CALIFORNIA HITS BOTTOM, KEEPS DIGGING.

'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through California, Governor Newsom scratched internal combustion cars off future gift lists.  Yes, that link goes to a satire post that nevertheless has some grounding in reality.

Among this year's proscriptions, because what is the use of a Democrat governor who doesn't issue foolish ukases, is any resale of full sized coaching stock.  "California governor signs bill banning resale of retired diesel rail equipment."  There is retired diesel rail equipment because the only part of the slowly-taking-shape high speed rail connection between San Francisco and Los Angeles is the electrification of the Bay Area commute zone from San Francisco to San Jose.  There is a ridge of hills between San Jose and the north end of the high speed line project that has not been surveyed for construction, and I bet a crew of Chinese immigrants with pickaxes and mules could build that stretch faster than whatever environmentally friendly concatenation of machinery California approves of these days will, if they ever will.

What good, dear reader, is a self-styled progressive who doesn't signal his virtue?

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed into law a bill prohibiting state agencies from reselling or otherwise transferring older diesel-powered rail equipment after it has been decommissioned by a public agency.

SB 30 was introduced last December by Sen. Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) in response to Caltrain’s sale of retired equipment for use to start a commuter rail operation in Lima, Peru [see "“Caltrain equipment …,” Trains.com, Nov. 15, 2024].  When the bill was passed by the Senate in May, Cortese said in a press release, “I believe California should be leading the world in clean energy — not shipping our pollution problems elsewhere.” But at the time the bill was introduced, a Caltrain representative pointed out a U.S. State Department study had determined the transfer of the equipment to Lima would take 4,000 cars off the road and remove 20,000 metric tons of pollution from the air [see “Caltrain equipment sale to Peru sparks legislation …,” Trains.com, Dec. 8, 2024].

The bill bans such sales unless the diesels involved meet EPA Tier 2, 3, or 4 standards; the diesel engines are removed; or the sale is approved in a public hearing. It was one of dozens that Newsom announced he had signed or vetoed earlier this week.

I am at a loss for how best to mock a policy that, as a commenter at Trains notes, leaves residents of poorer countries in their cars.