California Dreamin’ of a Government That Actually Works

null By Marc JoffeDec. 22, 2023 3:38 pm ETShareResizeListen(2 min)Wonder Land: Covid-19 disrupted people’s private lives. Biden addressed concerns with a $6 trillion spending spree that's had little effect on them. Images: SMG/Zuma Press/AFP/Getty Images Composite: Mark KellyCalifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom has expressed an affinity for taking on “big, hairy, audacious goals.” But while state and local governments in the Golden State swing for the fences, they too often fail to handle the basics.Sacramento continues to spend billions on a first-in-the-nation high-speed rail line in the Central Valley despite not having a plan to connect the system to the densely populated Bay Area and Los Angeles Basin. Twenty-five years after voters approved the project, zero miles of track have been laid and service isn’t projected to start until the 2030s.Copyright ©2023 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8Sponsored OffersTurboTax: TurboTax Live Assisted Basi

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Opinion Dec 23, 2023 Add to Reading List

California Dreamin’ of a Government That Actually Works

null

Marc Joffe

Dec. 22, 2023 3:38 pm ET

Wonder Land: Covid-19 disrupted people’s private lives. Biden addressed concerns with a $6 trillion spending spree that's had little effect on them. Images: SMG/Zuma Press/AFP/Getty Images Composite: Mark Kelly

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has expressed an affinity for taking on “big, hairy, audacious goals.” But while state and local governments in the Golden State swing for the fences, they too often fail to handle the basics.

Sacramento continues to spend billions on a first-in-the-nation high-speed rail line in the Central Valley despite not having a plan to connect the system to the densely populated Bay Area and Los Angeles Basin. Twenty-five years after voters approved the project, zero miles of track have been laid and service isn’t projected to start until the 2030s.