece going around comes from City Journal, a great publication.

It ran on October 21st.

It's written by Christopher Ruffo and Kenneth Shrupp, and the headline is California's Bullet Train Boondoggle.

California voters approved this thing in 2008, and 18 years and more than $15 billion later, in his words, not a single mile of high-speed track has been laid.

Not a single mile.

And as if the week needed more, CalMatters reported on September 15th that the rail authority's own inspector general found nearly $600,000 in travel expenses that broke state law or rules.

what you're listening to presumably doesn't suck so neither should your sound system sonos lets you listen seamlessly from room to room same great sound expertly tuned astonishingly clear it's not magic but it's not not magic

The hits just keep coming for high-speed rail.

The CEO of California's high-speed rail authority has resigned abruptly in the wake of a financial scandal faced by the rail authority last month.

So a lot going on.

It just seems like the latest in a series of unfortunate events for the high-speed rail, Phil.

That's right.

Ian Chaudry was brought on a while ago.

To try to get this beleaguered project on track, what we're talking about is the high-speed rail, the idea of an 800-mile rail track from San Francisco to LA that was going to get you there within four hours.

Oh, guess what? We'll do this next.

The... head of the high-speed rail criminal organization, resigned today.

Talk

about it.

They're just waiting for all the rubes to do the votes on Tuesday.

Of course, a lot of rubes already voted.

I told you just a few minutes ago that the guy running the criminal high-speed rail operation in Chowdhury has resigned.

Gavin Newsom has a temporary replacement, interim CEO.

They've been patiently holding on.

We're also going to get to a California reporter trying to get some answers out of the California High Speed Rail Authority.

All the scandals, wasted taxpayer money, missed deadlines, a lot of questions.

They wouldn't return our calls.

Appreciate it very much.

Always great to talk to Q. I want to roll this clip.

California High Speed Rail Authority has come to reflect the fraud and the secrecy that has encompassed a host of California state government agencies in recent years.

Consultants living large, flying first class, staying at five-star resorts, massive budget overruns, no track laid, and they refuse to talk to reporters.

A fallout from the high-speed hijinks.

The CEO of California's High-Speed Rail Authority has resigned.

Ian Chowdhury cited personal and family priorities in stepping down.

But did it also have to do with the recent report showing that about $600,000 in wasteful travel expenses were paid for for four consulting firms? Expenses included trips to an escape room and a cigar lounge, other entertainment, and first-class travel.

We saw it in the San Fernando Valley with the fraudulent hospice care facilities.

We've seen it certainly at the statewide level with what's going on at High Speed Rail, we know there's a lot of waste, fraud, and abuse that exist in the state of California.

At the junior college level in particular, we have seen phantom students that do not exist enroll in class that not only prevent legitimate students from being able to enroll in those classes, But it's the theft of funds.

It's money that is being spent by the taxpayers of California that is not going to educate a legitimate student who is taking the class and completing the coursework.

Don't do this.

But the CEO of the California so-called High-Speed Rail Authority, even Javier Becerra was saying, I'll paraphrase, but saying, I'll take a look at that.

Again, kudos to Becerra coming out of his basement to appear for an interview.

Phones are still open if you'd like to join us on the show.

I like that.

And we have a lot of cesspools starting here in Sacramento in the Capitol building.

Well, anyway, back to the former CEO of the high-speed rail.

They're coming out like, oh, they misused $600,000.

We saw it in the San Fernando Valley with the fraudulent hospice care facilities.

We've seen it certainly at the statewide level with what's going on at High Speed Rail, we know there's a lot of waste, fraud, and abuse that exist in the state of California.

At the junior college level in particular, we have seen phantom students that do not exist enroll in class that not only prevent legitimate students from being able to enroll in those classes, But it's the theft of funds.

It's money that is being spent by the taxpayers of California that is not going to educate a legitimate student who is taking the class and completing the coursework.