California’s Democrat government has finally dropped its lawsuit against the Trump administration for more funding of its high-speed rail project. Unfortunately, at least $14 billion — if not $18 billion — of taxpayer money is down the tubes with nothing to show for it, and the Democrats are still hoping to put the project on life support.
Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) posted in mixed triumph and exasperation on X Friday, “Newsom just conceded defeat over High-Speed Rail [HSR]. He's withdrawn the lawsuit he filed after we cut off federal funding earlier this year. Now the $4 billion can go to our roads rather the train. The cost of HSR has grown to $128 billion as no track has been laid in 17 years.” Unfortunately, despite the lawsuit failure, California Democrats are still searching for money they don’t have for the project.
The Trump administration said the $4 billion could not go to a project with “no viable plan” for completion. How cruel!!!
As of September, the Los Angeles Times reported that $14 billion has been the price tag to this point, but aside from employing a few thousand workers, that money accomplished nothing. There is no railway and no train. The perfect example of pure Democrat grift, a project that lines elites’ pockets and creates the illusion of increased employment without ever meeting any goals or building any infrastructure.
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That does not prevent Gov. Gavin Newsom and co. from pretending the project is necessary and moving efficiently along. Just look at this official and ridiculous description from California’s HSR Authority:
Work on the nation's first high-speed rail program is and [sic] exciting and fast-paced, and involves numerous areas of expertise…California high-speed rail will connect the mega-regions of the state, contribute to economic development and a cleaner environment, create jobs and preserve agricultural and protected lands.
It’s laughable in its lies, except that those are very expensive lies.
Coincidentally, California is facing an $18 billion budget shortfall, according to an article Friday in the Sacramento Bee. If only California refrained from providing “free” healthcare and other perks to illegal aliens, and if it stopped funding pointless boondoggles, it might actually not have a budget shortfall.
But this is partly why so many well-to-do Californians and major businesses have moved out of the state, or just shut down operations altogether. California’s government punishes those who are successful to reward useless bureaucrats, law-breaking foreigners, and entitled leeches.
Then there’s this crisis, too:
BREAKING - A 92-page report by the California State Auditor has found that over $70 billion in taxpayer funds have been lost, including $2.5 billion in SNAP fraud, $24 billion on fighting homelessness, and $18 billion for a high-speed rail where not a single track has been laid. pic.twitter.com/WjTCzTyElU
— Right Angle News Network (@Rightanglenews) December 24, 2025
All of which is to say that, as we already know, California Democrats are some of the most disastrous leaders in the country.
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