Gaines slams Legislature’s high-speed rail vote

Sen. Ted Gaines, R-Rocklin, vice chair of the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee, criticized the California legislature’s vote to authorize approximately $8 billion for California’s High Speed Rail Project last week.

“The Democrats just passed another budget that is billions of dollars out of balance and now they are threatening to cut billions more from our schools unless they get a massive tax increase in November,” said Gaines in statement. “And they think this is the appropriate time to sink a fortune into a high speed rail project that is doomed to failure? Those half-empty train cars will be a monument to misplaced priorities and fiscal recklessness.”

The bill passed the Assembly on Thursday and passed in the Senate on Friday, with all 15 Republican senators voting against the measure.

“This project will push California over the fiscal cliff and it will be a legendary waste of taxpayer money,” said Gaines. “It will require endless subsidies and will blast a massive hole into our budget. Our dollars would be better spent on our schools, public safety, or more effective infrastructure projects.”

Gaines represents the 1st Senate District, which includes all or parts of El Dorado and Placer counties.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report