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San Mateo County, CA June 5, 2012 Election
Smart Voter

High Speed Rail

By Mark Gilham

Candidate for Member of the State Assembly; District 22

This information is provided by the candidate
Stopping High Speed Rail
I find it interesting that people dislike the high speed rail, yet our leaders are pushing full speed ahead. I've already made the argument that the cost will be at least 250 billion to 350 billion.

When interviewed by the San Mateo Daily Journal, they did not disagree but asked how I came to this number.

I simply pointed to the eastern portion of the bay bridge. We were told that the original estimate for the suspension span was around $800 million in 1989. Then the cost went to $1.8 billion using American steel and $1.4 billion using foreign steel.

In 1997 $2.6 billion; in 2001 $4.7 billion and in 2004 $7.4 billion (not including a $900 million contingency for future overruns). (All these figures are available on-line.)

Now it's over 12 billion and counting, and they still have about a year to go before completion.

What makes us think the state can build a 520 mile project on budget or for fewer than 100 billion?

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