I am very concerned that the High Speed Rail Authority is trying to push through all their projects without following the laws of Ca.- according to AB3034. This requires that the Authority provide profitability statistics for one thing. No other rail project in the world has been profitable and this is a requirement of the state so the tax payer isn't on the hook for subsidizing the building of the High Speed Rail project and more importantly yearly subsidies. It also requires ridership statistics- how many riders must we have to support a $55. one way ticket to LA?? According to Diridon, KGO interview on May 12th, when everything is up and running the HSR project will bring in 2 Billion dollar a year. Let's see those ridership stats that support that. HSR Authority is also bound to have valid Business Plan and so far according the LAO, it's woefully inadequate. This is why the legislature only funded half their budget and they are to provide this new and improved business plan late this summer.

Yet, they march on, sending projects for stimulus Fed funds to the CalTrans and eventually the governor with, one example, the San Jose to San Francisco route. Their own professional staff and Administrative director warned not to put that project on the list because it wasn't ready with the proper Environmental Impact reports and engineering studies. If it is not ready by the fed deadline, we will forfeit that money and possibly downgrade the state's entire Stimulus application and there over 100 projects through out the state. Why risk the state's chance to get money which we so desperately need if there is the slightest chance that it will not be ready. There is also a lawsuit by Atherton that was just heard a couple of weeks ago that challenges route selection of San Jose / San Francisco for many reasons and the Authority did not present a fanastic case.

And last the Eminent Domain issue is very alarming. Recent business owners in San Francisco were offered a small percentage of what they thought their building and business's worth was. What shall they do to the Homeowners along the route, and there are hundreds, not 50-80 families as quoted by the Authority and lots of businesses, historic buildings to say nothing of 100's of heritage trees. When will they offer the homeowners the money for their properties, after 2-3 years of a down market since no one will look at these properties knowing they are along the proposed route. They used average state property statistics in their proposals and the Peninsula property sells for 5 to 10X or more the average state statistics depending on the city. If they offer truly Fair Market Value, the cost of building, prior to the Nov. 2008 stats, adjusted for economic down turn (This can be proven). this route will be enormously expensive. Why, is the biggest question, when someone can hop on Cal Train and get to the city .Why spend this kind of money and destroy properties and lives.

There are many over 55 citizens living in homes along the route, will they be allowed to carry their tax basis with them if their properties are taken by Eminent Domain? The law does not provide for that today.

Before Diridon and Kopp were on the HSR Authority, the Authority recommended Altamont Pass and it was hailed by cities and environmental groups and then suddenly that route is off the table. WHY? Some of this is the basis of the lawsuit. This does not smell right. There is little oversight of the Authority and little news coverage of what is really going on and all these issues need to be carefully looked at before it's too late for everyone in the state. Why is the question of the day.