mismanaged

The recent reports which suggest the HSRA be put under the direction of Caltrans provides another chance to play follow the money. Who gains with the shift in transferring responsibility from one government agency to another? The answer: the engineering consultants and no one else. What group has been at the forefront in receiving all of the money allocated so far in the HSR project? The answer: the engineering consultant companies. One might draw the conclusion that the engaged engineering consultant companies are politically connected.

To analytically look at what is going on with CA's HSR, take a look at what is taking place. There are law suits in play and other looming lawsuits which threaten timing of the current EIR procedure. The project has to be shovel ready in 2012 to receive designated federal dollars. The constant shift of alleged track alignments has diverted the release of an EIR. Any law suits could possibly further delay EIR entitlements with the fear of the State loosing HSR federal dollars.

What would an agency transfer of the proposed HSR project mean? Most likely it would mean that the engineering consultants receive new contracts from a different agency and continue receiving their income to continue their studies. It means politics as usual and maintains the status-quo.