When California voters approved the high speed rail (HSR) project in 2008, they embraced a vision of innovation: a cutting-edge rail system connecting Los Angeles to San Francisco by 2020.
This project was sold as a transformative solution to reduce traffic, cut emissions and create jobs. Seventeen years later, the project has delivered nothing but broken promises, wasted taxpayer dollars and mounting frustration.
What began as a $33.6 billion proposal has ballooned into a $100 billion and growing debacle, with no clear timeline for completion. The current scaled-back plan — connecting Bakersfield to Merced — won’t begin operations until 2030-2033, a decade behind schedule and far removed from what voters were promised. Billions have been spent, yet not a single foot of track has been built.
This failure isn’t just about delays and cost overruns — it’s a glaring example of government mismanagement and misplaced priorities. While we funnel billions into this project, Californians are facing pressing challenges in their daily lives that demand immediate attention.
Decaying roads, aging bridges and failing water systems threaten Californians’ lives and safety. Wildfire prevention measures remain severely underfunded, leaving communities vulnerable to disaster.
Even essential state services, such as the DMV, are closing field offices while still bogged down by outdated systems, frustrating millions of Californians. Instead of continuing to sink billions into a failing rail project, we could be addressing these immediate and critical needs.
The governor’s proposed 2025 January budget further exacerbates this issue of California ignoring the dire issues across the state. While his budget appears to be more in line with projected revenues than last year’s in this initial estimate, I have serious concerns that it is sustainable. The governor continues to raid the rainy day reserve fund to balance state spending. His $322.3 billion budget — the second largest state spending plan ever — is only balanced with $7.1 billion pulled from the reserve fund. Under his proposal, General Fund spending will grow by $17.4 billion. Because our state’s finances depend so heavily on the unreliable and volatile stock market, Californians should be concerned about the soundness of this budget. I am certainly concerned.
With so many examples of government mismanagement and significant efforts the state must take on to ensure the safety of its residents, it is time to let go of the high speed rail project. If the project makes financial sense, then private entities will take it over and see it through to completion; there is private high speed rail in Florida and a private project starting to connect LA and Las Vegas. It’s clear, Sacramento has mismanaged the appropriation of funds for too long and continues to sink billions of taxpayer dollars into the train to nowhere.
I will be supporting Assembly Bill 267, introduced by Assemblymember Alexandra Macedo, R-Visalia, a bill that would reappropriate 2026-27 and 2027-28 funds from the high speed rail project to be put back into the General Fund for water infrastructure and wildfire prevention needs. It’s time to fight for the real issues plaguing Californians.
The Legislature needs to prioritize spending on essential services like fire management and access to essential state services such as the DMV. It is past time to cut spending on failed budget drains like the high speed rail to ensure both taxpayers and vulnerable populations are protected and have easy access to core resources. This state is quick to provide ongoing spending for expensive, pie-in-the-sky projects with no accountability, but hesitates to address the real issues Californians are tackling just to survive.
The time for responsible fiscal management is now.
Diane Dixon represents the 72nd Assembly District.