Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger really wants California's high-speed rail to get going. So much so that he's hoping a tiny portion of the development is built so he can get a photo-op (and be forever remembered as the politician who spear-headed the line). Meanwhile, this week, he vetoed a measured that would have killed funds for the project if fiscal accountability wasn't taken into consideration. Via the Palo Alto Online: "With a stroke of his line-veto pen, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Monday killed a budget provision that would have forced the California High-Speed Rail Authority to improve its business plan and strengthen its outreach efforts by Feb. 1 or have about a quarter of its annual budget withheld.
Schwarzenegger's veto deals a blow to efforts by Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, and other state legislators to hold the rail authority accountable after a sequence of audits revealed a myriad of flaws in the agency's revenue and ridership plans." And more from the San Mateo County Times: "The High-Speed Rail Authority desperately needs to rebuild its credibility and public support," state Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, said Wednesda.." Meanwhile, the Authority announced earlier this week that a deal is in place with a private farming company in Kern County to provide land for a potential heavy maintenance facility for California’s high-speed train project.
· Schwarzenegger vetoes rail 'accountability' stick [Palo Alto Online]
· Schwarzenegger vetoes bullet-train accountability measures [San Mateo County Times]
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