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By Kyle B. Hansen (contact) 
Friday, Jan. 29, 2010 | 1:50 a.m.
Harry Reid, transportation secretary discuss announcement
Sun Archives
- Nevada not included on list for high-speed rail projects (1-28-2010)
- Maglev train backers woo contractors with promise of jobs (1-22-2010)
- DesertXpress prepared to build; maglev, monorail extension on hold (1-15-2010)
- Maglev money sparks a Gibbons-Reid quarrel (9-18-2009)
- High-speed rail competition heats up with new funding (9-16-2009)
- Beyond Victorville: Coloradans covet high-speed rail, too (9-14-2009)
- DesertXpress train aiming for March construction start (9-1-2009)
- Maglev train to press on without Reid (6-10-2009)
- Reid sides with Desert Xpress fast train option (6-9-2009)
- State sends no representative to talk on high-speed trains (6-5-2009)
- Obama outlines vision for high-speed rail network (4-16-2009)
- 8 states seek stimulus money for high-speed rail (4-15-2009)
- No waste in rail dream (3-5-2009)
- One-woman bureaucracy keeps maglev hopes alive (3-3-2009)
- Economic crisis an opportunity to be greener (3-1-2009)
- Vegas, Midwest seek the $8 billion for fast trains (2-23-2009)
- Calif. bond would launch bullet train project (9-26-2008)
Beyond the Sun
Politicians were quick to take credit or pass blame Thursday when Nevada was left off the list of 31 states that will benefit from federal stimulus funds for high-speed rail, but the Nevada project that sought funds wasn’t qualified anyway.
President Obama went to Florida to announce the award of $8 billion for 13 projects to build high-speed train systems along existing train corridors. Las Vegas has long been a focus of high-speed rail advocates, with two proposals to connect the region to Southern California.
Obama’s announcement began a press release war between Gov. Jim Gibbons and Sen. Harry Reid over who was responsible for the lack of funding for the state.
Gibbons blamed Reid for not securing the money for Nevada.
“It looks like Senator Reid was asleep at the switch again,” Gibbons said in a statement. “Nevada already has a high-speed magnetic levitation train plan in place. It is disgusting and disgraceful that Reid and Obama ignored our efforts.”
Reid’s office followed by saying it was the governor’s fault the state didn’t even apply for the funds.
“If Jim Gibbons wants to know why maglev didn’t get any of the $8 billion in stimulus money announced today for high-speed rail, he should look in the mirror,” Reid spokesman Jon Summers said. “If anyone was asleep at the switch, it was Gov. Gibbons because his department of transportation failed to apply.”
Reid’s camp posted a video to YouTube featuring the senator with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
“Nevada did not submit any paperwork, any proposal, for any high-speed rail money,” LaHood said in the video.
Nevada actually did apply for a grant, but there were two problems. First, the grant wasn’t qualified because it was sought through a state commission that wasn’t qualified to seek the grant.
The California-Nevada Super Speed Train Commission filed an application for its proposal to build a maglev train from Las Vegas to Anaheim.
Nevada officials figured that since the commission was created by the Nevada and California legislatures, it was qualified to apply, Nevada Department of Transportation Director Susan Martinovich said. She said the department thought the project would get a better response since it was a partnership between two states.
“NDOT, knowing that the Super Speed Train Commission was filing an application, wouldn’t send an application for the same project,” Martinovich said.
But the commission wasn’t qualified to apply because the law says only “states, groups of states, interstate compacts (and) public agencies” were eligible to apply, said Joseph Szabo, administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration, in a letter to the commission.
Just because the commission was created by both states doesn’t mean it was qualified. Both states also had to endorse the commission’s application — and only Nevada did so.
The second problem: The maglev proposal didn’t meet the qualifications for federal funds.
Stimulus funds only were allowed for projects in already-approved high-speed rail corridors so the funds would quickly be used for construction. But maglev officials weren’t that far along – they requested the funds to study and get approval for a new high-speed rail corridor.
Maglev’s competition, DesertXpress, didn’t apply for the funds. That project, which would connect Las Vegas with Victorville, Calif., is privately funded and plans to break ground later this year.
Reid switched his support from the maglev project to DesertXpress in June. He said Thursday the announcement that about a quarter of the federal funds will go to California will also be good for Nevada.
DesertXpress officials eventually plan to expand their line from Victorville to Palmdale, Calif., where it will connect with the California system, providing access to Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Sacramento.
On Thursday, Gibbons accused Reid of withholding funds Reid secured for the maglev project in 2005. That $45 million contract has yet to be delivered to NDOT by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The first phase of the maglev project would provide 13,000 jobs, Gibbons spokesman Daniel Burns said.
“What the hell are these people in Washington doing?” he said. “Why would a senator with a great deal of power not lift a finger to help those families? That is a disgrace.”
Neil Cummings, president of the American Maglev Group, said his project is still going to happen.
“Our plan hasn’t changed,” he said. “We’re pushing ahead. We’re certainly disappointed in the decision, but there will be opportunities down the road for future applications and we hope to get under way any day now as soon as the FRA releases the contract to NDOT.”
He said he’s not worried about competition from DesertXpress.
The LV Sun reports "Reid switched his support from the maglev project to DesertXpress in June.
"He [Reid]said Thursday the announcement that about a quarter of the federal funds will go to California will also be good for Nevada."
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So Reid is saying it is good that we lost??????
Gibbons and Reid BOTH failed us. These guys are TOAST with the voters, and we are not going to put up with their complete FAILURE to do the jobs the voters put them in place to do. They will both be voted out of office and we don't have any interest in hearing ANYTHING they have to say. They are losers and a failure.
the problem with finding a politician with a back bone is - the prerequisite of being a politician is to have NO backbone, as in "which way is the wind blowing today?" most of them are worthless drain on this country.
Harry Reid, the Democratic majority leader. For all of you out there spouting off to the rest of us how Harry, because of his experience, has got to be re-elected, after you read this article please try to explain to me why Harry has got to be re-elected. This quick video with Harry and the transportation secretary does show how Harry can get friends to stick up for him when he needs it.
If this was so important to him why didn't he have a dialoge with Governor Gibby and let Gibby know that there was certain criteria that Gibby had to take care of to make this happen? If comunication was the key to success here and Reid is the man some of you are talking about, he wouldn't have let this opportunity get away and then lay all the blame on Gibby.
I'm not proclaiming that Gibby was in the right here, but I'm also not saying that Reid was in the right either.
Harry Reid was elected by Nevadans for Nevada...not to be the Democrat for all Democrats...he is supposed to be for all Nevadans and in this case we were left out. Again! With such a publicized issue, one would think he would be at the top of his game to be protecting our State which is in dire straits. Tragic turn of events, and the beat goes on and on and on.
I guess if Gibbon hadn't served as a Congressman he could claim he didn't know how the process works.
Another failure by Gibbons.
Why would Reid back the maglev project when he is heavily involved with his political backers (RINOs) who are behind the desert xpress project...He switched projects after Sig Rogich and other RINOs said they would back him for re-election.
Vote Reid out in 2010!
This is just a game for Washington. WHY DO WE CONTINUE TO GIVE THEM MORE POWER!!!!!
Will the desert xpress go the way of the mono rail? The big shots will build it and take their money and run leaving another boondoggle project to fail. The only good thing about it is it will give some temporary jobs, but that is just that, temporary.
The Blame Game - End result, we didn't get SQUAT !!! Reid backs the old technology trainthat fits his mentality - the days when you could rob a train at slow speed, like he is robbing us. He should have fought for ANY fundws and made the effort to tell NDOT that if the application was wrong, to fix it, so we could get ANY amount of money..but no, he had to take time to be photographed with Obama,,,
Again, THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES Harry!!!!!!!
Dirty Harry had to know that the state of Nevada was going to be screwed over again by him in not supporting the state!
Also, the fact that Dirty Harry only wanted the train to go as far as Victorville is evidence of why he was in no hurry to take any actions.
But you have to question his motives on this. Why is he so damn set on the lesser of the two projects which will only go to a small deserted town?
What kind of property does he own in Victorville?
Also what kind of interest does he and his family have in rail service he is pushing?
There has to be a connection as this criminal does nothing out of goodness of his black heart!
Quite frankly anyone who is ripping Reid about this is a complete and total idiot. So no surprise that Gibbons went first.
Fact: NDOT was responsible for applying for these funds and they DID NOT.
Fact: JIM GIBBONS is in charge of NDOT.
So Gibbons fails to get funding, and then him and the teabagger reid haters rip on our Senator?
What a joke!
Great video,
I feel bad for Ray LaHood. Must have been painful to have to congratulate Harry Reid for his "leadership."
Pathetic.
The maglev system was having its own issues long before Gov. Gibbons failed to submit the application to receive stimulus funding. Maglev wasn't doing any environmental or engineering work in California; there are no existing safety standards in the US for Maglev (which could take years to develop and get approved) and the big kicker: the first phase was slated only to Primm --not Anaheim like everyone keeps writing about.
WE HAVE THE MONRAIL. NOBODY RIDES THAT WHY WOULD THEY RIDE ANOTHER TRAIN.
There is the money but you did not apply. There is the requirement but you did not read. May be you read but you did'nt understand. So blame others. What to expect. Tooooo late.