OPINION
April 23, 2013
Re "Bullet train bid rules altered," April 19 Thanks to The Times for letting us know that a troubled bid led by Sylmar-based Tutor Perini might win the contract to build the first phase of California's high-speed rail system against much more experienced contractors. A nyone who has taken Spain's high-speed train knows how superb these machines are, and two companies with extensive high-speed rail experience in Spain (Ferrovial and Acciona) also submitted bids. But our High-Speed Rail Authority rewrites rules, plays with our safety and might entrust this project to a firm that has been troubled by lawsuits and bids that were way off interim and final costs.
OPINION
April 23, 2013
Re "Scout officials endorse dual tack on gays," April 20 Aside from being annoying and insulting, the recommendation of top Boy Scouts of America officials to allow gay boys to become members while continuing to bar gay men from being leaders is completely illogical. The basic mission of the Boy Scouts is to help young boys become upstanding adult men. By extension, that means helping self-identified gay male youths, likely now to be among the Boy Scouts' ranks, to become upstanding gay adult men. How can that possibly occur when those gay youths see that precisely who they are supposed to become are personae non gratae once they are adults?
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
April 19, 2013 | Dan Weikel and Ralph Vartabedian
State high-speed rail officials acknowledged Thursday that they changed their rules for selecting a builder for the bullet train's first phase in the Central Valley, a shift that subsequently made it possible for a consortium led by Sylmar-based Tutor Perini to be ranked as the top candidate despite receiving the lowest technical rating. The California High-Speed Rail Authority announced last week that the Tutor Perini-Zachry-Parsons joint venture was the top-rated contender among five bidders seeking to build the initial 29 miles of track between Madera and Fresno.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
April 19, 2013 | By Dan Weikel
A lawsuit alleging that approval of the high-speed rail system's first sections in the Central Valley violated state environmental laws was settled Thursday, eliminating a legal obstacle that could have delayed construction. A Sacramento County Superior Court judge approved an agreement that calls for the California High-Speed Rail Authority to further reduce the project's effects on farming operations, preserve agricultural land and provide additional compensation for landowners.
OPINION
April 16, 2013 | Patt Morrison
There's a short piece of Bay Area freeway, Interstate 380, named for Quentin Kopp, which is ironic considering that he's beaten the drum for public transit - specifically bullet trains - for years. But then again, he's always been a contrarian, as a Superior Court judge, a San Francisco supervisor and a state senator. He also headed the California High-Speed Rail Authority. The man nicknamed the "Great Dissenter" is dissenting now over the course of his beloved bullet train, created on paper in 2008 with a bond measure, Proposition 1A. Its prospects have been slowed considerably by lawsuits, the latest from the state itself, a preemptive bring-it-on legal action called High-Speed Rail Authority vs. All Persons Interested.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
April 12, 2013 | By Joseph Serna
Gov. Jerry Brown's trade mission to China this week is intersecting with one of the most controversial issues of his governorship: California's $68-billion bullet train. The governor has staked part of his legacy on the rail network, a centerpiece of his vision for California. He is hoping that China, which is enjoying an economic boom and spent $77.6 billion on overseas investments last year, according to official figures, will pump some of its cash into the troubled project. Joins us at 9 a.m. as we discuss Brown's trip with Times reporter Anthony York.