Business Plan Important Step Forward for High-Speed Rail

Today, the California High-Speed Rail Authority released its business plan. California Labor Federation Executive-Secretary-Treasurer Art Pulaski issued the following statement in response:

“The release of the business plan for high-speed rail today is an important step forward for this ambitious project. Californians have always been visionaries who see no limits to what we can do, build and achieve. By making high-speed rail a reality, California once again leads the nation in innovation to build prosperity.

“This is a time of great challenge and opportunity.  With unemployment stuck at around 12 percent, high-speed rail is an economic spark we need. High-speed rail is projected to create 450,000 jobs for Californians across the economy, supporting small businesses and alleviating unemployment in some of the areas hardest hit by the economic downturn.

“Californians told elected officials this project is a priority when voters approved a high-speed rail measure in 2008.  The value of high-speed rail in our state has brought billions in federal support to ensure that California is the first state in the nation to build a true high-speed rail system.

“We applaud the High-Speed Rail Authority’s release of a business plan that brings us closer to making our vision of clean, efficient transportation and good jobs a reality in California.”

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