High-Speed Rail Failures Demand More Transparency, Not Less
Yesterday, Democrats in the California Assembly passed Assembly Bill 1608 (Wilson), a measure that allows the California High-Speed Rail Authority Office of the Inspector General to keep audits confidential from the public. AB 1608 only allows Democratic Committee Chairs to review the top-secret reports. Assemblywoman Alexandra M. Macedo (R-Tulare) whose district has been heavily impacted by the failures of the high-speed rail issued the following statement:
“The Office of the Inspector General was created to be a watchdog, but this bill turns it into a gatekeeper. By giving the Inspector General broad discretion to hide reports that reveal project ‘weaknesses’, they are inviting political meddling. This measure is not about protecting security; it’s about protecting the Governor and the High-Speed Rail Authority from embarrassment.
“Worse, this bill plays partisan games with taxpayer dollars. By sharing confidential audits only with committee chairs while excluding vice chairs, the majority party is making oversight a partisan privilege. Preventing the misuse and abuse of taxpayer dollars should be a bipartisan mission.
“The High-Speed Rail is among the most expensive megaprojects in world history, with major construction contracts increased nearly 1,600 times—resulting in a staggering $6 billion in cost overruns.
“The Central Valley has felt the impact of this project more than most – a modern Stonehenge built on precious farmland to be a prop for talking points by politicians who only set foot in the Valley for press conferences.
“What we need now is radical transparency – not a rug to sweep the failures under.”
BACKGROUND: The California High-Speed Rail Authority process began in 2008.
Voters were promised that a train from Los Angeles to San Francisco would be finished by 2020 at a price tag of $34 billion.
Now, in its latest business plan, the Authority claims that it will cost $231 billion.