Yet another reputable study — this one reported in the LOS ANGELES TIMES –guts an underlying assumption of HSR believers. See the article below. Japan’s experience with HSR over 30 years demonstrates that “. . . as an engine of economic growth, [HSR] ‘will have only a marginal impact at best.’ ”
Moreover, HSR would likely PROMOTE suburban sprawl, the bain of liberal land use planning theology. And yet the Democrats soldier on into the Central Valley with HSR, reality notwithstanding.
It reminds me of the fatal British army foray into the desert in the historical move Khartoum — staring Charlton Heston. Oblivious to reality, the British generals marched their ill-equiped troops into a sandy death trap, arrogantly assuming that they were right BECAUSE they were British.
Such is the mentality of HSR believers. And I do mean BELIEVERS. It parallels a religious mindset (ironic, given that liberals generally hate religion)– a blind belief in HSR unrelated and undeterred by overwhelming evidence that it is a very, VERY bad idea. Indeed, another parallel would be the gullible believers in Ponzi schemes and MLM promises.
Here’s my favorite angry liberal reader’s comment under the article from one of these believers:
Alexander Hollywood-Man at 12:57 PM July 13, 2012
Los Angeles times sucks!!
Seriously – they’re one of the very few media joints who keeps critisizing High-Speed Rail day in, day out. They have got to stop it!
LA Times’ non-objective, flawed point-of-view, with falsified data, is really becoming annoying. Their views are outdated and biased.
Shame on LA Times for attempting to mislead so many people!
The reality is, high-speed rail will be a huge success and will greatly help the California economy as well as will drastically improve mobility in California!
———-
This comment summarizes the mindless “thinking” driving HSR towards its inevitable train wreck. Such HSR sycophants won’t want to read the (normally uber-liberal) WASHINGTON POST editorial from last November, castigating the decision to continue with CA HSR. The editorial’s final sentence says it all – “Somebody, please, stop this train.”
Let’s hope this unpopular legislative decision to proceed with building HSR (disapproved by almost a 2-1 voter margin, according to current polls) sounds the death knell for the numerous tax increases on the California state ballot this November.
———–
UCLA study of Japan’s bullet train raises questions about California project
13 July, 2012
A new UCLA economic analysis ofJapan’sShinkansen bullet train and its impact on the growth of cities along its route calls into question claims by state officials that California’s high-speed rail project will create up to 400,000 permanent jobs.
Construction ofJapan’svaunted bullet train began in the mid-1960s, and it did not generate higher economic growth or additional jobs, according to the study.
Written by Jerry Nickelsburg, senior economist with the UCLA Anderson Forecast, the study said there may be other justifications for bullet train service between Los Angeles and San Francisco, but the $68-billion project as an engine of economic growth “will have only a marginal impact at best.”
Nickelsburg examined the growth rates of cities and regions served by Japan’s system, compared to the nation’s overall rate of growth, and found that the introduction of high-speed passenger service had no discernible effect.
The analysis looked at nearly a dozen urban and rural prefectures and found no evidence that the introduction of bullet train service improved tax revenues, which was used as a proxy for local gross domestic product. In one case, one region without high-speed rail service grew just as quickly as a similar region with it. The study examined economic activity over a 30-year period.
. . .
To read the full article, go to the LA TIMES link above.