If Ms. Speier really thinks this is the "backbone" of Silicon Valley maybe Google and Facebook can pay for it since it will impact them the most. They seems to be doing just fine clogging the freeways with luxury buses, why not add a few more? Backbone, very dramatic Jackie. By the way where did the 9600 jobs "related " to the project come from? Are they local jobs? Where is the source of this statement?

"To make America great again, the president should order that this grant be made"

I'd say sarcasm is the backbone of Congresswoman Speier's argument.

So Jackie and Anna want to spend $2 billion+ to benefit the 31,000 people who ride Cal Train each day? Did you see the study that showed how many additional riders would use the increased Cal Train service levels? Sorry they don't exist. Turns out the major beneficiaries of the increased number of trains are those same 31,000 folks who will have their in station waiting times decreased and shave a few minutes off their commutes. Perhaps those folks might consider moving closer to the jobs instead of choosing to live in trendy San Francisco. And rents are cheaper in Silicon Valley than in SF.

"So Jackie and Anna want to spend $2 billion+ to benefit the 31,000 people who ride Cal Train each day?"

No, they want to spend $2 billion + to benefit the labor unions that have them in their pocket. Remember, this will be a public works project which means labor must be paid "prevailing wage". How is prevailing wage determined? Its determined by what the local labor unions are making in wages and benefits. So, even if a non-union contractor bids on a project they must calculate their estimated labor rate at prevailing wage instead of what they are normally paying in non-prevailing wage situations. It is the only thing that makes union labor competitive. You can thank our bought and paid for legislature for that one.