No. 19 -- VIRGINIA AND TRUCKEE RAILWAY -- Nevada Railroad Reconstruction Chronicles
Here's a link to a Nevada Appeal article on the Commission to Reconstruct the Virginia and Truckee Railway:
6/11/09 Nevada Appeal: Millard New V&T Chairman
Here is a synthesis of the three-part comment I posted:
The article says, "But Millard might be inclined to agree with commissioners who want to not only build the railroad, but to operate the trains running on it."
This is a mis-characterization. Millard may do what it takes in the short term to run revenue trains for the public, and I support him fully in this goal. Imagine if the 395 extension around Carson City were in its current state, half-built, but it was still closed to traffic. That's what you have today with the V&T -- 37 million dollars spent on untested questionable assumptions and no public access.
Running trains for the public will finally make the V&T Commission face the test of demand. Of course the first few trains will be full. Next year, if a regular schedule can be achieved, we will finally see what the real demand for the "train to nowhere" is. If Millard proves to be a good leader, this will become a "train to somewhere."
Despite the one-liner in the Nevada Appeal article, Chairman Dwight Millard has a history of opposing John Tyson and Ron Allen's idea that the Commission should operate the trains directly.
Putting aside Tyson's dream of being the engineer, the Commission has shown ZERO marketing ability and has no operational experience with a real tourist or freight railroad. Tyson owns a private car and ran steam at the V&T and Nevada Northern. That's it, as far as I know. Allen runs a state-funded and state-maintained train around a short circle of track at the Carson City, Nevada State Railroad museum. They have zero experience marketing and selling a train to the public.
Millard has shown on many occasions that he wants nothing to do with operating trains long term. When it came to the birdcages (cars) stored so badly in Portola, after the Commission voted to get rid of them and Ron Allen sat on the issue for a year, Millard (jokingly) suggested blowing up the cars to get rid of them.
After saying they could be rid of the cars by "blowing them up" Millard suggested scrapping them or giving them away. He does not entertain foolish notions that after money was spent on an operator selection process they should go back on their own decision so John Tyson and Ron Allen can play engineer.
Millard is also the only business person on the Commission who understands the project. While Bonnie Weber can claim to be part of a Reno-based sign business, it's totally clear that she doesn't do her homework, doesn't understand the first thing about trains (she admits this publicly) and like other Commissioners doesn't have the dedication to the project to truly move it forward.
Millard does have the background, dedication and commitment. I hope things get much better. The first thing Millard can do is instruct the Commission attorney and staff member to meet their legal requirements in answering public records requests. Over time, there have been several requests I have made under Nevada law that have been ignored for months.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Steve's Excellent Notes of June 8 Meeting
No. 18 -- VIRGINIA AND TRUCKEE RAILWAY -- Nevada Railroad Reconstruction Chronicles
See noted posted on the Gold Hill Historical Society's website at http://www.goldhillnv.org/GHHS_2009_Jun_Commission.htm
The only comment I have at this point is about the Northern Nevada Railway Foundation. They are going to sell t-shirts! Hooray, that ought to bring in about $10 million.
Also NNRF noted they are applying for private grants. IT'S ABOUT TIME, FIFTEEN YEARS LATER. I truly wish them the best ... but ...
The NNRF does not have the kind of track record or "auditability" to satisfy a private foundation donor, in my humble opinion. The Commission DOES have the track record of taking large gobs of money and spending them to build track.
So it remains a mystery to me why the Commission doesn't apply for grant funding, like they should have years ago. Instead they delegate this to the NNRF social club. Again, I wish them success, but they'd have much better chances if the Commission applied for grant funds instead of continuing the charade that the Northern Nevada Railroad Foundation is an effective fund-raiser. So goes politics.
See noted posted on the Gold Hill Historical Society's website at http://www.goldhillnv.org/GHHS_2009_Jun_Commission.htm
The only comment I have at this point is about the Northern Nevada Railway Foundation. They are going to sell t-shirts! Hooray, that ought to bring in about $10 million.
Also NNRF noted they are applying for private grants. IT'S ABOUT TIME, FIFTEEN YEARS LATER. I truly wish them the best ... but ...
The NNRF does not have the kind of track record or "auditability" to satisfy a private foundation donor, in my humble opinion. The Commission DOES have the track record of taking large gobs of money and spending them to build track.
So it remains a mystery to me why the Commission doesn't apply for grant funding, like they should have years ago. Instead they delegate this to the NNRF social club. Again, I wish them success, but they'd have much better chances if the Commission applied for grant funds instead of continuing the charade that the Northern Nevada Railroad Foundation is an effective fund-raiser. So goes politics.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Broken News Flash -- Impressions of June 8 Meeting
No. 17 -- VIRGINIA AND TRUCKEE RAILWAY -- Nevada Railroad Reconstruction Chronicles
Initial reports from the June 8 meeting of the Nevada Commission for the Reconstruction of the Virginia and Truckee Railway are .....
(drumroll)
...
POSITIVE!
Here's what I hear, and it's all based on hearsay, so don't quote me. I will review the meeting online in a few days and do a fuller writeup, or if someone else writes up some notes I will link to them. And on with the show!
-- The new Chairman is Dwight Millard, a local Carson City homebuilder and civic leader who has a clue and should be able to run the meetings well.
-- The new Vice-Chairman is Bob Crowell, total insider government lobbyist/lawyer type and current Mayor of Carson City, but a seemingly good guy who can't be "railroaded."
more...
-- The discussion of the "disposition" of the #18 locomotive has been delayed until July 10, when the Commission will hold a morning workshop to take the time to really understand issues in-depth.
This is a good idea, because at the typical Commission meeting the Commissioners come in without doing their homework. Then, after a little triangulation from Bonnie Weber and other displays of ignorance, the Commissioners vote based on who spoke most eloquently. Hopefully the July 10 morning workshop will provide some needed education.
-- Then on the afternoon of July 10 a regular meeting will take place.
-- I'm not sure where this is going, but the Carson City Convention and Visitors Bureau will be assigned a track use agreement for running trains on Railfest in August, the track celebration and possibly more trains later in the year.
The main reason IMHO is because the negotiations between the Gray's REAL Virginia and Truckee Railroad and the Commission broke down. The Commission needs to run trains on the new tracks and for reasons unknown to me was unable to complete an agreement with the Gray's. It seems to me that the CCCVB will be a fresh face.
Also, previously, the Commission wanted the Grays to pay all maintenance but recently the Commission has been looking to bid maintenance out to another company. If the Gray's don't have to pay for all track maintenance just so they can run one train per month, they will be more likely to go for it.
-- Apparently the Commission is considering building a temporary depot near a water tank south of highway 50 between flint drive and highland way. More detail on that later, it's a bit sketchy.
-- They discussed more engineering work for phase 3 and 4 but I don't think they decided to go ahead yet.
Remember, this is all sketchy hearsay until I review the meeting myself in the next week.
Be here again next week, same bat-time, same bat-channel.
For now let me close with some philosophy. In this country we are seeing a new trend. Remember Rahm Emmanuel's comment, "never let a crisis go to waste." In their quest for socialism, we are seeing the government running companies and industries where they don't have a clue. Obama's cabinet and staff are nearly all academics with little real-world experience running a business. Think Geithner, who famously had to clarify in a hearing that he had no investment banking or any banking experience.
So it looks like as far as a government body spending lots of money with no operational clue about what they're doing, the V&T Commission has been way ahead of the curve.
Just think, years from now we'll be able to tell our kids, "After San Francisco and Berkeley, socialism came next to Carson City!" We should be so proud of our bleeding edge politicians for getting us in this mess! We love Senator Reid -- NOT!
Initial reports from the June 8 meeting of the Nevada Commission for the Reconstruction of the Virginia and Truckee Railway are .....
(drumroll)
...
POSITIVE!
Here's what I hear, and it's all based on hearsay, so don't quote me. I will review the meeting online in a few days and do a fuller writeup, or if someone else writes up some notes I will link to them. And on with the show!
-- The new Chairman is Dwight Millard, a local Carson City homebuilder and civic leader who has a clue and should be able to run the meetings well.
-- The new Vice-Chairman is Bob Crowell, total insider government lobbyist/lawyer type and current Mayor of Carson City, but a seemingly good guy who can't be "railroaded."
more...
-- The discussion of the "disposition" of the #18 locomotive has been delayed until July 10, when the Commission will hold a morning workshop to take the time to really understand issues in-depth.
This is a good idea, because at the typical Commission meeting the Commissioners come in without doing their homework. Then, after a little triangulation from Bonnie Weber and other displays of ignorance, the Commissioners vote based on who spoke most eloquently. Hopefully the July 10 morning workshop will provide some needed education.
-- Then on the afternoon of July 10 a regular meeting will take place.
-- I'm not sure where this is going, but the Carson City Convention and Visitors Bureau will be assigned a track use agreement for running trains on Railfest in August, the track celebration and possibly more trains later in the year.
The main reason IMHO is because the negotiations between the Gray's REAL Virginia and Truckee Railroad and the Commission broke down. The Commission needs to run trains on the new tracks and for reasons unknown to me was unable to complete an agreement with the Gray's. It seems to me that the CCCVB will be a fresh face.
Also, previously, the Commission wanted the Grays to pay all maintenance but recently the Commission has been looking to bid maintenance out to another company. If the Gray's don't have to pay for all track maintenance just so they can run one train per month, they will be more likely to go for it.
-- Apparently the Commission is considering building a temporary depot near a water tank south of highway 50 between flint drive and highland way. More detail on that later, it's a bit sketchy.
-- They discussed more engineering work for phase 3 and 4 but I don't think they decided to go ahead yet.
Remember, this is all sketchy hearsay until I review the meeting myself in the next week.
Be here again next week, same bat-time, same bat-channel.
For now let me close with some philosophy. In this country we are seeing a new trend. Remember Rahm Emmanuel's comment, "never let a crisis go to waste." In their quest for socialism, we are seeing the government running companies and industries where they don't have a clue. Obama's cabinet and staff are nearly all academics with little real-world experience running a business. Think Geithner, who famously had to clarify in a hearing that he had no investment banking or any banking experience.
So it looks like as far as a government body spending lots of money with no operational clue about what they're doing, the V&T Commission has been way ahead of the curve.
Just think, years from now we'll be able to tell our kids, "After San Francisco and Berkeley, socialism came next to Carson City!" We should be so proud of our bleeding edge politicians for getting us in this mess! We love Senator Reid -- NOT!
June 8 Meeting to Discuss #18 Locomotive -- comments coming
No. 16 -- VIRGINIA AND TRUCKEE RAILWAY -- Nevada Railroad Reconstruction Chronicles
DID NOT ATTEND JUNE MEETING OF VIRGINIA AND TRUCKEE RECONSTRUCTION COMMISSION
I did not go to the June 8 meeting of the V&T Commission. Ignoring the mandate to meet in alternating locations, the Nevada Commission for the Reconstruction of the Virginia and Truckee Railway met AGAIN in Carson City. I had other things to do this afternoon in Reno, so I missed the meeting.
THE V&T COMMISSION REMAINS INACCESSIBLE TO OTHER COUNTIES BY STAYING IN CARSON CITY
Nevada State Law says they are supposed to rotate the meetings among Storey County, Douglas County, Washoe County, Lyon County and Carson City (a county). They did hold one meeting last year in Virginia City (Storey County), and there was supposed to be a meeting in Dayton (Lyon County) but that never happened. Some day they will follow the law and come to Reno.
ENERGY SUCKING CO-DEPENDENT VAMPIRES?
Another reason not to go to these meetings is that this group of unaccountable unelected politicians, their staff and supporters are energy vampires who suck the money from the federal government as they suck the positive energy from anyone who comes near them. Just kidding?
So once the meeting is posted on Access Carson City's community TV channel website I will review the pertinent parts and post a report. Instead of the previous level of detail I plan to provide a summary.
DID NOT ATTEND JUNE MEETING OF VIRGINIA AND TRUCKEE RECONSTRUCTION COMMISSION
I did not go to the June 8 meeting of the V&T Commission. Ignoring the mandate to meet in alternating locations, the Nevada Commission for the Reconstruction of the Virginia and Truckee Railway met AGAIN in Carson City. I had other things to do this afternoon in Reno, so I missed the meeting.
THE V&T COMMISSION REMAINS INACCESSIBLE TO OTHER COUNTIES BY STAYING IN CARSON CITY
Nevada State Law says they are supposed to rotate the meetings among Storey County, Douglas County, Washoe County, Lyon County and Carson City (a county). They did hold one meeting last year in Virginia City (Storey County), and there was supposed to be a meeting in Dayton (Lyon County) but that never happened. Some day they will follow the law and come to Reno.
ENERGY SUCKING CO-DEPENDENT VAMPIRES?
Another reason not to go to these meetings is that this group of unaccountable unelected politicians, their staff and supporters are energy vampires who suck the money from the federal government as they suck the positive energy from anyone who comes near them. Just kidding?
So once the meeting is posted on Access Carson City's community TV channel website I will review the pertinent parts and post a report. Instead of the previous level of detail I plan to provide a summary.
Friday, June 5, 2009
$500K not from Vegas-Anaheim, package, instead from
No. 15 -- VIRGINIA AND TRUCKEE RAILWAY -- Nevada Railroad Reconstruction Chronicles
The $500,000 that Senator Reid was "nice enough" to send the V&T project didn't come from the Vegas to Anaheim high speed rail funding as a commenter had reported. Thanks to some digging by an associate, it turns out this $500,000 came from S. 3261 of 2008.
One of my other chief complaints about federal funding is that you have to be a detective to figure it out. Despite Obama's claims of transparency, thing have not gotten better. Admittedly this $500,000 done while Bush was still in, but it was done by a committee and Harry Reid in the Democratically controlled Congress.
If you search for V&T in this document you will see a little insight into how the federal funding mechanism works. When you look at that doc and do the V&T search, notice that a poorly managed tourist railroad project sits among a list of seemingly worth projects. Heck, I'll save you the search, here is the sub-category that the Virginia and Truckee Gravy Train was funded under:
(sorry about the formatting, the recommended dollar amounts are likely on the right side of your screen in the green area. I will work on this formatting...)
The $500,000 that Senator Reid was "nice enough" to send the V&T project didn't come from the Vegas to Anaheim high speed rail funding as a commenter had reported. Thanks to some digging by an associate, it turns out this $500,000 came from S. 3261 of 2008.
One of my other chief complaints about federal funding is that you have to be a detective to figure it out. Despite Obama's claims of transparency, thing have not gotten better. Admittedly this $500,000 done while Bush was still in, but it was done by a committee and Harry Reid in the Democratically controlled Congress.
If you search for V&T in this document you will see a little insight into how the federal funding mechanism works. When you look at that doc and do the V&T search, notice that a poorly managed tourist railroad project sits among a list of seemingly worth projects. Heck, I'll save you the search, here is the sub-category that the Virginia and Truckee Gravy Train was funded under:
(sorry about the formatting, the recommended dollar amounts are likely on the right side of your screen in the green area. I will work on this formatting...)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Project name Committeerecommendation
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
146th Street Corridor Extension, Boone County, IN $500,000
159th and US 69 Interchange Improvements, Overland Park, KS 1,000,000
2300 West Upgrade, 1900 South to 2100 North, UT 1,000,000
5th and Market Street Transportation Improvements, PA 500,000
Advanced Bridge Safety Initiative, ME 500,000
Anchor Lake Project, MS 1,000,000
Ann Arbor-Detroit Regional Rail Project, MI 1,000,000
Artesia Road Bypass, MS 1,000,000
Barnes Crossing Road/Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge, MS 500,000
Bayside Promenade, ME 800,000
Bland Street Improvements, Bland, MO 300,000
Bonneville/Clark One-Way Couplet, NV 500,000
Bossier Parish Congestion Relief Plan, LA 1,000,000
Bridge over Brandywine Creek, PA 750,000
Campus Loop Road Extension for St. John Fisher College, NY 500,000
Cesar Chavez Blvd/Calexico-West Port of Entry Congestion Improvements, CA 3,000,000
City of Tuscaloosa Downtown Revitalization Project--University Blvd and Greensboro Avenue, AL 4,000,000
Cline Avenue Extension, East Chicago, IN 1,000,000
Clinton Street Bridge Replacement, Fort Wayne, IN 500,000
Coalfields Expressway, WV 5,000,000
Construction of Lafayette Interchange, MO 1,000,000
Cumberland Parkway/US 41 Expansion, GA 1,000,000
Decatur Downtown Streetscape Project, AL 350,000
Delaware Avenue Bridge, IA 500,000
East Texas Higher Speed Rail Feasibility Study, TX 300,000
Edward T. Breathitt (Pennyrile) Parkway Completion Project, KY 2,000,000
El Camino East/West Corridor, Winfield, LA 500,000
Establishment of Railroad Quiet Zones in the Town of Hamburg, NY 500,000
FM509 Extension, Harlingen, TX 500,000
Fort Drum Connector (I-81 to Fort Drum North Gate), NY 1,000,000
Freedom Road Transportation Improvement Project, PA 1,750,000
Gate and Intersection Improvements at Fort Lee, VA 1,000,000
Granite Falls Alternate Route, WA 2,500,000
Great Miami Boulevard Extension, OH 500,000
Harden Street Improvements--Phase II, SC 1,000,000
Hastings Bridge, MN 2,000,000
Highway 100 Extension from Edgewood Road to Highway 30, Cedar Rapids, IA 1,000,000
Highway 14-Waseca to Owatonna, MN 2,000,000
Highway 75 Revitalization Project, AL 250,000
Highway 9 Improvements, MS 3,000,000
Hudson River Waterfront Walkway, NJ 500,000
I-10 New Orleans East Upgrades, LA 200,000
I-12 Interchange at LA-16, Denham Springs, LA 750,000
I-295/76/42 Direct Connection, NJ 3,000,000
I-49 South, LA 2,000,000
I-5 to Hwy. 99W Connector, OR 3,000,000
I-540 Interchange Improvements, Washington and Benton Counties, AR 2,000,000
I-555 Access Road, Poinsett County, AR 2,000,000
I-69, Shreveport, LA 2,000,000
I-69, TN 500,000
I-69, TX 500,000
I-93 Kalispell Bypass, MT 3,000,000
I-95 Interchange at SR 202 (Butler Blvd.), FL 1,000,000
Improvements to the Route 60 Bridges over the James River, MO 1,000,000
Improvements to US Route 1 for access to York County Community College, ME 500,000
Improvements to US-54, Seward County, KS 1,000,000
Indian River Inlet Bridge, DE 2,000,000
Intersection Improvements on US 212 and US 81 and Improvements to US 81, SD 1,000,000
Intersection Safety Improvements, Olympia Fields, IL 500,000
Interstate 430/630: Interchange Modification, AR 3,000,000
Interstate 69/Great River Bridge: Highway 65-MS Highway 1, AR 3,000,000
Isabel Swamp Road, Washington Parish, LA 450,000
Joplin Downtown Revitalization, MO 1,000,000
K-7 Corridor Study from 183rd St to 119th Street in Olathe, KS 750,000
King Coal Highway, WV 5,000,000
LA-1 Goldenmeadow to Port Fourchon, LA 650,000
LA 28, Vernon Parish, LA 2,000,000
Lake Charles Riverfront Parkway Development Plan, LA 250,000
Lake Mead Parkway, Phase 2, NV 250,000
Little Bay Bridges/Spaulding Turnpike, NH 2,000,000
Longfellow Bridge Approach Gateway, Cambridge, MA 1,000,000
Martha/I-76 Connection, OH 500,000
McKinley/Riverside Avenues Safety Improvement Project, Muncie, IN 1,000,000
Melbourne International Access Road, FL 1,000,000
Milwaukee Intermodal Station Improvements to Train Shed and Platforms, WI 1,500,000
N.A. Sandifer Highway, MS 315,000
New Hampshire Department of Transportation, U.S. Route 4 Red List Bridge Repair, West Lebanon, NH 1,000,000
New York State Route 12 500,000
Niagara Falls International Railway Station/Intermodal Transportation Center, NY 500,000
Northside Drive, MS 2,000,000
Northwest Loop Access Road, Sandoval County, NM 1,000,000
Page Extension Phase II, MO 1,000,000
Park Avenue Multi-Use Trail, ME 800,000
Pennsylvania High-Speed Maglev Development Program, PA 1,000,000
Peters Road Extension, Plaquemines Parish, LA 650,000
Pinon Hills Boulevard East and Animas River Bridge, NM 1,000,000
Plaza del Sol Project, Village of Angel Fire, NM 350,000
Port Industrial Road Improvement Project, WA 4,000,000
Portsmouth Town Center Plan, RI 1,000,000
Reconstruction of Riverside Drive, CT 1,000,000
Redesign and Reconstruction of I-235 and Kellogg Interchange, Wichita, KS 500,000
Replacement of US-159 Bridge at Rulo, NE 1,200,000
ReTrac Project Enhancements, Reno, NV 250,000
Rickenbacker Intermodal East-West Connector, OH 300,000
Road improvements on Powderhouse Road from SD 42 to Madison Street, Sioux Falls, SD 3,000,000
Route 1/Route 123 Interchange Improvements, VA 1,000,000
Route 1 and Route 34 Connector, CT 500,000
Route 150, MO 1,000,000
Route 5 Improvements in Laclede and Camden Counties, MO 1,000,000
Salt Fork of the Red River Bridge Martha Crossing, OK 1,500,000
SE Connector, SE 6th Street to SE 14th Street (US 69), Des Moines, IA 1,500,000
Shiloh Road, MT 5,000,000
Slide Repair Work along US 60 in Eastern Kanawha County, WV 5,000,000
South Entrance Interchange at Mississippi State University, MS 1,000,000
Southwest Arterial, Dubuque, IA 1,000,000
St. John Medical Center--Broken Arrow Traffic Improvement, OK 250,000
Starkweather Creek Parkway Bike Path, WI 1,000,000
State Route 317, between I-75 and Collegedale in Hamilton County, TN 1,000,000
Steptoe Street Extension Project, WA 2,000,000
TH 610 from US 169 to I-94, Maple Grove, MN 1,000,000
TH-13/CR 5 Interchange, MN 1,000,000
Town of Clarkstown, New City Hamlet, NY to Revitalize South Main Street 500,000
Town of Lexington United Traffic Plan--Phase I, SC 1,000,000
Town of Tamworth, Chocorua Village Safety Project, NH 500,000
Traffic Light--Piedmont Road and Edmond Road, OK 100,000
Trinity River Vision Bridges, Fort Worth, TX 1,000,000
US 101 Safety Improvements at Deer Park, WA 980,000
US 12 Safety Improvements, WA 3,000,000
US 17 Widening, FL 2,000,000
US 2 Safety Improvements, WA 2,000,000
US Highway 30 Improvements, Whiteside County, IL 500,000
US 61 Fort Madison Bypass Interchange at Highway J40, IA 1,000,000
US Highway 59 Safety Improvements, MN 1,000,000
Urban Collector Road along I-10 North, MS 2,000,000
US 169 Highway Widening Environmental Assessment, OK 1,000,000
US Route 64, TN 1,500,000
US-191, Moab to Crescent Junction, UT 2,000,000
US-69 in Bourbon, Crawford, and Cherokee Counties, KS 750,000
V&T Railway Reconstruction Project, NV 500,000
Vermont Route 15 Improvements in Johnson and Essex Junction, VT 3,000,000
West Point Defense Facility Access Improvements, MS 1,000,000
West Virginia Route 10, WV 5,000,000
West Virginia Route 9, WV 7,000,000
Western Beltway Transportation Infrastructure Plan, MS 500,000
Western Kentucky University [WKU], University-Community Bikeway Project, KY 1,000,000
Whiterock Sustainable Trail, Guthrie County, IA 400,000
Zanesville State Street Bridge Renovation and Repair Project, OH 500,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday, June 4, 2009
The Taxpayer in New York and Kentucky, a Comment Zone
No. 14 -- VIRGINIA AND TRUCKEE RAILWAY -- Nevada Railroad Reconstruction Chronicles
This is a short post. If you've been reading this blog and the recent posts, you might see I have difficulty understanding why so many historical preservation groups look to the Federal Government as the first and primary source of funding.
Granted, it's because both Democrat and Republican Congresses have encouraged such behavior by allowing fed funds from ISTEA and TEA-21 grants to go to historical projects that have nothing to do with roads or public transporation. This is done under the explanation that road projects have plowed over historical sites and we need to amend for our sins by offsetting the damage of progress.
That being said, if someone could explain to me why the taxpayer in New York or Kentucky or Arkansas should pay for a tourist railroad that will mostly benefit Virginia City and Reno, maybe I'll go away. When the local population refused to vote in tax increases to pay for these projects, why do we then pick the pockets of out-of-state taxpayers?
I'm waiting...
This is a short post. If you've been reading this blog and the recent posts, you might see I have difficulty understanding why so many historical preservation groups look to the Federal Government as the first and primary source of funding.
Granted, it's because both Democrat and Republican Congresses have encouraged such behavior by allowing fed funds from ISTEA and TEA-21 grants to go to historical projects that have nothing to do with roads or public transporation. This is done under the explanation that road projects have plowed over historical sites and we need to amend for our sins by offsetting the damage of progress.
That being said, if someone could explain to me why the taxpayer in New York or Kentucky or Arkansas should pay for a tourist railroad that will mostly benefit Virginia City and Reno, maybe I'll go away. When the local population refused to vote in tax increases to pay for these projects, why do we then pick the pockets of out-of-state taxpayers?
I'm waiting...
V&T Didn't Get High-Speed Rail Funds, Commission Says...
No. 13 -- VIRGINIA AND TRUCKEE RAILWAY -- Nevada Railroad Reconstruction Chronicles
Well, our favorite commenter GPJoe has their facts wrong AGAIN!
GPJoe said, "'Jim from Reno' said $23 million was going to the project. Incorrect. Senator Reid was nice enough to send $500,000 to Northern Nevada in his Vegas to Anaheim railroad package. If it was $23 million it would finish the project and then some."
I am happy to report that according to the Nevada Commission to Reconstruct the Virginia and Truckee Railroad, they DID NOT get $500,000 of high speed rail funding.
I have to say, I know the history of this project better than some of the Commissioners, so having people comment with bad information doesn't help anyone.
HARRY REID'S MONEY IS YOUR MONEY
I must call attention to something else I find shocking about this whole process involving Federal funds. I hear many people saying, "Senator 'Dingy' Harry Reid gave us this money." Look at what GPJoe says, "Senator Reid was nice enough to send $500,000 to Northern Nevada in his Vegas to Anaheim railroad package."
When Harry Reid makes a donation out of his own pocket I will give him the credit. The truth is that the US taxpayer is providing the money with only the most indirect of representation in the process.
I think, psychologically speaking, it truly reveals the state of mind of a person who says, "Harry Reid gave us the money." This is the kind of person who sees federal taxpayer money as mailbox money or found money. It's decades of this type of thinking that has bloated the federal government well beyond the intention of the Constitution.
WILL 23 MILLION DOLLARS DO THE JOB?
Now, about the claim that $23 million would finish the project "and then some." That's also not true. If you listened to Mayor Marv's presentation in the Nevada Legislature in 2005, he claimed that the total project costs were $28-35 million, just four years ago.
More recently the Commission and the Nevada Appeal float a number of $55 million. However, when Jim Wrinn of Trains magazine wrote the news article in Trains recently, the numbers added up to $64 million. When I have sat down with others and looked at the whole shopping list, based on previous price increases, the whole project could go over $70 million.
Since the Commission already has $37 million in funding, and is looking at another $23 million, that brings the total up to $60 million. It's not quite enough to hit the $64 million mark quoted in Trains Magazine, but if they cut their shopping list, they could complete the project.
But there would be no "and then some." People who don't understand my criticisms sometimes have not taken the time to read the actual budgets and look at the real costs. For example, fifteen years later, the Commission is just now figuring out what some of the Carson River Canyon land will cost.
It's no wonder they're never been able to provide a complete, accurate, honest budget. They just don't know. All they know is to keep working on the project piecemeal and hope more funding comes in to keep going. This is not a typical well-managed, well-planned government project.
Otherwise, why would someone who works on the project go in front of the Carson City Supervisors in 2005 and say, "almost all the financing is in place." The scary part, I think they believe their own BS.
Thanks for visiting!
Well, our favorite commenter GPJoe has their facts wrong AGAIN!
GPJoe said, "'Jim from Reno' said $23 million was going to the project. Incorrect. Senator Reid was nice enough to send $500,000 to Northern Nevada in his Vegas to Anaheim railroad package. If it was $23 million it would finish the project and then some."
I am happy to report that according to the Nevada Commission to Reconstruct the Virginia and Truckee Railroad, they DID NOT get $500,000 of high speed rail funding.
I have to say, I know the history of this project better than some of the Commissioners, so having people comment with bad information doesn't help anyone.
HARRY REID'S MONEY IS YOUR MONEY
I must call attention to something else I find shocking about this whole process involving Federal funds. I hear many people saying, "Senator 'Dingy' Harry Reid gave us this money." Look at what GPJoe says, "Senator Reid was nice enough to send $500,000 to Northern Nevada in his Vegas to Anaheim railroad package."
When Harry Reid makes a donation out of his own pocket I will give him the credit. The truth is that the US taxpayer is providing the money with only the most indirect of representation in the process.
I think, psychologically speaking, it truly reveals the state of mind of a person who says, "Harry Reid gave us the money." This is the kind of person who sees federal taxpayer money as mailbox money or found money. It's decades of this type of thinking that has bloated the federal government well beyond the intention of the Constitution.
WILL 23 MILLION DOLLARS DO THE JOB?
Now, about the claim that $23 million would finish the project "and then some." That's also not true. If you listened to Mayor Marv's presentation in the Nevada Legislature in 2005, he claimed that the total project costs were $28-35 million, just four years ago.
More recently the Commission and the Nevada Appeal float a number of $55 million. However, when Jim Wrinn of Trains magazine wrote the news article in Trains recently, the numbers added up to $64 million. When I have sat down with others and looked at the whole shopping list, based on previous price increases, the whole project could go over $70 million.
Since the Commission already has $37 million in funding, and is looking at another $23 million, that brings the total up to $60 million. It's not quite enough to hit the $64 million mark quoted in Trains Magazine, but if they cut their shopping list, they could complete the project.
But there would be no "and then some." People who don't understand my criticisms sometimes have not taken the time to read the actual budgets and look at the real costs. For example, fifteen years later, the Commission is just now figuring out what some of the Carson River Canyon land will cost.
It's no wonder they're never been able to provide a complete, accurate, honest budget. They just don't know. All they know is to keep working on the project piecemeal and hope more funding comes in to keep going. This is not a typical well-managed, well-planned government project.
Otherwise, why would someone who works on the project go in front of the Carson City Supervisors in 2005 and say, "almost all the financing is in place." The scary part, I think they believe their own BS.
Thanks for visiting!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)