People

Vice President Joe Biden’s announcement of a $53 billion infusion for high-speed rail has fallen like a lead balloon on the ears of some key GOP leaders. House Transportation Committee Chair John L. Mica (R-FL) and Railroads Subcommittee Chair Bill Shuster (R-PA) expressed “extreme reservations” about the plan.

The Obama administration is taking its infrastructure push on the road. First stop: Philadelphia, to announce a $53 billion plan to invest in high-speed rail.

(Note: I've been trading emails with Ray Klein, who I parody in the second part of this story. He claims my claims that he's misquoting Hu are false and he has a transcript. My claim is based on Hu's argument at the end of the Transportation Committee hearing that he was being taken out of context. We'll get to the bottom of this next week. - DN)

It seems as though it were just yesterday, but in fact was almost a year and a half ago, that we were first discussing which candidate would replace Wendy Greuel as the City Council Member for the 2nd Councilmanic District, located mostly in the Valley.  Streetsblog sent surveys to each of the 10 candidates in 2009, eight of whom responded.  Paul Krekorian, who won that election and is running for re-election this year, answered our survey.  His only opponent this time, Augusto Bisani, finished 10th in that election and did not.

In an effort to balance the state budget, Governor Jerry Brown ordered all state agencies to immediately review their policies towards owning vehicles on behalf of the state and policies allowing permits for take-home vehicles, which allow state employees to use state-owned passenger cars for their daily commute.

Meet the new House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

(Update 4:04 P.M.: I just got the following message from Council Man Rosendahl's Office.  We're cheered to know he's doing well, and wish him a speedy return.