Vegas rail: a gamble or good thing?

AP via SFGate ^ | 3/25/12 | Michael Blood, Associated Press

[SmithL]

Victorville, Calif. (AP) -- On a dusty, rock-strewn expanse at the edge of the Mojave Desert, a company linked to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid wants to build a bullet train that would rocket tourists from the middle of nowhere to the gambling palaces of Las Vegas.

[org.whodat]

Are you the new willie green???? He was always posting about this crap, it was nothing more than one of the biggest attempts at stealing millions of acres of BLM land than anyone has come up with in a long time.

[Olog-hai]

DesterXpress is a bizarre joke, but it is supposed to be built alongside I-15 (which follows the Deutsche Bahn model for ICE trains) rather than taking up any new land parcels that are out of the way. There won't be any private funding obviously, despite the claims to the contrary. What makes even less sense is holding down the top speeds to "up to" 150 mph when that kind of building is supposed to permit far higher speeds than that.

[GeronL]

If it were a “sure thing” or even close, it would have private backers out the wazoo, not need massive government funding (and gov’t guarantees for ‘private’ backers)

[gaijin]

Reason.TV (libertarian) went out there and did a special on it:

City authorities would go up to law abiding local folks, ASK super sweet to “inspect” their yards, etc. OK so far right?

WRONG —they’d later claim a MILLION things were wrong with the property like garbage, waste, improper fencing ANYTHING TO IMPOSE HUGE FINES.

And later they’d simply SEIZE the land. They’ve been doing it over, and over, and over, out there in the dry scrub, amazing everyone. EVERYONE was beginning to wonder about it.

AND THE REASON IS MONEY —the city wants to clean up big time on this foolish pipe dream that will come to NOTHING.

Sheriff Knottingham wants SPIN AROUND RIMS AND FUZZY DICE.

[KevinDavis]

Yawn!!!!

[org.whodat]

Yes, yes, yes, yes, willie always cried when you pointed that out to him.

[Mister Da]

Wait! Let me guess!

DesertXpress is owned & operated by close friends & political supporters of Obama.

The company will spend lavishly until it declares bankruptcy in about 2-3 years.

How many times must we repeat this fraud?

[GeronL]

Boxcar Willie... playing sad songs on his guitar while riding the rails...

[Impy]

How about a rocket to the Sun, with Harry Reid aboard?

[arthurus]

officials once boasted they would build the line with private dollars

That right there says that the planners and/or the lenders judge that the thing will never pay for itself.

[fantail 1952]

You're talking about my next door neighbor town here, Smith! Too bad you are right about Vicorville....

Nice picture of McEachron, tho. This clown is one of twelve running for the redistricted 8th Congressional Distric, (Not Nasty Pelosidon's old 8th)which covers an area of nearly 1/3 of the state.

The area needs a rail link to Vegas like a fish needs feathers. If anything, we need a link that goes the other way, since there is totally inadequate transportation to the south and LA on the west.

[ptsal]

It would make sense (maybe), if LAX was relocated to the desert and make the existing airport in LA a regional terminal. (fat chance)

[fantail 1952]

I like your thinking! Then run the high speed rail (or whaterver) south and east to San bdno-Riverside metro area and another to Vegas, and then we could close or downgrade LAX, Ontario, Burbank, Orange county, Lindberg field in SD, and McCarron in Vegas. While we’re at it, incorporate how about throwing in three or four AF Bases within a hundred miles or so. Geez, add area 51 and whatever else. Great idea!

[maine yankee]

“On clear roads, the 270-mile drive from downtown Los Angeles to Las Vegas takes about four hours.”

---

Anybody know what LAPD’s best time ?

Do they still do the run ?

[bunkerhill7]

They should put in two trains:
A LA fast 350mph gamblers` express going to Las Vegas
and a slow 35 mph losers` train coming back.

[DaxtonBrown]

I go into the DesertXpress payoff to Harry Reid friend Sig Rogich in my book “Harry: Money Mob and Influence”. The DesertXpress ends in Victorville because it can't make it over the grade to Los Angeles. The competing MagLev system was ready to go and funded when Reid stepped in and helped Sig Rogich, who then conveniently ran Republicans For Reid.
Reid should be doing a perp walk for this. More here:
http://www.futurnamics.com/reid.php

[BooBoo1000]

Who in the hell wants to go to Victorville. Forget it Harry we have a Monorail here in Las Vegas that is in Bankruptcy. Same kind of deal We will sell that cheap.