XPost: alt.global-warming, can.politics   
   From: katt@gmail.com   
      
   On Fri, 06 Mar 2026 16:37:17 +0000,  Lee says...   
      
   > > California seems to have a gift for spending billions of   
   > > dollars on projects that go nowhere or simply fail.   
   >   
   >   
   >     Indeed.   
   >   
   >   
   > Texas quietly abandons border wall   
   > after spending $3 billion   
      
   Indeed.   
      
   California is $78.2 billion in debt.   
      
   California is currently facing an $18 billion budget deficit.   
      
   Texas is currently running a surplus.   
      
   After the Democrats re-open the border, so their future voters can come back,   
   Texas will start building again.   
      
   > DeSantis signs billion-dollar insurance   
   > industry subsidy; but will ordinary   
   > homeowners get help?   
      
   Indeed.   
      
   California is $78.2 billion in debt.   
      
   California is currently facing an $18 billion budget deficit.   
      
   Florida is currently running a surplus.   
      
   You're whining and crying for the evil insurance companies? Wow.   
      
   =====   
      
   As of March 2026, California's outstanding bond debt (money borrowed for   
   specific projects) is $78.2 billion.   
      
   Of that total, the vast majority ($71.4 billion) consists of General   
   Obligation bonds-the kind approved by voters at   
   the ballot box.   
      
   Where the Bond Money Goes:   
      
   Nearly half of all outstanding state bond debt is dedicated to Education.   
      
   Sector              Percentage of Debt                     Major Projects   
   Education        ~46% - K-12 school construction and University of   
   California/CSU facilities.   
   Transportation   ~23% - Highways, local transit, and High-Speed Rail.   
   Resources/Water  ~18% - Flood control, drought resilience, and park   
   conservation.   
   Housing           ~4% - Veteran housing and emergency shelters.   
   Other             ~9% - Stem cell research, prisons, and children's hospitals.   
      
   High-Speed Rail: The "Lightning Rod" Debt   
      
   While Transportation is 23% of the total, the High-Speed Rail (HSR) project is   
   the most scrutinized part of that debt.   
      
   The Initial Debt: Voters approved $9.95 billion in bonds (Proposition 1A) back   
   in 2008.   
      
   Current Status: As of the 2026 Business Plan, the project has spent roughly   
   $13.8 billion total (a mix of those state   
   bonds, federal grants, and cap-and-trade funds).   
      
   The New Borrowing Plan: Because the project faces a funding gap for the   
   "Initial Operating Segment" (Merced to   
   Bakersfield), the Authority is currently proposing to borrow more by issuing   
   new bonds against future "Cap-and-Trade"   
   (greenhouse gas) revenue.   
      
   =====   
      
   March:   
      
   Norway's Coldest February In 16 Years   
   Snow Hits Madeira   
   Juneau Breaks Another Snowfall Record   
   March Snows Bury Gangwon   
   Western Russia Sees Snowiest Winter In 50 Years   
   March 5, 2026 Cap Allon   
      
   Cold Locked Up North, For Now   
   China's Largest Snowfall Of Winter   
   No Net Warming Since 1998   
   Volcanoes, Ocean Chaos - Greenland Ice Cores   
   Un Says It's Running Out Of Money   
   March 4, 2026 Cap Allon   
      
   Heavy Snow Hits Azerbaijan   
   Spain Ripping Out Ancient Olive Groves For Solar Fields   
   Europe Gas Prices Surge After Qatar Lng Shutdown   
   University Of East Anglia Concedes Urban Warming Is Substantial   
   March 3, 2026 Cap Allon   
      
   Snow Tops 2 Meters In Northern Turkey   
   Covering Climate Now   
   Oil Spills Have Collapsed   
   CO2 Toxicity Paper Built On Statistical Sand   
   March 2, 2026 Cap Allon   
      
   Another Major SSW Building   
   Northeast To Be Hit Again Next Week   
   Warm Years Mean More Fish   
   Ocean Acidification Fears Wildly Overstated   
   Cap Allon   
      
   Final Snow Totals Missing   
   Greenland Warming Hit A Wall After 2012   
   Solway Seas 4m Higher 6000 Years Ago   
   Sunspots Return   
   Cap Allon   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)