Source Notes 21

$9.95 Billion California High-Speed Rail Proposal: Can We Afford It? (WordPress.com, 02/18/2008)

Summary:

Mark Miller is a citizen blogger who reported on whether California could afford the new high-speed rail line that Californians voted on as part of Proposition 1A in February 2008.  This source is a microcosm of my policy question, focusing on whether a state government can afford investment in a fully operational corridor.

Topic:

High-Speed Rail Policy

Category:

citizen

What is it?

a blog entry

Publication Information:

The name of the publication is Mark Miller’s Weblog.  The post was published on February 18, 2008.

Author:

Mark Miller

Location:

http://mmiller81.wordpress.com/2008/02/18/california-high-speed-rail-proposal/

Accessed:

February 25, 2009

Support:

California High-Speed Rail Authority

Association for California High-Speed Trains

The California High-Speed Rail Authority estimated that the cost of the entire route between San Francisco and Lost Angeles would be $33 billion.  It also provided a chart showing compared travel times between major Californian cities by automobile, aircraft, and high-speed rail.  The Association for California High-Speed Trains provided a map of the proposed route.

Audience and Agenda:

Quantcast listed the the number of visitors to Mark Miller’s Weblog as 25 by the end of September.  The majority of people visiting his site are from around the world, and looking for general information about high speed rail or just glancing at various subjects in his other posts.  They expect generalized information  about whatever subject he is writing about.

This post is part of a free blog on WordPress.  It is trying to bring attention to a ballot measure in California, and asking whether or not Californians should support it.

Usefulness:

This source is in a regional context, focusing on California.  California is a good litmus test for any possible national project.

The document was created by Mark Miller to inform visitors to his blog about Proposition 1A.  His attention to it probably means he supports the legislation, since he practically advertises it.

It is addressing a national audience interested in the trend-setting efforts of California to create the largest high-speed rail route in the country.  The post doesn’t make an argument, but provides information and asks Californians whether or not they would support the proposition.  The information tends to lean toward inter-city travel being most efficient with high-speed rail.

It doesn’t leave out much information, except for background that might help put California’s latest developments into context.

Focusing on California, this source relates to Source Notes 2, Source Notes 3, Source Notes 9, and Source Notes 28.  Being a blog, this source relates to Source Notes 20 and Source Notes 18.

Works Cited:

“Mark Miller’s Weblog.”  WordPress.  <http://mmiller81.wordpress.com/>

“mmiller81.wordpress.com.”  Quantcast.  <http://www.quantcast.com/mmiller81.wordpress.com>

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Filed under: Citizen