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Stop HSR in South County
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The first announcement I received about High Speed Rail coming down our South County valley and the proposed station in Gilroy was in 2011. We have been very involved since then, attending as many meetings and workshops as possible. We have organized and have many organizations, neighborhood groups, community leaders, and elected officials that are fighting this “Legacy” project.
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Every time I leave a meeting I am more convinced that we must stop this at Diridon Station in San Jose and send it east over the Altamont Pass to the Central Valley.
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We all know that this project was voted on in 2008 and was called Proposition 1A. At that time the estimate for the project was around $42 billion. As the years went by and the HSR dog and pony show traveled the state to “sell” the idea, the cost estimates began to grow and now sits at around $64 billion.
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The LA Times recently published an article that states the 118-mile initial segment from Merced to Shafter could rise from the initial budget of $6.35 billion to a range of $9.5 to $10 billion. The report is based on a confidential study produced by the HSR’s very own executives.
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These executives in turn accused the LA Times of “mischaracterizing” its findings. In a letter to the California legislature dated Jan. 12, 2017, the HSR Authority said:
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“First with regard to cost the article ignores the fact that the original grant funding was for basic civil construction and did not include stations, electrification systems and other features necessary to achieve high speed rail operations. Those additional features are being funded with additional State funding as detailed in the funding plan approved by the Authority’s Board of Directors in December 2016.”
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This statement just made my jaw drop!! Who gets a loan to build a new house and leaves out the kitchen and the bathroom costs? What are they doing with our taxpayer money? Remember, Gov. Jerry Brown refers to this project as his “legacy” and vetoed a bill that would have provided public oversight of the spending going on at HSR.
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To add to this insult, is the cost to taxpayers just for the first $9 billion bond. According to Assemblyman Jim Patterson (R-Fresno), the cost to pay off this bond will cost California taxpayers $19.5 billion over the next 30 years. Can you just imagine what the debt service on $64 billion is going to be?!
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At a recent Gilroy City Council/Planning Commission meeting, the Authority admitted that HSR is NOT a commuter train, that it will not take a single car off U.S. 101. They admitted that Caltrain will still belch diesel exhaust in South County. They still have not presented noise examples and have long lengthy answers to simple questions that never give an answer.
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At the meeting in Gilroy it was all about “The Station,” Gilroy’s answered prayers to finally developing their downtown. However, there were several on the council and planning commission that asked very good questions! We MUST continue to question this donnybrook of a plan! We must STOP HSR for all of the right reasons!
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Swanee Edwards
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San Martin
Concerns about sewage spill
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I am concerned about recurrent San Martin water contamination from Morgan Hill. Sewage flooding from Morgan Hill has contaminated San Martin on many occasions. In 2009, our family ranch (at Monterey Road and California Avenue) was contaminated with a large sewage spill. In 2015, the San Martin community was again victim to contamination. And most recently on Jan. 10, 2017, Morgan Hill reported to the state about the recent raw sewage contamination of Llagas Creek.
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Given the fact that Morgan Hill has known about this likelihood of this recurring, why weren’t measures taken to prevent this? This is a hazard affecting San Martin public health. We are reliant on our residential wells for our water supply. Why haven’t Morgan Hill, the Santa Clara Valley Water district or Santa Clara County representatives reached out to us?
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It is my opinion that every San Martin resident, solely dependant upon private wells in neighboring proximity to Llagas Creek, should have been immediately notified. The State Water Quality Control Board provided to me the reference Control #17-0341, and informed me that they have contacted County Public Health, County Department of Environmental Health, US Fish & Wildlife, Coast Guard, state parks, Toxic Substances, EPA, State Land Authorities. I left a message for Nicole Jorgeson with Public Health at (408) 918-3400 and (408) 299-5748. Should you be concerned, I urge you to call today.
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Connie Ludewig
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San Martin
