Article from The Los Angeles Times by Ralph Vartabedian.
The Trump administration’s decision to cancel a $929-million grant to California’s troubled high-speed rail project and claw back $2.5 billion in funds already spent has thrust the federal government into uncharted legal territory and poses an existential threat to the state’s largest investment ever.
Never before, experts say, has the federal government attempted to take back such a large sum of money from California, particularly after it was spent under federal supervision.
“I have never seen anything this large,” said Ron Flavin, a San Francisco consultant who advises state agencies and local governments on grants. “I have never seen anything where they said we are going to cancel a grant because of issues in the administrative or bureaucratic process.”
The Federal Railroad Administration this week sent a letter to state officials asserting that the project is out of compliance with major provisions of the grant agreement’s schedule, scope and payment terms.
Read the entire article at The Los Angeles Times.
wpDiscuz
What happens if California is actually out of compliance in myriad ways?
Hi All,
I say put the wall up on the southern side of California cutting it off from the rest of the US and give back to Mexico free of charge.
A very good idea
East and North sides would work.
YEP
Don’t you mean the East and North sides of California? A wall on the Southern side would only cut off California from Mexico. Whereas, a wall on east and North sides would cut off California from the rest of the US. Not a bad idea. In fact, probably a very good idea since most of the crackpots reside in California.
Jon I agree with you on that one. Why not give it back. Build the wall from Nevada on down.
Because then you have to build it up the eastern side of California because it will then be Mexico.
California is failing already because the Democratic leadership there is not existent. Failed ideas, failed legislation, foolhardy principles, belligerence ,let’s face it, the California officials should all be recalled and cast out of office!
CA government has taxed the home owners and retired citizens. School system is one big mess because of the illegals and drugs cartels. Whole families and businesses moving out of state. Big problem with Obamacare being mandatory for business.
Worthless Obamacare for women with kids. Medicaid people in Obamacare can’t get appointment or long wait
Obamacare is nothing but welfare. It is up to people to pay their own way and not depend on handouts from government that other people are robbed to pay for. That is not what the federal government is supposed to be doing. There is entirely too much welfare as it is, entirely too many able-bodied people who do nothing for themselves who are receiving money they didn’t earn. Stop expecting government to fill in the gaps. Try getting married and staying married so kids will have what they need!!!
There was an agreement signed by the Representatives of California to monitor and make sure this project was completed on time and on budget. A clause was is in place for the Federal Government to reclaim the GRANT MONEY, Not a gift. If they failed to complete the Project. Why should all US Taxpayers be on the hook for Californias GovernMENTAL Failures.
And they are not just failures as far as I can determine.it seems to me that it was a whim, that the governor had been warned about repeatedly, he knew it was going to fail yet he took the money anyway and spent it. I would like to think there are ways the national government could begin reposessing or placing leans on California. (OK, I know, how ignorant I am which is why I use words like seem, like to think-got it!) Never the less if a regular person was to willfully default on a loan, mock the lender, and refuse to make a way to pay it back there would be all kinds of penalties and ways to recover the loss? Personally I think Trump should extend his national emergency to the infestation of vermin that has taken over California and exterminate them.
Mexico has long alleged that California was stolen from them- give it back to them and the funny people who live there, put up the fence or better yet, no, I had better not say that, so what the hell give it to Mexico!
I agree with the grant cancellation. When someone flouts the rules, what else?…….
CA is being punished by higher powers than Trump. Last fire burned down to the water in some places.
Why didn’t Brown fix the dam? Federal government should make CA return the money. It was a train to nowhere and to many lawsuits.
I’m from CA and I voted NO on the sales tax for the train because it had a clause that if not enough money was raised to build, it would go into the “general fund”. If people actually read these bills before they voted they would vote NO on almost everything here. Most Californian’s are level headed. I think the democrats have found a way to commit voter fraud and have taken over the state by force. There are more registered voters than eligible voters. The number of extra voters is nearly the same amount that HRC won by. I see Trump stickers on cars in the valley of Los Angeles, I see people with Trump t-shirts in Ventura county. I know democrats who voted for him (and they live in Northern Cal!). He has a lot of support here from REAL voters.
It’s all the dead and ineligible voters who are against him – of course mixed in with large handful of idiots who weren’t even born here, but turned the state crazy. Trump is just taking money back that was NEVER going to be spent building a train. Gov’t has been promising this train since the 80’s. I’m willing to undergo punishment if it means getting the idiots who are ruining our state out of office. PLEASE TRUMP, make them clean up their registered voters! I want my state back!
Like trying to get blood from a turnip!
First off, let’s not forget who funds federal “grants”–that is the TAXPAYER!!! We should ELIMINATE ALL SUCH GRANTS and let the states fund their own projects, PERIOD. Otherwise the federal government is nothing but a Nanny. This needs to STOP!!! Politicians think up incredibly irresponsible ways to WASTE TAXPAYER’S MONEY!!! Don’t send a dime to California!!!