No. 27 -- VIRGINIA AND TRUCKEE RAILWAY -- Nevada Railroad Reconstruction Chronicles
Like a Phoenix (pronounced Puh-hoo-nix), the long dead operating committee has risen from the ashes!
This is part of a series of posts on the first July meeting of the V&T Re-con Commission. I finished up the last post talking about how, on the heels of voting A THIRD TIME to sell the cars in Portola, John Tyson wants the Commission to buy two more cars!
I think Dwight Millard was either up to something or doesn't know his history. For once I miss Mayor Marv (gone from the commission) and Bob Hadfield (absent). If either of those characters had been there, they would not have let this happen.
For a brief history, the Commission has been schizophrenic for years. One half wants nothing to do with owning equipment or running operations. That half wants a private company to handle all the details so the Commission can focus on building track.
The other half of the Commission wants to play choo-choo, and years ago this other half was represented by the Operations Sub-Committee that was responsible for the acquisition of the #18 and the decrepit rusting bird-cages (complete with poop on the bottom of the cage) stored in Portola.
As a solution to the issue from the previous post, newly-appointed Chairman Dwight Millard put off the issue until next month.
He did this by appointing Ron Allen, John Tyson and Larry McPhereson to a subcommittee to gather information on acquiring more equipment. John Tyson will fly to Detroit to look these potential acquisitions over. Supposedly he's doing this on his own dime, though he commonly says how poor he is. At least this time they aren't buying equipment sight unseen, like they seem to have done with the #18.
To possibly paraphrase Einstein, if you keep doing the same thing and expect a different result, please check yourself into the loonie bin.
ALL PRAISE THE NEWLY REVIVED OPERATING COMMITTEE!! ALL HAIL!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Tyson Wants More Cars for $74,000!!!
No. 26 -- VIRGINIA AND TRUCKEE RAILWAY -- Nevada Railroad Reconstruction Chronicles
COMMISSIONER JOHN TYSON WANTS MORE PASSENGER CARS!
Just on the heels of the Commission voting the THIRD TIME to get Ron Allen to get off his ass and sell the decrepit birdcages in Portola, John Tyson wants to take $50,000 from the Carson City Board of Realtors and add in another $24,000 from the Commission to purchase two historic Delaware and Lackawanna cars. The cars, according to John, are $17,000 each, plus $20,000 each to transport them from the east to Nevada.
This might make more sense, the cars are similar to the cars the Grays have (the recent acquisitions) and most of the cost will be paid by a private party. Sounds good so far, let's see where this one goes...
During the conversation, the price dropped. When Tyson first mentioned these cars, he said seventeen thousand each plus transport. Then he dropped the price to $15,000 each. What a deal!
A long discussion ensued where Janice Ayres of the Northern Nevada Railway Foundation stomped her feet saying that the donation was restricted and she doesn't want to get sued. Stephen Lincoln, saying he didn't speak for the Realtors Assocation, spoke for them and told the commission to do what they thought was right.
Then when it came time to vote on acquiring these cars, Janice Ayres piped up again and said the donated money wasn't just to buy a car, it was to buy a dinner car! They are scrambling just to run regular trains, the Dinner Train idea goes back to 1994 and has never been properly fleshed out. The Dinner Train was intended to run from Drako way, through the canyon and back to Drako without going all the way up the hill. Since the Commission has apparently abandoned the idea of building through the canyon for at least many years into the future, if they buy a dinner car it will be a stationary dinner car!
I wish to mention at this point that during this meeting, I think they must have served booze for lunch. Everyone was punchy after an all day meeting, and they KEPT FORGETTING TO TURN ON THEIR MICROPHONES! Much of this meeting was not recorded well by ACCTV, making it frustrating to turn up the volume. In addition, the podium was missing from the room so none of the audience comments came through clearly. More professionalism and concern for laying down a public record-- not! I should also mention, I didn't see the clerk-recorder there to make minutes. She may have been there but was never seen on camera. Dwight Millard was sitting in her seat.
THE ROAD TO HELL
Then Bonnie Weber asked what the hurry was to buy these cars. John Tyson, in typical Tyson-Allen fashion, said someone else might buy them first. These guys always like to invent demand when it suits them. John then said, "you know that old saying, the road to hell is paved with lost opportunity."
Actually, John, you really showed your ignorance there. "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." Maybe if the Commission understood the real "road to hell" saying they would run better? Probably not.
I'm going to continue this in the next newer post, this story really takes a twist here...
COMMISSIONER JOHN TYSON WANTS MORE PASSENGER CARS!
Just on the heels of the Commission voting the THIRD TIME to get Ron Allen to get off his ass and sell the decrepit birdcages in Portola, John Tyson wants to take $50,000 from the Carson City Board of Realtors and add in another $24,000 from the Commission to purchase two historic Delaware and Lackawanna cars. The cars, according to John, are $17,000 each, plus $20,000 each to transport them from the east to Nevada.
This might make more sense, the cars are similar to the cars the Grays have (the recent acquisitions) and most of the cost will be paid by a private party. Sounds good so far, let's see where this one goes...
During the conversation, the price dropped. When Tyson first mentioned these cars, he said seventeen thousand each plus transport. Then he dropped the price to $15,000 each. What a deal!
A long discussion ensued where Janice Ayres of the Northern Nevada Railway Foundation stomped her feet saying that the donation was restricted and she doesn't want to get sued. Stephen Lincoln, saying he didn't speak for the Realtors Assocation, spoke for them and told the commission to do what they thought was right.
Then when it came time to vote on acquiring these cars, Janice Ayres piped up again and said the donated money wasn't just to buy a car, it was to buy a dinner car! They are scrambling just to run regular trains, the Dinner Train idea goes back to 1994 and has never been properly fleshed out. The Dinner Train was intended to run from Drako way, through the canyon and back to Drako without going all the way up the hill. Since the Commission has apparently abandoned the idea of building through the canyon for at least many years into the future, if they buy a dinner car it will be a stationary dinner car!
I wish to mention at this point that during this meeting, I think they must have served booze for lunch. Everyone was punchy after an all day meeting, and they KEPT FORGETTING TO TURN ON THEIR MICROPHONES! Much of this meeting was not recorded well by ACCTV, making it frustrating to turn up the volume. In addition, the podium was missing from the room so none of the audience comments came through clearly. More professionalism and concern for laying down a public record-- not! I should also mention, I didn't see the clerk-recorder there to make minutes. She may have been there but was never seen on camera. Dwight Millard was sitting in her seat.
THE ROAD TO HELL
Then Bonnie Weber asked what the hurry was to buy these cars. John Tyson, in typical Tyson-Allen fashion, said someone else might buy them first. These guys always like to invent demand when it suits them. John then said, "you know that old saying, the road to hell is paved with lost opportunity."
Actually, John, you really showed your ignorance there. "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." Maybe if the Commission understood the real "road to hell" saying they would run better? Probably not.
I'm going to continue this in the next newer post, this story really takes a twist here...
Dwight Millard "Numb" on cars stored in Portola
No. 25 -- VIRGINIA AND TRUCKEE RAILWAY -- Nevada Railroad Reconstruction Chronicles
COMMISSION VOTES TO SELL CARS IN PORTOLA FOR THE THIRD TIME!!
As noted in the previous post, Ron Allen is on those cars in Portola like a bitin' hog!
Apparently during the all-day workshop, someone offered to pay the lease fees for the decrepit passenger cars stored in Portola, so the Commission could ignore it's two previous votes and avoid selling the cars after all.
Dwight Millard, in introducing the agenda item, said, "I'm numb on the issue, I don't care." What leadership! After previously pushing hard to get rid of the rusting natural outhouses, Ron Allen has succeeded in beating down Dwight Millard. Dwight has previously been strong on getting rid of the cars, even to the point of talking about scrapping them or "blowing them up."
Now our new Fearless Leader, Chairman Dwight Millard, has indicated "I'm numb on the issue, I don't care." When you wonder why I say the Commission changes it's mind every time it turns around, this is one example why.
Then it came up that some company called Timber Heritage had indicated their willingness to pay $2000 per car for a total of $10,000. Ken Dorr indicated that it was just an indication, not a solid offer. It does go to show how the Commission has overpaid for the cars, with $50,000 into them by now.
Then Ken Dorr said he told the Timber Heritage people that the Commission would have to follow a process of putting out an RFP and get a full vote of the Commission. It was funny, on camera you could see Mike Rowe give him a funny look, but not say anything.
If there was a need for an RFP, don't you think this would have been brought up during the TWO previous decisions to sell the cars? This is all covered in the previous post, so I will move on.
Then Commissioner Larry McPhereson asked if the cars were currently in a place where potential buyers could look at them, or it they should be moved to Reno. Ron Allen said something funny, in fact he almost told the truth. He said because they don't have a gang problem in Portola the cars were not likely to have grafitti on them. He did say that the occasional bum may sleep in them, but characterized that as a "no harm no foul" situation.
Now I don't want to be gross, but some of those bums that have slept in the cars have bared their bums and done their "morning duty" in the cars. On top of animal feces in the car, you have worse things to consider.
Then Ron Allen put the rest to another lie without realizing it. In response to Larry McPhereson's idea that the cars be moved to Reno, Ron Allen said it would be best to move them all the way to Carson City. First, he said, you would still have to pay rent in Reno.
SECOND, Ron said the cars would have to be trucked to Reno, because they can't run on the rails. But the cars came to Portola ON THE RAILS! So by inference, by doing nothing to maintain the cars over the last few years, they have degraded to the point where they can't run on the rails any more. Wasn't John Tyson just telling us two months ago that the car's trucks were in perfect shape?
Now Bonnie Weber pipes up. Two months ago she suggested that the cars could be used in a parade!!!!! Now she says it's time to move on. She said she was surprised that even the Gray's (REAL) Virginia and Truckee Railroad didn't want the cars.
Well, DUH! Considering that the Gray's just acquired two cars last year that were in much better shape from the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, WI, and those cars have clerestory windows and open platforms, and those cars weren't filled with poor, the windows were intact and the seats were in good shape ...
Why on earth would the Gray's possible want cars that are too heavy, don't look right, and will cost $186,000 per car to refurb, at a minimum. I can't disclose the exact details but the cost of the two cars plus transport from Wisconsin plus refurbishing was significantly less than the $186,000 Ron Allen want to spend on just one of the cars in Portola. I'm just going to have to say it straight, Bonnie Weber has no clue!
So in the end, the Commission voted FOR THE THIRD TIME to get rid of all five cars stored in Portola.
Trust me, this isn't the end of it.
COMMISSION VOTES TO SELL CARS IN PORTOLA FOR THE THIRD TIME!!
As noted in the previous post, Ron Allen is on those cars in Portola like a bitin' hog!
Apparently during the all-day workshop, someone offered to pay the lease fees for the decrepit passenger cars stored in Portola, so the Commission could ignore it's two previous votes and avoid selling the cars after all.
Dwight Millard, in introducing the agenda item, said, "I'm numb on the issue, I don't care." What leadership! After previously pushing hard to get rid of the rusting natural outhouses, Ron Allen has succeeded in beating down Dwight Millard. Dwight has previously been strong on getting rid of the cars, even to the point of talking about scrapping them or "blowing them up."
Now our new Fearless Leader, Chairman Dwight Millard, has indicated "I'm numb on the issue, I don't care." When you wonder why I say the Commission changes it's mind every time it turns around, this is one example why.
Then it came up that some company called Timber Heritage had indicated their willingness to pay $2000 per car for a total of $10,000. Ken Dorr indicated that it was just an indication, not a solid offer. It does go to show how the Commission has overpaid for the cars, with $50,000 into them by now.
Then Ken Dorr said he told the Timber Heritage people that the Commission would have to follow a process of putting out an RFP and get a full vote of the Commission. It was funny, on camera you could see Mike Rowe give him a funny look, but not say anything.
If there was a need for an RFP, don't you think this would have been brought up during the TWO previous decisions to sell the cars? This is all covered in the previous post, so I will move on.
Then Commissioner Larry McPhereson asked if the cars were currently in a place where potential buyers could look at them, or it they should be moved to Reno. Ron Allen said something funny, in fact he almost told the truth. He said because they don't have a gang problem in Portola the cars were not likely to have grafitti on them. He did say that the occasional bum may sleep in them, but characterized that as a "no harm no foul" situation.
Now I don't want to be gross, but some of those bums that have slept in the cars have bared their bums and done their "morning duty" in the cars. On top of animal feces in the car, you have worse things to consider.
Then Ron Allen put the rest to another lie without realizing it. In response to Larry McPhereson's idea that the cars be moved to Reno, Ron Allen said it would be best to move them all the way to Carson City. First, he said, you would still have to pay rent in Reno.
SECOND, Ron said the cars would have to be trucked to Reno, because they can't run on the rails. But the cars came to Portola ON THE RAILS! So by inference, by doing nothing to maintain the cars over the last few years, they have degraded to the point where they can't run on the rails any more. Wasn't John Tyson just telling us two months ago that the car's trucks were in perfect shape?
Now Bonnie Weber pipes up. Two months ago she suggested that the cars could be used in a parade!!!!! Now she says it's time to move on. She said she was surprised that even the Gray's (REAL) Virginia and Truckee Railroad didn't want the cars.
Well, DUH! Considering that the Gray's just acquired two cars last year that were in much better shape from the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, WI, and those cars have clerestory windows and open platforms, and those cars weren't filled with poor, the windows were intact and the seats were in good shape ...
Why on earth would the Gray's possible want cars that are too heavy, don't look right, and will cost $186,000 per car to refurb, at a minimum. I can't disclose the exact details but the cost of the two cars plus transport from Wisconsin plus refurbishing was significantly less than the $186,000 Ron Allen want to spend on just one of the cars in Portola. I'm just going to have to say it straight, Bonnie Weber has no clue!
So in the end, the Commission voted FOR THE THIRD TIME to get rid of all five cars stored in Portola.
Trust me, this isn't the end of it.
$186,000 to remodel ONE V&T car in Portola
No. 24 -- VIRGINIA AND TRUCKEE RAILWAY -- Nevada Railroad Reconstruction Chronicles
RON ALLEN QUOTES 186,000 TO REMODEL A V&T BIRDCAGE TO ADA STANDARDS
At the July meeting one of the agenda items was the question of whether the V&T Re-con Commission needs to provide an ADA-compliant railroad car. The suggestion was made that one of the Commission's cars in Portola could be remodeled to ADA standards.
These cars are in horrible shape, as disussed on my previous post about "the wildlife condos."
So given that these cars are rusted shells that have been allowed to sit open to the elements for years, the quote Ron Allen gave to restore a car to ADA standards is a bit misleading. He said it would cost $186,000 to get a car up to the ADA standard. Let's consider that most of that money would be spent, as Ron Allen said, one "the other 40 seats." Even without making a Portola car ADA compliant, they'd be spending between $150,000 and $250,000.
Also, in the whole discussion, no one ever asked whether the locomotives they have available are capable of pulling an extra heavyweight car all the way to Virginia City. This type of discussion in a vacuum is typical.
Finally, didn't they just vote to sell these cars back in May? I predicted then that as long as Ron Allen remains in charge of the sale, the cars wouldn't be sold. As with the Hadfield-Dorr "diversion issue," often the full vote of the Commission is simply ignored by one or two members to suit their own purposes.
And you want the government to run health care? I hope the V&T Commission is not put in charge.
Now, back to the ADA-compliant railroad car. Ron Allen then brings up the idea that possibly for rides less than one and one half hours, no restroom is necessary.
Disabled or not, do you want to ride a train without a toilet? When the Commission ran their VIP special last year, the booze flowed freely and no restrooms were available on the train. The trip took so long that the train stopped at Haward Siding and BOTH men and women went to the bathroom "in the rough."
This is the kind of high-level thinking that keeps these projects on-track, efficient, consistent and cheap. These are the kind of people we want safeguarding our tax dollars!
RON ALLEN QUOTES 186,000 TO REMODEL A V&T BIRDCAGE TO ADA STANDARDS
At the July meeting one of the agenda items was the question of whether the V&T Re-con Commission needs to provide an ADA-compliant railroad car. The suggestion was made that one of the Commission's cars in Portola could be remodeled to ADA standards.
These cars are in horrible shape, as disussed on my previous post about "the wildlife condos."
So given that these cars are rusted shells that have been allowed to sit open to the elements for years, the quote Ron Allen gave to restore a car to ADA standards is a bit misleading. He said it would cost $186,000 to get a car up to the ADA standard. Let's consider that most of that money would be spent, as Ron Allen said, one "the other 40 seats." Even without making a Portola car ADA compliant, they'd be spending between $150,000 and $250,000.
Also, in the whole discussion, no one ever asked whether the locomotives they have available are capable of pulling an extra heavyweight car all the way to Virginia City. This type of discussion in a vacuum is typical.
Finally, didn't they just vote to sell these cars back in May? I predicted then that as long as Ron Allen remains in charge of the sale, the cars wouldn't be sold. As with the Hadfield-Dorr "diversion issue," often the full vote of the Commission is simply ignored by one or two members to suit their own purposes.
And you want the government to run health care? I hope the V&T Commission is not put in charge.
Now, back to the ADA-compliant railroad car. Ron Allen then brings up the idea that possibly for rides less than one and one half hours, no restroom is necessary.
Disabled or not, do you want to ride a train without a toilet? When the Commission ran their VIP special last year, the booze flowed freely and no restrooms were available on the train. The trip took so long that the train stopped at Haward Siding and BOTH men and women went to the bathroom "in the rough."
This is the kind of high-level thinking that keeps these projects on-track, efficient, consistent and cheap. These are the kind of people we want safeguarding our tax dollars!
New Interim Depot Site on DUMP ROAD!
No. 23 -- VIRGINIA AND TRUCKEE RAILWAY -- Nevada Railroad Reconstruction Chronicle
COMMISSION CHANGES THEIR MIND AGAIN
In the last month or two a six-month old secret plan by Ken Dorr and Bob Hadfield was brought to light. The Commission spent almost $1.5 million dollars years ago to buy land for a terminal at Drako Way in Carson City.
Now they have a new plan, and Dwight Millard has said it centers on DUMP ROAD!
Now that they have publicly revealed their plan to run short term operations from east of Flint Drive down into the Canyon and back, and MAYBE up to Gold Hill, they want to put a "temporary depot" northeast of the Carson City dump. This is not the same as the temporary loading area they will use at Eastgate Siding for the Railfest festivities Aug 14-16.
COMMISSION CHANGES THEIR MIND AGAIN
In the last month or two a six-month old secret plan by Ken Dorr and Bob Hadfield was brought to light. The Commission spent almost $1.5 million dollars years ago to buy land for a terminal at Drako Way in Carson City.
Now they have a new plan, and Dwight Millard has said it centers on DUMP ROAD!
Now that they have publicly revealed their plan to run short term operations from east of Flint Drive down into the Canyon and back, and MAYBE up to Gold Hill, they want to put a "temporary depot" northeast of the Carson City dump. This is not the same as the temporary loading area they will use at Eastgate Siding for the Railfest festivities Aug 14-16.
By the Way, the Railroad Has No Reflections
No. 22 -- VIRGINIA AND TRUCKEE RAILWAY -- Nevada Railroad Reconstruction Chronicles
THE RAILWAY HAS NO REFLECTIONS IN 2009
Last year the lobbyist group known as the Northern Nevada Railway Foundation ran an event called Railway Reflections. This year they won't.
Last year, as in years past, they were given an "annual payment" from the Commission for their fund-raising efforts. Never mind that net-net they have cost the Commission more than they have ever raised from private hands.
Last year in 2008 the Railway Reflections events we said to have a bright future. NNRF people claimed they could compete with Hot August Nights (HA!).
This year there is simply nothing going on. At least they will save the Commission from funding the fund-raisers.
THE RAILWAY HAS NO REFLECTIONS IN 2009
Last year the lobbyist group known as the Northern Nevada Railway Foundation ran an event called Railway Reflections. This year they won't.
Last year, as in years past, they were given an "annual payment" from the Commission for their fund-raising efforts. Never mind that net-net they have cost the Commission more than they have ever raised from private hands.
Last year in 2008 the Railway Reflections events we said to have a bright future. NNRF people claimed they could compete with Hot August Nights (HA!).
This year there is simply nothing going on. At least they will save the Commission from funding the fund-raisers.
V&T Re-con Commission Delegates Operations to...
No. 21 -- VIRGINIA AND TRUCKEE RAILWAY -- Nevada Railroad Reconstruction Chronicles
V&T Re-con Commission Hand off Operations to the Tourism Board!
First a little summary. In the past the Gray's REAL Virginia and Truckee Railroad has come to an agreement with the Re-con folks to run their last train of the day on the new tracks as far as Overman Pit (and last year down to Scales in American Flat). The V&TRR also ran a couple special trains for the Commission as far as the Frehner Pit (Road and Highway Builders) in Mound House.
I have limited visibility into this years process, but after months of back and forth earlier this year, the V&TRR and the Commission's reps were unable to come to an agreement on a track use agreement for this year.
As of now, the V&TRR is not running on the Commission's track. The main hitch in the agreement, to my understanding, was that the Commission wanted to make the Gray's V&TRR responsible for ALL maintenance costs on the new track, including potential damage that the Gray's could never cause.
The real costs of inspecting and maintaining the track could reach over $100,000 per year, which the Grays understandably didn't want to pay just to run a few trains per year.
The Commission's reps, Project Head Ken Dorr and Attorney Michael Rowe, made possibly over $10,000 by drawing out the negotiations that failed.
NOW FOR THE PRESENT ....
More recently, Dwight Millard is now the Chairman of the V&T Commission AND the Chairman of the Carson City Convention and Visitor's (Polit)Buro (CCCVB). He has overseen the process where the Commission has delegated operational responsbility to the CCCVB. I will not take more than this sentence to say that the CCCVB has ZERO railroad operations experience. Commission Project Lackey Kevin Ray made a presentation in June to the CCCVB saying some interesting reasons why the Commission was handing off operations to the CCCVB.
Kevins main point was that the Commission has too many members to come to an agreement amongst themselves on what to do about operations. There is a long backstory behind this I won't get into here. What I will ask, if the Commission can agree to spend $40,000,000, why can't they agree on operations?
Having said that, what the CCCVB is going to do is strike an agreement with the V&TRR on track operations, leaving responsbility for maintenance and inspections with the Commission!!!
So while the Commission spent much moolah on Ken Dorr and Mike Rowe insisting that the Gray's pay for maintenance, only to fail to come up with an agreement, now the Commission has decided to pay for all maintenance costs so a third party (CCCVB) can interject themselves in the process and make a deal with the Grays so the Grays don't have to pay maintenance.
Everyone could have been saved a lot of trouble if this approach was tried directly by the Commission. But wait, the lawyers and the lackeys haven't quite made enough money on this yet. Now, as announced at the July 10 meeting of the Commission, attorney Mike Rowe is now hard at work again negotiating with the CCCVB's rep, who I assume is also an attorney!
Too many Chiefs and not enough Indians only begins to describe this boondoggle. On top of Ken Dorr, Mike Rowe and the CCCVB rep, the Carson City DA is also involved in writing this contract. This shows a point I've learned over the years, that private sector efforts are always more efficient than public sector efforts. A private company might retain an attorney to review an agreement, but in the public sector the Carson DA and possibly NDOT have to do their own layer of review. No wonder it takes forever to get anything done!
Oh, and by the way, the CCCVB just asked the V&T Commission for up to $25,000 to pay for a weekend of operations, including the booze train. The booze train is the VIP train that will run Friday, August 14, for all the special people who hardly lifted a finger to get this all done. What they did do is completely fail to convince the Carson City voters to provide further support for this project.
What they did do was rely on un-approved sales taxes, room taxes and federal funds to spend $40 million. That $40 million gets the project about halfway done, when the original project budget was a total of $20 million INCLUDING $10 million for a trainset and $10 million for total construction costs.
Harry Reid is proud!
V&T Re-con Commission Hand off Operations to the Tourism Board!
First a little summary. In the past the Gray's REAL Virginia and Truckee Railroad has come to an agreement with the Re-con folks to run their last train of the day on the new tracks as far as Overman Pit (and last year down to Scales in American Flat). The V&TRR also ran a couple special trains for the Commission as far as the Frehner Pit (Road and Highway Builders) in Mound House.
I have limited visibility into this years process, but after months of back and forth earlier this year, the V&TRR and the Commission's reps were unable to come to an agreement on a track use agreement for this year.
As of now, the V&TRR is not running on the Commission's track. The main hitch in the agreement, to my understanding, was that the Commission wanted to make the Gray's V&TRR responsible for ALL maintenance costs on the new track, including potential damage that the Gray's could never cause.
The real costs of inspecting and maintaining the track could reach over $100,000 per year, which the Grays understandably didn't want to pay just to run a few trains per year.
The Commission's reps, Project Head Ken Dorr and Attorney Michael Rowe, made possibly over $10,000 by drawing out the negotiations that failed.
NOW FOR THE PRESENT ....
More recently, Dwight Millard is now the Chairman of the V&T Commission AND the Chairman of the Carson City Convention and Visitor's (Polit)Buro (CCCVB). He has overseen the process where the Commission has delegated operational responsbility to the CCCVB. I will not take more than this sentence to say that the CCCVB has ZERO railroad operations experience. Commission Project Lackey Kevin Ray made a presentation in June to the CCCVB saying some interesting reasons why the Commission was handing off operations to the CCCVB.
Kevins main point was that the Commission has too many members to come to an agreement amongst themselves on what to do about operations. There is a long backstory behind this I won't get into here. What I will ask, if the Commission can agree to spend $40,000,000, why can't they agree on operations?
Having said that, what the CCCVB is going to do is strike an agreement with the V&TRR on track operations, leaving responsbility for maintenance and inspections with the Commission!!!
So while the Commission spent much moolah on Ken Dorr and Mike Rowe insisting that the Gray's pay for maintenance, only to fail to come up with an agreement, now the Commission has decided to pay for all maintenance costs so a third party (CCCVB) can interject themselves in the process and make a deal with the Grays so the Grays don't have to pay maintenance.
Everyone could have been saved a lot of trouble if this approach was tried directly by the Commission. But wait, the lawyers and the lackeys haven't quite made enough money on this yet. Now, as announced at the July 10 meeting of the Commission, attorney Mike Rowe is now hard at work again negotiating with the CCCVB's rep, who I assume is also an attorney!
Too many Chiefs and not enough Indians only begins to describe this boondoggle. On top of Ken Dorr, Mike Rowe and the CCCVB rep, the Carson City DA is also involved in writing this contract. This shows a point I've learned over the years, that private sector efforts are always more efficient than public sector efforts. A private company might retain an attorney to review an agreement, but in the public sector the Carson DA and possibly NDOT have to do their own layer of review. No wonder it takes forever to get anything done!
Oh, and by the way, the CCCVB just asked the V&T Commission for up to $25,000 to pay for a weekend of operations, including the booze train. The booze train is the VIP train that will run Friday, August 14, for all the special people who hardly lifted a finger to get this all done. What they did do is completely fail to convince the Carson City voters to provide further support for this project.
What they did do was rely on un-approved sales taxes, room taxes and federal funds to spend $40 million. That $40 million gets the project about halfway done, when the original project budget was a total of $20 million INCLUDING $10 million for a trainset and $10 million for total construction costs.
Harry Reid is proud!
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