Reason #6715 That Trump Was Elected

What they want it to look like.

WaPoo (30 day pass code), Trump administration pulls $929 million from California high-speed-rail project

The Trump administration on Thursday followed through with its plan to pull more than $900 million in federal funds from California’s beleaguered high-speed-rail project.

The U.S. Department of Transportation said California officials “failed to make reasonable progress” and had not met federal requirements for a project beset with cost overruns. But the decision is also consistent with President Trump’s penchant for sparring with leaders of the liberal-leaning state.

After Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) in February proposed reducing the scope of the rail project, Trump tweeted that the project was a “green disaster” that “wasted many billions of dollars.”

“They owe the Federal Government three and a half-billion dollars,” Trump tweeted.

What it looks like

 Sounds about right

In addition to revoking the federal government’s agreement to contribute $929 million to the project, the administration Thursday said it “continues to consider all options regarding the return of $2.5 billion” in stimulus funds given to the state.

California officials have argued that Trump’s decision to pull federal funding from the project was payback for the state’s opposition to Trump’s promised border wall.

Which seems entirely reasonable to me.

In February, Trump tweeted: “California, the state that has wasted billions of dollars on their out of control Fast Train, with no hope of completion, seems in charge” of efforts by a number of states to oppose the wall.

On Thursday, Newsom called the Trump administration’s final decision an “illegal and a direct assault on California” and the thousands of workers building the project.

“Just as we have seen from the Trump Administration’s attacks on our clean air standards, our immigrant communities and in countless other areas, the Trump Administration is trying to exact political retribution on our state,” Newsom said in a statement. “This is California’s money, appropriated by Congress, and we will vigorously defend it in court.”

It's not your money until you have it in hand and even then it's not secure until it's spent. I know that from long years of getting grants from the Federal government.

California, if you want a fast train from Merced to Bakersfield, build it. Just don't use my money.

Linked at Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links.