Bob Van Groningen: Before building trains, fix roads, schools and mental-health system
Governor Jerry Brown and democrats have officially announced the start of the 10-year Bullet Train Project. Our governor has proclaimed Californians “cannot not afford to spend $68 billion on a train.”
Presto! Sixty-eight billion dollars to spend on a train that is considered by most voters to be nothing more than a “pipe dream.” Meanwhile, schools are clamoring for more funds, our highways are some of the worst in the U.S., and our state has a totally broken mental-health system. Plus, every Californian has more to add to this list!
Why not eliminate much more pollution and highway congestion by connecting Amtrak? Also, bringing more rail and commuter trains to the valley would make a tremendous difference!
Our four-term governor has always lacked common sense. Consider the fact that years ago Jerry Brown earned the nickname “Moonbeam.”
Bob Van Groningen, Manteca
This story was originally published January 13, 2015 at 10:21 AM with the headline "Bob Van Groningen: Before building trains, fix roads, schools and mental-health system."