In your opinion on Dec 15, "Our View: Pair working against valley on rail funds," you stated the valley has high poverty and is rapidly losing farmland to sprawling urban development. I fail to see how HSR is going to help these issues. Quite the contrary. I always say follow the money, and the money in the valley is ag.

HSR will likely bring more people to the valley, increasing urban sprawl and reducing productive land, possibly creating more poverty. I see other possibilities for the billions about to be spent on HSR. Imagine using the money to make the valley the model food production enterprise for the whole world.

I say the best way to create jobs and improve our way of life in the valley is to invest in our what we already do well: agriculture.

CHRIS MORGNER

Merced