This is a one-party failure of the California democratic party 8-( They're so in bed with the real estate mafia that it's almost impossible to get anything inv

This is a one-party failure of the California democratic party 8-( They're so in bed with the real estate mafia that it's almost impossible to get anything involving land accomplished. With the number of people flying daily between southern California and the bay area, a high speed rail would be boon for the region. It's ironic that after the whole idea of California high speed rail was first introduced by a San Diego legislator in the '80s, after a trip to Japan, San Diego is no longer even on the initial planned route. There's a simple solution to the funding problem: a $5-$10 dollar tax on each flight between SoCal and the bay area. These short hop flights are exactly what the high speed rail is supposed to eliminate, and the number of people taking them everyday is huge. Make the problem pay for the solution. The same approach could fund the transition away from petroleum. The problem, of course, is that both major US political parties primarily represent the entrenched equity stake holders, not the population at large.