PLEASE NOTE: After the printing of the Voter Information Guide was
underway,
Proposition 1 was removed from the ballot pursuant to statute.
It
will be replaced by Proposition 1A on the ballot. A Supplemental Voter Information Guide was printed to provide voters with the text, analyses, arguments, and other information about the measure required by law.
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| Title and Summary | Analysis | Arguments and Rebuttals | Text of Proposed Law |
PROP |
HIGH SPEED RAIL BONDS. LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE AMENDMENT. |
| ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF PROPOSITION 1 |
ARGUMENT AGAINST PROPOSITION 1 |
Proposition 1 will bring Californians a safe, convenient, affordable, and reliable alternative to soaring gasoline prices, freeway congestion, rising airfares, plummeting airline service, and fewer flights available. It will reduce California's dependence on foreign oil and reduce greenhouse gases that cause global warming. Proposition 1 is a $9.95 billion bond measure for an 800-mile High-Speed Train network that will relieve 70 million passenger trips a year that now clog California's highways and airports—WITHOUT RAISING TAXES. California will be the first state in the country to benefit from environmentally preferred High-Speed Trains common today in Europe and Asia. Proposition 1 will bring California: • Electric-powered High-Speed Trains running up to 220 miles an hour on modern track safely separated from other traffic generally along existing rail corridors. • Routes linking downtown stations in SAN DIEGO, LOS ANGELES, FRESNO, SAN JOSE, SAN FRANCISCO, and SACRAMENTO, with stops in communities in between. • High-Speed Train service to major cities in ORANGE COUNTY, the INLAND EMPIRE, the SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY, and the SOUTH BAY. • Nearly a billion dollars to beef up commuter rail systems that connect to High-Speed Trains. Proposition 1 will save time and money. Travel from Los Angeles to San Francisco in about 2½ hours for about $50 a person. With gasoline prices today, a driver of a 20-miles-per-gallon car would spend about $87 and six hours on such a trip. Ten years of study and planning have gone into PREPARING FOR construction, financing, and operation of a California bullet train network modeled on popular, reliable, and successful systems in Europe and Asia. Their record shows that High-Speed Trains deliver, both in service and economy. Air travelers spend more time on the ground than in the air today. Proposition 1 will create a new transportation choice that improves conditions at our major airports. There's no room for more runways. High-Speed Trains can relieve that demand. Electric-powered High-Speed Trains will remove over 12 billion pounds of CO2 and greenhouse gases, equal to the pollution of nearly 1 million cars. And High-Speed Trains require one-third the energy of air travel and one-fifth the energy of auto travel. Proposition 1 will protect taxpayer interests: • Two independent ridership and revenue forecasts by outside experts were subject to tough peer review. • Existing High-Speed Train system operators are directly involved in oversight of the design of California's system. • The new system will be subject to legal and financial oversight by the Governor, the Legislature, the Attorney General, and an independent outside expert. • Proposition 1 bond funds will provide a match for AT LEAST ANOTHER 9 billion dollars in federal funding and private investment. Vote Yes on Proposition 1 to IMPROVE MOBILITY and inject new vitality into California's economy by creating nearly 160,000 construction-related jobs and 450,000 permanent jobs in related industries like tourism. These are American jobs that cannot be outsourced. Vote Yes on Proposition 1. www.californiahighspeedtrains.com MICHAEL TURNIPSEED, Executive Director REBUTTAL TO ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF PROPOSITION 1 No on 1: A POLITICAL BOONDOGGLE. Politicians who can't solve our budget crisis, fix health care or our schools, put Proposition 1 on the ballot. Even they admit the train is likely to cost at least $40 billion dollars so this is just a "partial payment" by taxpayers, with NO guarantee it will ever get finished. The project has already wasted $58 million on consultants, studies, European travel, and glossy brochures. Prop. 1 allows the bureaucrats and politicians to spend billions more without ever laying one inch of track. California taxpayers would be on the hook for that money even if the project were shut down. The special interests backing Proposition 1 are notorious for their cost overruns. They stand to make billions off this scam. No on 1: WILL COST TAXPAYERS $19,200,000,000. Politicians admit that principal and interest payments will cost California taxpayers $640 million dollars every year for 30 years. How do the politicians plan on paying for this? NEW TAXES or cuts to critical programs like our schools? Don't be misled—taxpayers are on the hook for the whole $19,200,000,000. No on 1: EXPAND EXISTING TRANSIT SYSTEMS INSTEAD. Californians problem is not getting from San Francisco to Los Angeles, it's getting into work each day. Investing the same amount of money in regional transit and highway congestion relief would reduce pollution and our reliance on foreign oil. NO ON PROP 1: NO accountability, NO congestion relief for suffering commuters, and TAXPAYERS CAN'T AFFORD IT! HON. TOM McCLINTOCK, State Senator |
NO on Prop. 1: $20 Billion Cost for Taxpayers Prop. 1 is a boondoggle that will cost taxpayers nearly $20 billion dollars in principal and interest. Taxpayers will foot this bill—it's not "free money." According to the measure (Article 3, Section 2704.10) ". . . the full faith and credit of the State of California is hereby pledged for the punctual payment of both principal of, and interest on, the bonds . . .." This measure will take $20 billion dollars out of the general fund over the life of the bonds. That's over $2,000 for an average family of four! NO on Prop. 1: California Taxpayers Can't Afford Higher Budget Deficits With our budget crisis, billions in red ink, pending cuts to health care, the poor, parks, and schools, now is NOT THE TIME to add another $20 billion in state debt and interest. The state already has over $100 BILLION DOLLARS in voter-approved bonds and our bond rating is already among the worst in the nation and this could lower it even further. NO on Prop. 1—Better Uses for Taxpayer Dollars California has higher priorities than this $20 BILLION DOLLAR boondoggle. What would $20 billion buy?
NO on Prop. 1—No Accountability Politicians and bureaucrats will control the money. There is not ONE citizen member on the new "finance committee." They are all politicians and bureaucrats. There are no reporting requirements so the public can see how the money is spent. No independent, outside audit is required. NO on Prop. 1—An Open Taxpayer Checkbook The total cost is estimated to be over $40 billion and some experts expect it to reach $100 billion ($10,000 for the average family of four). Section 1(d) says the bond funds are ". . . intended to encourage the federal government and the private sector to make a significant contribution toward the construction . . ." NOTE THE WORD "ENCOURAGED"—that's bureaucratic language for "we will spend taxpayer money regardless of whether we ever get a penny from the private sector or the federal government." In fact, $58 million in taxpayer money has ALREADY been spent on this project and not ONE FOOT of track has been laid. Now they want us to trust them with $10 BILLION more. NO on Prop. 1—Promoted by Special Interests for Special Interests The Association for California High Speed Trains is promoting this boondoggle. Their Board represents out-of-state special interests (France, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, New York City, Texas, and Illinois), many of whom stand to make millions if this measure passes. Please Join Us in Voting "NO" on Prop. 1 Log on, learn more, and read it for yourself: www.DerailHSR.com. HON. TOM McCLINTOCK, State Senator REBUTTAL TO ARGUMENT AGAINST PROPOSITION 1 California's high-speed rail network requires NO TAX INCREASE and is subject to strict fiscal controls and oversight. It's simple and fair—Once completed THE USERS OF THE SYSTEM PAY FOR THE SYSTEM. That's why taxpayer watchdog groups support Proposition 1. Electric High-Speed Trains will give Californians a real alternative to skyrocketing gasoline prices and dependence on foreign oil while reducing greenhouse gases that cause global warming. Building high-speed rail is cheaper than expanding highways, airports, and runways to meet California's population growth. Gridlock, hassles of flying and long-distance auto travel have become very onerous. Proposition 1 will save time. Travel intercity downtown to downtown throughout California on High-Speed Trains faster than automobile or air travel—AT A CHEAPER COST! California's transportation system is out-of-date and deteriorating. We need options to poorly maintained roads, jammed runways and congested highways. Californians need what most of the civilized world has—high-speed rail. We've fallen so far behind other states and nations that our crumbling infrastructure threatens our economy. A 220-mile-an-hour statewide rail system will give Californians a faster, environmentally friendly alternative for travel and commerce. Proposition 1 is endorsed by law enforcement experts, business leaders, environmentalists, and Californians looking for safe, affordable, and reliable transportation. Signers of the ballot argument against Proposition 1 are habitual opponents of transportation improvements in California. Their claims are wrong. Californians need to invest in a new, modern, effective mode of transportation. Vote Yes on Proposition 1. www.californiahighspeedtrains.com MICHAEL TURNIPSEED, Executive Director |
Arguments printed on this page are the opinions of the authors and have not been checked for accuracy by any official agency.
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