problems, it is a landmark accomplishment for america. once again, california leads the nation on transportation. [applause] let us not forget this is the state that built the golden gate bridge,ur earliest highways, and was the terminus of the transcontinental railroad. just like those projects, today s investment will improve people s lives for generations to come. in addition to faster travel, high-speed rail will bring economic development. transportation is a tool for economic development and a better quality of life. there is no better illustration than this project. that is only part of our vision for a seamless transportation never can california. we are investing in urban transportation systems in los angeles, prior role transportation option throughout the state, and investing millions in california s ports and waterways. this project at uc was funded with recovery act money. that is economic stimulus that will continue to pay off for generations. i commend the cal
francisco to visit the chocolate factory, we have henry perea and others from the economic development commission. it is about tying our great state together, and that is what we would do with high-speed rail. for me, watching this process has been an education in leadership. it does not take anything to be a leader when the decisions are easy. believe me. it takes courage and grit when the decisions are hard. our governor, when he came into office, was faced with everyone telling him, this is your opportunity to take the off ramp. do not do high-speed rail. you can walk away. that would have been the easy, expedient, a political thing to do. we are here today because gov. jerry brown did not take the easy path. he took the path of investing in our future. you, gov.. many times, people say to me gee, how are you going to build this? i said, let s look at the lineup. they ve got their dream? they ve got their dream. we start with the president of the united states, the v