Trump might be right to pull funding for state’s ‘train to nowhere’

To the editor: I am thoroughly a Democrat. Still, I’ve always considered the high-speed rail project to be a disaster that just keeps getting worse. Now I find myself in agreement with the president (what a bitter pill to swallow) in his decision to pull federal funds from the project (“Trump administration pulls billions in funding for high-speed rail project; state leaders call decision ‘illegal,’ ” July 16).

Gov. Gavin Newsom should end his stubborn support of this debacle, the only purpose of which seems to be to gin up media coverage for his inevitable presidential run. Instead, convert the structures to be used solely by the trucks moving agriculture products around the state. The Central Valley is an agriculture mecca, not the travel corridor envisioned by the misguided proponents of the train to nowhere.

Jerrold Coleman, Santa Clarita

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To the editor: President Trump repeatedly complained that the U.S. doesn’t have beautiful airports the way many other countries do while his administration has raised concerns about New York City’s subway system. And yet, rather than picking up the California high-speed rail project and building it out across the nation to increase the overall quality of our transportation, he’s pulled the state’s funding. China built a high-speed rail system that connects the majority of its major cities. Trump would rather keep the funding that could be used for such a project here in the rich’s pockets with tax cuts.

He could’ve used his presidency to build wonderful things that everyone valued and admired, like President Theodore Roosevelt’s national parks. Instead, he’s using his power more like a schoolyard bully would.

Elle Kranen, Carlsbad