Steve Hilton Answers Beshear's 'Receipts' Pitch With a Question About California's Unfinished High-Speed Rail
On HBO's Real Time, the Republican candidate for California governor asked whether Democratic governors built the rail line. Fox lays out the cost: an April estimate of about $126 billion, against $33 billion originally.
Republican Steve Hilton, running for California governor, used a Friday appearance on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" to take on a claim from Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Fox News reports.
The exchange. Beshear argued a Democratic governor should lead the party's 2028 ticket because governors have "receipts," asking: "Have you built the housing?" Hilton cut in with: "Have you built the high-speed rail?" He was pointing at California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has not announced a presidential run. Maher conceded: "You're going to have a field day with that. No, you're right."
The numbers Fox cites. Voters approved nearly $10 billion in bonds in 2008. An April estimate put the full project at about $126 billion, against an original $33 billion, and Fox says no high-speed track had been laid as of that report. The California High-Speed Rail Authority's 2026 plan puts the first Merced-to-Bakersfield segment at an estimated $35.7 billion, with passenger service targeted for 2033. About $15.7 billion had been spent through February.
The travel findings. A September report by the project's independent inspector general found about $81,000 in consultant travel expenses that appeared to violate state rules and another $543,000 that looked impermissible under contract terms, with some overlap. Questioned charges included premium transportation and trips to gyms, a nightclub and an escape room. The authority outlined corrective steps, including more oversight and efforts to recover improper payments.
The other side. The authority says construction is advancing, citing 66 major structures and nearly 90 miles of guideway in the Central Valley, and stresses expected transportation and jobs benefits. Fox said it asked Newsom and the authority for comment and had no reply.
The campaign's pledge. Hilton campaign manager Matt Ciepielowski said Hilton would end state funding "on day one." State Sen. Tony Strickland, R-Huntington Beach, said the project "will go down as one of the most wasteful government projects in California history."
Note for readers: the cost, schedule and audit figures are as Fox reports them from the authority and the inspector general. The harshest criticism comes from Hilton's campaign and a Republican legislator.