That was the banner headline on yesterday’s San Jose Mercury News,

with extended coverage here.

Now I’m certain no one else around here reads the Merc. I figured this would at least bring Robert out to discuss.  

Interesting that the online version has the harder-to-criticize title “Who Will Pay For HSR?”

I suppose I can’t really call this a hit piece. The Peninsula NIMBYs were always certain to make trouble, and it would be even worse reporting to cheerlead and ignore that the financing doesn’t add up.

But the first question is the one that leads to the right answer. We can’t afford NOT to do HSR, unless we believe that the infrastructure in place today is adequate for the next 40 or 50 years. Since that’s a ridiculous idea, we have no better choice than finding the money and building the HSR.