Mel Freedman: Bullet train would help a few, but de-sal would help all

Re: “Denham: Don’t turn away new jobs” (Letters, June 21): With apologies to the writer, utilitarianism tells us that government is best which provides the greatest good to the greatest number of people. If we can accept the truth of that statement, let’s apply it to modern-day California. Gov. Jerry Brown’s bullet train (sexy though it may be) would provide only a marginal good to a relatively small number of people. But why not put that money to better use by constructing as many desalination plants as possible along the coast? As I see it, everyone, and I mean literally everyone in this state, would derive benefit from such an enterprise. And what good today looms as great as water?

This story was originally published June 29, 2015 at 12:37 PM with the headline "Mel Freedman: Bullet train would help a few, but de-sal would help all."