By Robbie Hunter/State Building and Construction Trades Council of California via Labor's Edge Blog
California urgently needs high speed rail now. The nay-sayers are still searching for reasons to delay this great public works project further, but they are out of excuses. The delays need to stop. It is time to move forward and begin building. The transportation needs, the workers and the dollars are there to get started.
Governor Brown has made the sensible suggestion to use cap-and-trade dollars for some of the funding. That makes sense because the very purpose of cap-and-trade is to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels--one of the greatest benefits high-speed mass transit rail will bring to California. Without question, providing electrified mass transit for the people of California will reduce our use of fossil fuels.
That's in addition to the other obvious benefits of a cleaner and healthier environment, the easing of congestion on our highways and at our airports, the more efficient movement between our state's population centers, and the immediate economic jolt of thousands of good construction jobs.
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