Thursday morning, the Federal Department of Transportation is expected to announce it’s decision on how roughly $8 billion of federal stimulus funding will be allocated. California hopefully awaits a response to it's application for $4.7 billion of the stimulus funds in order to proceed with a high-speed rail project that has long awaited realization. California High-Speed Rail Authority Board Chairman Curt Pringle believes California is a strong contender. “We can double the value of the federal government’s dollars by matching them with state bond funds approved by California voters last year.” He said. By this, he referred to the narrow passage in November 2008 of Proposition 1A, al