Californians were scammed by high speed rail

[vanlassie]

21. Well, I live in the heart of California's Central Valley

and this is not a population of people who have experienced much travel, for starters. They don’t realize that many parts of the developed world have advanced transportation systems. They complained bitterly that a rail road track would literally destroy their rural way of life. They managed to force delays while the cost estimates naturally rose. Then they had more fuel for their fire. Complex issues about air quality are seemingly beyond their comprehension.
I choose to ride Amtrak back and forth to the Bay Area and it is good- certainly not great- mainly because rail freight rules and people have to pull over and give way. Very different from Europe and other sophisticated parts of the world.