Brickbat: Not Exactly 'High Speed'

Farmers in California's Central Valley say they are collectively owed millions of dollars for land seized by the state for a planned high-speed railroad as well as the costs of infrastructure such as new access roads and wells that the state promised to reimburse them for. Some of the payments were due three years ago. "We understand the concerns of private property owners affected during the acquisition of their property," said Don Odell, director of real property for the California High-Speed Rail Authority in a statement. But he offered no explanation for why the state hasn't made the payments.