BILL NUMBER:  SB 964
  VETOED	DATE: 09/30/2010




To the Members of the California State Senate:

I am returning Senate Bill 964 without my signature.

While I strongly support efforts to provide a reliable high-speed
rail system throughout California, I cannot support this bill. I
agree that it is important for the State to create an inventory of
skills required to successfully construct and operate a high-speed
train system, but it is also important to provide a meaningful
assessment to allow this to occur. The assessment requirement as
contained in this bill will entail a significant unfunded workload
for the Employment Development Department (EDD) that translates to
expenditures well beyond the $500,000 currently identified in the
bill itself.

The EDD would be required to use private consultants to perform a
significant portion of the assessment, as the high-speed rail
industry is "siloed" into the various aspects of high-speed rail
development. Additional information must be gathered and a strategy
for conducting this research work developed before EDD can provide an
accurate cost estimate assessment for this project. Additionally,
the January 1, 2012 timeline is a factor that limits a meaningful
assessment of this nature. We must balance our need for important
program studies with our fiscal reality.

For these reasons, I am returning this bill without my signature.

Sincerely,



Arnold Schwarzenegger