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Ezra Klein: “The Merced Bakersfield leg, which is the leg that is…”

Featuring: Ezra Klein, Liberal | New York Times Columnist and Podcast Host | National

In-Studio Discussion with Ezra Klein and Gavin Newsom on 'Abundance' and Democratic Governance

Published March 26, 2025 | Video Starts at 51:43

… me a couple things that have stuck in my head that I don't try to resolve in the book, but I'd be curious for your thoughts. So one was that The Merced Bakersfield leg, which is the leg that is currently being tried... had line of sight on something like it was in the range of 11 to 15 billion dollars. We've 13.4 billion dollars of which 10.8 from the state and 2.6 from the. Feds and that the estimate on finishing was said to Bakersfield was 36 billion. (51:43–51:56)

CLAIM

Asserts the estimated cost range for the Merced to Bakersfield leg of the high-speed rail project.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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