Sheila Canzian gave a no-themed newscast that included “Ramblings of a Retired Person”. 

 

 

 

 

 

Bo Whitehill reported that there was nothing to report in the Sunshine report.

 

Nancy Stanton had no visiting Rotarians to announce. 

Mike Peterson introduced his friend Jerry and Michael Kelly, the new Recology head honcho, was introduced.  Bill Kenney introduced his right arm Lisa Tanner, plus Herb Fitzgerald, a practicing attorney.   (Let us know when he stops practicing and starts doing it for real, Bill.)  Eric Rodriguez introduced Liza Diaz Nash, a non-profit CEO.

Among the birthday people recognized by Carey Gorgolinski: Diane Christensen, Ron Borelli, Jodi DeSmidt, Jim Engel, Tom Huening, Paul Karson, Jim Mason, Dick Romanski, Kristi SPence and Peter Sortwell.

My apologies to those I missed—I was scribbling as fast as I could!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Announcements:
Tony Villanueva announced that the Vocations lunch will be on February 8 at Poplar Creek.  It will be a program of “speed vocating”.  All are asked to be ready with a six minute explanation of your work, or past work, and what you enjoy. 

Bill Kenney announced that the annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration will be an evening affair on Friday, March 16. (There will be no lunch meeting on March 15.) It will be held at the Peninsula Social Club. Details to come.

Mike Peterson announced that the dictionary distribution to third graders will be coming up shortly and volunteers will be needed.

Prez Chris hit a few people in quick succession:
*Jerry Bundy for 60 years in business (President’s Club);

*Carey Gorgolinski for an unidentifiable pair of socks on her Facebook page (fine postponed for clarification);

*Jeff Bass for dressing up as a vintage baseball player while with the Milwaukee Public Museum. (Already in President’s club, but paid a fine.);

*Yours truly for a minor memory lapse 15 years ago (President’s Club).

 

 

 

With that, Bill Kenney introduced our speaker, Quentin Kopp, who really needed no introduction.  Kopp is a former SM County Supe, former State Senator, former Superior court judge and a former traveling judge.  In 2005, he was named to California’s High Speed Rail Authority Board, due to his experience  as former Chair of the California Senate Transportation Committee. 

 

Kopp, ever sharp at age 89, spoke with no notes.

 

  Among the many points he made:

 

*The High Speed Rail Authority Board proposed a general obligation bond for high speed rail on multiple occasions, but for various reasons, the bond was postponed.

*In 2008, following Kopp’s election to the Authority Board for the third time, the bond went to the voters.  It was a nine billion dollar bond that contained numerous protections for taxpayers and passed with 52% voting in favor.

*Other countries’ high speed rail systems were showing profitability at the time and the Authority believed California could have high speed rail without burdening the taxpayers.

*They said the rail must be electrified and must have its own dedicated right of way.

*The most logical first piece of the route would have been from San Diego to Los Angeles, but land could not be acquired for the right of way.

*According to Kopp, Anna Eshoo, Joe Simitian and two others from San Mateo County succeeded in changing the plan so that acquisition of the right of way was no longer practical.   The inland route and first leg of the train’s journey would now be from Wasco to Chowchilla in the Valley. 

*At that time, three-and-a-half to six million dollars were available to California in Federal money to assist with the rail. 

*In 2008, the House of Representatives prohibited the use of any Federal money for high speed rail in California.

* Kopp left the Authority Board in 2010. 

*Lawsuits ensued using CEQA, claiming the new proposal was not in keeping with the bond measure. One lawsuit will be the subject of a hearing on February 8 in the Sacramento County Superior Court.

*One requirement of the bond measure was that the high speed train would make it from LA to the SF Transbay terminal in just two hours and 40 minutes, but as currently designed, the fastest the trains would be able to run would probably be 100 to 125 mph.

*With the new route planned, there would not be enough ridership to sustain the high speed rail.

Asked what we should do, Kopp said, “We should stop.”  He said we should be asking our elected officials to go back to the provisions outlined in the bond measure passed by the voters. 

Kopp noted that the electrification of Caltrain is a worthy project.

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Special thanks to Peter Webb for taking the photos and to Don Shoecraft for inserting the pics into my Spinnings a couple of issues ago and sending it out!