The California High-Speed Rail Authority Peer Review Committee Summary and Recommendations responding to the Legislative Analysts' Office Report. It ain't good.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/59472351

The California High-Speed Rail Authority Peer Review Committee has just issued a memorandum. It's nine pages long and contains a Summary and a set or Recommentations.

We'll comment on this in future blog entries.  However, you should download and read this at your earliest opportunity.  http://www.scribd.com/doc/59472351

It's both a 'white wash' of the rail authority, and at the same time a really sharp criticism.  And, it is becoming apparent that what this peer review committee really objects to is not merely what this CHSRA Board and staff have or haven't done, but they appear to be criticial of the composition if not the very existence of this Board.  Which is not to say that they identify a superior alternative.  It's just that they really understand the impossibility of the CHSRA continuing to manage, or in this case, mis-manage this mega-billion dollar project.

My 'white wash' point centers on the fact that they do not call for the termination of the CHSRA or the closing down of this project, although they provide ample reason for doing so. Indeed, they, themselves are eager for the perpetuation of the project in California. In short, they would argue that all the problems are fixable.

The ostensible basis for these comments is a response to the LAO Report, which itself was extremely critical of the performance of the CHSRA.

We'll talk more about this over the next day or two.