Americans are tired of watching their hard-earned tax dollars disappear into black holes of government waste. Every year, politicians promise amazing projects that will change our lives. And every year, these same projects end up costing more, taking longer, and delivering less than promised.
When was the last time a big government project came in on time and under budget? For most Americans, the answer is “never.” While families across America have to watch their spending and live within their means, government agencies seem to think money grows on trees.
President Donald Trump has finally said “enough is enough” to one of the biggest money pits in America. This week, the Trump administration announced it is pulling $4 billion in federal funding from California’s high-speed rail project, calling it a “boondoggle” that has failed to deliver on its promises to taxpayers.
From ‘The Post Millennial’:
President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that his administration is pulling federal funding from California’s expensive and behind schedule high-speed rail project, accusing Governor Gavin Newsom of gross mismanagement and failing on promises to taxpayers…
“To the law-abiding, tax-paying, hardworking citizens of the United States of America, I am thrilled to announce that I have officially freed you from funding California’s disastrously overpriced, ‘HIGH SPEED TRAIN TO NOWHERE.'”
Trump’s Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, backed up the president’s decision, saying bluntly: “Federal dollars are not a blank check – they come with a promise to deliver results.”
The high-speed rail project has been a poster child for government waste. California voters approved it way back in 2008 with the promise of a sleek bullet train connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles in under three hours. The price tag? A hefty $33 billion.
Fast forward to 2025, and not a single mile of high-speed track has been laid. The cost has exploded to an estimated $128 billion – nearly four times the original budget. That’s enough money to build about 640,000 average American homes. And instead of a statewide system, the project has shrunk to a 119-mile segment connecting Bakersfield and Merced – two Central Valley cities that few Californians were clamoring to travel between quickly.
Seventeen Years of Failure
The California High-Speed Rail Authority has spent $15 billion so far with shockingly little to show for it. The current timeline doesn’t call for even the scaled-back Central Valley segment to be operational until 2033 – a full 25 years after voters approved the project.
As Secretary Duffy pointed out in a video statement, “We could give every single LA & SF resident almost 200 free flights” for what the state has spent on a train that doesn’t exist.
Even some California Democrats have criticized the project’s runaway spending. Democratic Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan said at a budget hearing earlier this year that her constituents “overwhelmingly believe” high-speed rail spending “has been irresponsible.”
California’s Response
Governor Gavin Newsom quickly pushed back against the funding cut, claiming Trump “wants to hand China the future and abandon the Central Valley.”
“We’re now in the track-laying phase and building America’s only high-speed rail,” Newsom insisted, though no actual high-speed track has been installed. California officials also claim they’ve met all federal obligations and that the funding cut is “illegal.”
The state is now scrambling to find private investors to help cover the massive funding gap, with the High-Speed Rail Authority seeking expressions of interest by the end of this month.
Taxpayer Relief
For American taxpayers watching this drama unfold, the message is clear: President Trump is demanding accountability for how your money is spent. While California politicians promised voters a futuristic transportation system, what they’ve delivered is little more than expensive paperwork and partial construction.
The decision to pull federal funding sets an important precedent that government projects must deliver results, not just promises. As working Americans tighten their belts during tough economic times, they can take comfort knowing that at least one runaway government spending project won’t be draining their wallets anymore.
For a project that was supposed to be “high-speed,” the only thing that moved quickly was the money out of taxpayers’ pockets. Now, thanks to the Trump administration, that gravy train has finally been derailed – and the taxpayer express is back on track.
Key Takeaways
- Trump administration cuts $4 billion in federal funding from California’s high-speed rail project that ballooned from $33B to $128B
- After 17 years and $15 billion spent, not a single mile of high-speed track has been laid
- Even California Democrats admit the project spending has been “irresponsible”
- The decision establishes that government projects must deliver results, not just promises
Sources: The Post Millennial, NBC News
