California's High-Speed Rail Needs Another $100 Billion. That's a Great Reason Not To Build It.

When Californians were first pitched, in 2008, on the idea of a high-speed rail line connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles, the price tag was an estimated $33 billion—and about 75 percent of those costs would come from federal taxpayers or private sources, the Los Angeles Times editorial board assured its readers at the time.

On Tuesday, the project's CEO told state lawmakers in Sacramento that another $100 billion—yes, in addition to what state and federal taxpayers have already contributed—will likely be needed to finish the project. Meanwhile, there's still no timeline for when passengers will be able to take the train due to ongoing environmental reviews, Sacramento-based KCRA reported.

At the state Senate Transportation Committee hearing where High-Speed Rail Authority CEO Brian Kelly delivered the expensive news, at least one lawmaker asked the obvious question: "How do we get the public on board with something," asked state Sen. Kelly Seyarto (R–Murrieta), "that has this much of a downside funding wise?"