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AmSpecBlog
Reid's Gambling Train
AP reports:
In late-stage talks, Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., pressed for $8 billion to construct high-speed rail lines, quadrupling the amount in the bill that passed the Senate on Tuesday.
The Senate Conservatives Fund has more details:
This of course exposes the little game the President is playing with the public. He tells everyone there are no earmarks in the bill but then turns around and either (a) gives the money to the states, which he knows will fund the earmarks, or (b) instructs his agencies to fund the earmarks directly. It's all very clever, if not deceptive.
Reid's high-speed gambling train not only violates the President's guiding principles for this bill, it also violates American taxpayers.
This so-called MagLev train (magnetic levitation) is estimated to cost $12 billion. Reid earmarked $45 million last year for the public transportation project from California to Las Vegas, which is in direct competition with a private high-speed train company, DesertXpress, which is building a train on a similar route with all private funding. It's not just an earmark, it's a job killing earmark.
I grew up in Atlantic City with a father in the casino business, so I guess that means I have ties to "big gaming," but that doesn't cloud by judgment when it comes to multi-billion dollar taxpayer-funded boondoggles.
Comments
Leave a Comment
J David| 2.12.09 @ 3:26PM
There are no *guiding principles* except to apply rules only the the GOP, and make up their own breakable rules as they go.
It's a new era, and a new game, and Obama take the hindmost!
Pingback| 2.12.09 @ 4:27PM
The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : Reid's Gambling Train | wharfingerinsurance.com links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
ncatty| 2.12.09 @ 4:30PM
The prophecy of the prophet Emmanuel has come true: "never waste a crisis."
James Fujita| 2.12.09 @ 4:40PM
I don't have a problem with the federal government spending money on high speed rail — federal money built our interstate highway system, and I think that high speed rail represents our nation's next great leap forward in transportation.
However, I do think that MagLev is a mistake. California is going to build a high speed rail line from Los Angeles to San Francisco and the MagLev will be completely incompatible with that effort.
ruth| 2.12.09 @ 4:55PM
California is broke, it can't even pay its employees! So, by all means, build a new high speed rail line. Insane.
David C.Hackert| 2.12.09 @ 5:45PM
Just got off the phone from ried's office Deal or No Deal."DEAL" Hay david j ur right The NEW ERA BILL is here to stay like spent nuclear fuel is and fifield wisconsin is the greatest town in america for both and for economic stimuls funds to do Both. Helping out all citzens of world and america so tell it on the mountain tops everybody and search engines Fifield is the greatest town in america may be the world help us build the field of dreams putting people back to work,building 400 more Nuclear powerplants helium fussioned. Ear mark wisconsins stimulis fund throughFifield or give us nothing at all.DEAL to the greatest state in america WISCONSIN the forward/progressive state.1-715-474-2260 David C. Hackert AKA "THE INVISIBLE WINDOW MAKER"Back to the future Part-IV, wall street now get ur ass to 8800 CAUSE PROJECT-SI isback in bussiness....where we're going we don't need tracks, obama we will do this you help me and i will you lets break ground. GO TEAM GO GO SI.......David C. Hackert
Brant| 2.12.09 @ 6:38PM
I guess Reid's idea of stimulus is to spend years building a superfluous train to bring gamblers from LA to Vegas 10 years from now, so they can give to Big Gambling what's left of their paychecks that have dwindled because of all the taxes they will be paying to finance the bank-bailouts, economic "stimulus" packages, and earmarks like the train that brought them.
We don't need to worry about terrorists from foreign lands destroying America. Our freedom is being destroyed from within.
george| 2.13.09 @ 1:08PM
Harry Reid in my opinion should be put in prison on terrorist charges. He and all of his allies in Congress are doing more to destroy our nation than Islamic fundamentalists, doing what the terrorists couldn't do. What a friend of the terrorists huh? Building a train to an unsustainable city in the desert with no water, and no jobs, what a fine example of the great leadership this nation has. The sooner we have a total collapse of this system, the better off I see our kids and grandkids will be.
Richard| 2.13.09 @ 5:50PM
California (and the US) is broke because billions of dollars are pouring out of the economy to pay for oil. High-speed rail will help stop the bleeding and create local jobs. Much better than trying to prop up the dying auto industry and the small three.
REIDISANIDIOT| 2.13.09 @ 10:39PM
Richard is an idiot. Blinded stupid idiot. Reid is a disgrace and so is Richard. Please move out of the country, because it certain that you don't love it.
Frosty| 2.14.09 @ 2:43AM
Calif and the US are broke because of assinine liberals like Richard.
David C. Hackert| 2.20.09 @ 2:50PM
Hi roomies and richard ; I've seen Russell Fiengold wisconsin state senator for us yesterday in prentice wisconsin during his town hall meeting. I talked to him about storing spent nuclear fuel in fifield wisconsin,also the New Era National Debit Card Bill,and the Boeing's Co. Building of the Space Plane in Price county wisconsin the Phillips location,Fifield, and Park Falls respective Citys/towns. U.S. Senator Russ Feingold said if You could prove to me that storing spent nuclear fuel is safe ,then i could agree to the Fifield location. Who do u know who wants a Job....pssst in the greatest state in america hummmm. Search engines lets push this train cause where were going we don't need any tracks. Me I'am David C. Hackert...."The Invisible Window Maker" 1-715-474-2260
Tom West| 2.26.09 @ 2:46PM
This is *not* an earmark, because the money is dedicated to "high-speed rail", and is not marked for any particular project. It is no more an earmark than the ~$30bn allocated to "roads"
doug| 3.30.09 @ 7:58PM
Sounds like another Amtrack with a different name. That has never made a profit to my knowledge. Why don't they fix up the other things that are a problem like...Social Sec, Post Office, Why don't they spend the Hiway Taxes on the highways instead they siphon the money for other projects. How many transits systems in the cities break even with ridership. We could buy everybody their own car with a free gas card with the money misspent on these pet pork projects.
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David C. Hackert(Project-SI)| 9.9.09 @ 12:19AM
To all you great and collasal folks out their thank you .To the Obama Administration thankyou ,wink wink, keep following the Yellow Brick Road Proposal your doing great!Great speech BTTF-IV YES SI lol we all like too have fun too lol. Wells Fargo folks you took our clock hummm sounds like BTTF-IV. I hope ur working on the train thing too PSST Ladysmith u cant miss it.Senate and House Banking thanks for the seeds.Health care is doable with a National Debit Card Bill and then again some.Russ,David,Herb and the rest of wisconsin deligation help obama here...You Can do it; YES u can really.UWM adison Warfin fund, Mike Cordinni did u get 600 mill yet hay.Obama see you in Fifield for the dedication start planning ok wink ,thumbs-up psst chue too ok. 1-715-474-2260
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David C.Hackert(Project-SI)| 1.26.10 @ 2:49PM
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS BTTF Part-4 Obama people I did what you told me to do today CBS-News contacted engaugaed. Ready to go take-off engauged.Hairy Reid people thanks for the background cheers,x0xox0xo Funds nows applied for, thanks Jim Doyle,Hairy,and Mr. President Obama.David C. Hackert @ Project-SI
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