We used to build big projects. Now we can’t even finish California’s high-speed rail | Opinion
USA failing at ‘big projects’
It’s no surprise that wealthy Carmel was the first city in California to outlaw pickleball courts. Although I sympathize with Carmel’s pickleball fans, this decision points to something larger and more troubling about our national predicament.
As Ezra Klein argues in his recent book, “Abundance,” the wealthier we become, the better we are able to organize — and the better we organize, the better we become at stopping things. Not bad things, necessarily. Just things. Housing. Transit. Power lines. Wind turbines. Nuclear plants. Pickleball. Anything that might change a view or inconvenience people who already have plenty.
The results speak for themselves. In the 15 years California has failed to complete its 500-mile, high-speed rail system, China has built more than 23,000 miles of high-speed rail.
Trump has just recently blocked offshore wind development, but our country has been erecting roadblocks to this technology for decades. While China operates nearly 8,000 offshore wind turbines producing about 40 gigawatts of power, and the UK and EU have thousands more.
This isn’t because Americans lack ingenuity or ambition. We are the country that built the interstate highway system, Hoover Dam, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Panama Canal, the Manhattan Project, the NASA Space Shuttle System, and the Hubble Space Telescope. Big projects are our thing—or at least they used to be.
If we are serious about climate change, energy independence and economic growth, we must confront the reality that “yes, but not here” is essentially the same as “no.” Clean energy will require building —boldly and quickly. The question is not whether these projects will change our landscapes. They will. The real question is whether we are willing to change our habits of obstruction before the costs of delay become irreversible for our planet.
Don Gaede
San Luis Obispo
Mamdani and Quran
Given the fact that NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani used a Quran to take his oath of office — the same Quran the 9/11 murderers swore allegiance to — and the Quran doesn’t exactly advocate love for non-Muslims, and some U.S. lawmakers are calling Mamdani the enemy within, when are The Tribune, Dave Congalton and all the rest of Dan Dow’s haters going to start issuing apologies?
Jody Langford
Templeton
Race baiting at Mar-a-Lago
The wannabe bossman’s holiday wish for you, me and anyone who doesn’t buy his ploys, “rot in hell,” compounded my loathing of our president. He followed with a race-baited toast with the wealthy New Year’s crowd at Mar-a-Lago.
All this sadly contrasted against quiet elsewhere. Come on folks, shout out if you’re disgusted. This unprincipled bully has scuttled campaign promises to scurry down a path of making our country less safe because he hates science’s clarity. Somehow men and women with mountains of education and experience who work their butts off to make life safer for everyone shouldn’t be trusted. He just wants to make his friends happy.
While they partied at Mar-a-Lago, more cases of measles were reported in December, bringing to 2065 the cases reported during 2025, many in nearly every state. Measles was once thought to be eradicated because there’s an effective vaccine.
Trump encourages confusion about vaccines too – anything to muddy the waters. He’s cut funding approved by Congress for medical research to blackmail independent universities while trying to bring them in line and accumulate the funds he needs for his pet projects like “remodeling” the White House. Shout it out, he is a nightmare!
Mike Broadhurst
Cambria
Kudos for Clive
I appreciate the commentary by Clive Pinder in the Dec. 21 edition. It was a thoughtful piece highlighting reasons why the public has such a low opinion of government and many public servants. Highlighting both county and state officials (let alone national) and their misdeeds was instructive in bolstering his argument. I also appreciated his proposed solution to the public’s lack of confidence in government.
For me, to summarize his point is to point out not only the illegal things that public officials have done, but also the “unethical” actions they have taken. The lack of integrity of leadership in our country is glaring. There was a time when integrity was at least purportedly important. Apparently not so with current leadership. Apparently, it isn’t important to most people who take the time to vote, either. If we as a nation don’t strive to change the moral paradigm, I’m afraid we will continue to have difficult times ahead.
Dr. John Zinke
Cambria
Holiday Feast thank you
This year’s SLO Community Holiday Feast was held at the SLO Veterans Hall, and was truly a day filled with kindness, resilience and love. Despite blustery weather and relentless rain — and with more neighbors in need than ever — our community showed up with open hearts, generosity and deep compassion.
Together, we served approximately 800 meals, both on-site and through countywide deliveries. Guests enjoyed a beautifully prepared meal and live musical entertainment, creating a space of warmth and joy. Before leaving, each guest received a winter care package filled with new essentials, including duffel bags, sleeping bags, sweatshirts, beanies, winter jackets, gloves, scarves, rain ponchos, toiletries, underwear, and grocery gift cards.
This meaningful event would not have been possible without the incredible generosity of our community partners, organizations and supporters, including: Congregation Beth David; SLO Jewish Community Center; Temples Ner Shalom and Ohr Tzafon; Ride-On Transportation; Old Mission School; Los Ranchos Elementary; Los Osos Middle School; Talley Farms; San Luis Sourdough; Porsche SLO; Sunset Honda; Toyota SLO; Alfano Motors; Roger’s Jewelry; San Luis Garbage; Bunyon Bros. Tree Care; Mr. Pickles; Roman Bukachevsky; Bertrum Cohen; Giuseppe’s; Specialty Construction; California Fresh; See Canyon Fruit Ranch; Sprouts Market; Open Water; and SLO Camp N Pack.
And to the countless individuals who cooked meals, played music, packed supplies, delivered food, donated resources, and volunteered their time — thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your kindness created not just a meal, but also a moment of dignity, care and belonging for so many.
As we step into the new year, I am filled with gratitude and hope. Wishing everyone a happy, healthy and peaceful 2026.
Sheri Eibschutz
SLO Community Cares
War crimes
In spite of all the noise about the release of the Epstein Files on the news, it seems that more serious activity is going on. That is in the form of an undeclared war on Venezuela in the Caribbean. Against the wishes of Congress and the American people, ships that are supposedly carrying drugs to the U.S. are being ruthlessly destroyed. The result of one of these attacks left two survivors clinging to wreckage who, instead of being rescued, were cruelly killed. This kind of action should place our government firmly in the ranks of war criminals, the likes of whom were tried after WWII at Nuremberg. Trump has already been guilty of an array of crimes, but this has to be prosecuted as a war crime against humanity.
Janet F. Langton
Cambria
This story was originally published January 4, 2026 at 5:00 AM.