[ScoopLV]

Originally Posted by happyhunting

It's my understanding that Reid has ties to the company that is receiving the federal loan, and that he owns a ton of land that borders I-15 between Victorville and Las Vegas. A train would make that useless land skyrocket in value.

I've heard all this, too. And I'm no fan of Reid. (Although I think it's dumb to vote out the Senate majority leader -- he was instrumental in killing Yucca Mountain. For the most part, Harry has had our backs, so long has having our backs also helped his position. But to ditch him would be to give up a lot of clout at the federal level. And Nevada already gets FAR less in benefits than we pay in taxes.)

I'd like to see some links that verify this information, though.

[MadManofBethesda]

Originally Posted by happyhunting

It's my understanding that Reid has ties to the company that is receiving the federal loan, and that he owns a ton of land that borders I-15 between Victorville and Las Vegas. A train would make that useless land skyrocket in value.

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

I'd like to see some links that verify this information, though.

Same here.

[orca17]

I find it difficult to believe that Reid bought a bunch of land in the desert on a lark years ago, and then manufactured an idea to put a train on it. That sounds like a rumor started by the people who like to discredit him at every turn.

[dynimagelv]

NO it's more like someone got an idea and said Scary, we'll cut ya in for a piece of the action if you help us railroad this thru.

and YES Scary Harry has done TONS of this for this state for a lotta years....but ove the last few, he's become a sellout....he an Piglosi seem to have crawled into bed together....

I have voted for Harry in every election since the early 1970's....even last election....[but against Engle or dangle or whoever, I would have voted for the devil.]

Harry has forgotten where he comes from.....he's no longer a Nevadan, he is now from Washington DC

[logline]

Originally Posted by dynimagelv

NO it's more like someone got an idea and said Scary, we'll cut ya in for a piece of the action if you help us railroad this thru.

and YES Scary Harry has done TONS of this for this state for a lotta years....but ove the last few, he's become a sellout....he an Piglosi seem to have crawled into bed together....

I have voted for Harry in every election since the early 1970's....even last election....[but against Engle or dangle or whoever, I would have voted for the devil.]

Harry has forgotten where he comes from.....he's no longer a Nevadan, he is now from Washington DC

Sooooooo... just to be clear, it's safe to say we won't see you at the fundraiser?

[dynimagelv]

mmmmmm prolly not....ALTHO.....if he runs against Sharon Angledangel [whoever] I'll be dere.....


I AM CERTAIN that sharon was funded by Scary Harry....

[happyhunting]

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

I've heard all this, too. And I'm no fan of Reid. (Although I think it's dumb to vote out the Senate majority leader -- he was instrumental in killing Yucca Mountain. For the most part, Harry has had our backs, so long has having our backs also helped his position. But to ditch him would be to give up a lot of clout at the federal level. And Nevada already gets FAR less in benefits than we pay in taxes.)

I'd like to see some links that verify this information, though.

I can't provide links for proof (reference the train), but suffice it to say he has a long, long, long history (at least RUMORED history) with "land deals". He always denies wrong-doing, but it's just too coincidental. The top three that pop in my mind are the Del Webb land swap of the 1990s. That was a big bone of contention at the time. And accusations of something similar happening with Coyote Springs. Those weren't instances where Reid benefited directly, but the companies that wanted the land all gave him money, through his campaign, and Reid was accused of pressuring for those land zoning changes, and using the campaign funds for things he shouldn't (like Christmas bonuses). The one I remember where he was accused of actually OWNING the land, was the bridge he wanted built over the Colorado River and he owned the 160 acres nearby. There have been other stories about LLCs and corporations...... I doubt if he does own the Victorville land it would be in his name. And I'll be honest here, I voted for him for years, regardless of hearing all of this. I think most of the 1990s and 2000s, prior to his "WashingtonDC-ification" he did great things for NV. And I agree it would be stupid do get rid of him since he's the majority leader. But he's a politician......and it wouldn't surpirse me if the rumors are true about him benifiting financially with the whole train thing. It's the nature of the beast it seems. I'll have to search for old info and see if I can find anything reference some of the older stuff that went down, but here's links for the bridge and Del Webb land swap.

Will the pork stop here? - latimes.com

LAS VEGAS RJ:NEWS: BLM official denies being pressured on land swap

[braindead0]

If this idea was commercially viable, private funding would be easy enough to come by. The fact that this has to be subsidized by taxpayer money is proof that it will never pay for itself.

[Ulysses373]

Originally Posted by braindead0

If this idea was commercially viable, private funding would be easy enough to come by. The fact that this has to be subsidized by taxpayer money is proof that it will never pay for itself.

That's not necessarily true for transportation. What the government needs to consider in this case are the costs between the train, widening I-15, making another route, doing something else I can't think of, or doing nothing (assuming I-15 is sufficient). All of those cost the government in some way if the current state of I-15 is hurting the economy.

The train may never make a profit directly, but if it increases economic activity enough in the regions it services, it may profit the government indirectly. A company building the train can't rely on that type of income.

[ScoopLV]

Originally Posted by Ulysses373

That's not necessarily true for transportation. What the government needs to consider in this case are the costs between the train, widening I-15, making another route, doing something else I can't think of, or doing nothing (assuming I-15 is sufficient). All of those cost the government in some way if the current state of I-15 is hurting the economy.

The train may never make a profit directly, but if it increases economic activity enough in the regions it services, it may profit the government indirectly. A company building the train can't rely on that type of income.

I agree completely. There are some projects that NEED federal assistance -- ports, railroads, highways, airports. These things pay dividends for decades. No private company can expect to build this and turn a profit in the timeframe necessary to make it a worthwhile investment.

But that doesn't mean I'm suddenly going to change my opinion of the current DesertXpress plan -- it stinks on ice. OK, it stinks on dirt. That's a more apt idiom for the DesertXpress.