Gavin Newsoms train to nowhere a gravy train for consultants

In 2008, California voters took a leap of faith and approved the California High-Speed Rail (HSR) project, which promised to connect Los Angeles to San Francisco by 2020. The project was advertised as a way to reduce traffic, cut emissions and create jobs.Nearly two decades later, tens of billions in taxpayer dollars have been spent to deliver next to nothing — except, perhaps, for largesse to consultants.Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.

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Never miss a story.As of now, the project has only partially completed a section — without any track as of yet — between Bakersfield and Merced, with an estimated operational date of 2031. What began as an innovative vision for the future with an immense price tag of $33 billion has completely derailed, with current estimates putting the price between $126 billion and $231 billion. Despite billions of dollars in funding from both the state and federal governments, the California HSR has managed to lay exactly zero high-speed tracks.

The massive increase in cost and lack of any meaningful progress has left taxpayers wondering: Where did the money go? As The California Post reported: According to a new report from the Office of Inspector General, High-Speed Rail (OIG), at least some of that money went to paying for project consultants’ lavish living. Meanwhile, the boondoggle’s running out of money, the scope of the project continues to shrink and planned changes to the route face fresh legal challenges.It’s a mess.Against this backdrop, the OIG this month identified about $680,000 of reimbursements for dubious and/or “unallowable” travel for HSR consultants.

Even more disturbing, this sketchy travel included trips to cigar lounges, nightclubs, gyms, escape rooms and other “questionable” locations.According to the report, ...