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Gibbons, Reid Squabble Over High-Speed Rail
Nevada Didn't Receive Federal Funding
UPDATED: 11:30 pm PST January 28, 2010
LAS VEGAS -- Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons sparred with Sen. Harry Reid on Thursday, with both sides blaming each other for Nevada's failure to secure federal funding for high-speed rail projects.Video: 
Lack Of Funds Leads To Reid, Gibbons SquabbleThe White House announced Thursday that 31 states would split $8 billion on the new projects as part of President Barack Obama's plan to create jobs and infrastructure.“It looks like Sen. Reid was asleep at the switch again,” Gibbons said in a statement where he blamed the Majority Leader for Nevada not making the list.Gibbons, mentioning the proposed Maglev train to California, said it was “disgusting and disgraceful” that Reid and the president ignored the state.Video: Which Is Better: Maglev Or DesertXpress?But Reid, who has supported a separate, privately-funded rail project, quickly fired back through a representative, who told FOX5 that Nevada's Department of Transportation never applied for the funding."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," said Reid's representative, Jon Summers. "If anyone was asleep at the switch, it was Gov. Gibbons because his Department of Transportation failed to apply."Gibbons’ statement made no mention of Reid’s support for the Desert Xpress, a privately funded train that would link Las Vegas to southern California.That state was among those that are receiving part of the $8 billion grants, and the chairman of Desert Xpress said the company planned to link California’s high speed rail to Las Vegas via a connection to the cities of Victorville and Palmdale.In a statement, Chairman Tony Marnell ripped what he described as “politically motivated” comments intended to portray the stimulus announcement as negative for Nevada.Marnell said the Desert Xpress "will create over 50,000 jobs in all areas of design, construction, operations and maintenance, not to mention a new tourist life-line for our state’s primary industry."Survey: Which Train Project Do You Support?Which project do Las Vegans favor? Take our FOX5 Web poll and let us know what you think.
Lack Of Funds Leads To Reid, Gibbons SquabbleThe White House announced Thursday that 31 states would split $8 billion on the new projects as part of President Barack Obama's plan to create jobs and infrastructure.“It looks like Sen. Reid was asleep at the switch again,” Gibbons said in a statement where he blamed the Majority Leader for Nevada not making the list.Gibbons, mentioning the proposed Maglev train to California, said it was “disgusting and disgraceful” that Reid and the president ignored the state.Video: Which Is Better: Maglev Or DesertXpress?But Reid, who has supported a separate, privately-funded rail project, quickly fired back through a representative, who told FOX5 that Nevada's Department of Transportation never applied for the funding."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," said Reid's representative, Jon Summers. "If anyone was asleep at the switch, it was Gov. Gibbons because his Department of Transportation failed to apply."Gibbons’ statement made no mention of Reid’s support for the Desert Xpress, a privately funded train that would link Las Vegas to southern California.That state was among those that are receiving part of the $8 billion grants, and the chairman of Desert Xpress said the company planned to link California’s high speed rail to Las Vegas via a connection to the cities of Victorville and Palmdale.In a statement, Chairman Tony Marnell ripped what he described as “politically motivated” comments intended to portray the stimulus announcement as negative for Nevada.Marnell said the Desert Xpress "will create over 50,000 jobs in all areas of design, construction, operations and maintenance, not to mention a new tourist life-line for our state’s primary industry."Survey: Which Train Project Do You Support?Which project do Las Vegans favor? Take our FOX5 Web poll and let us know what you think.
Previous Stories:
- December 7, 2009: Railway Company Talks High-Speed Trains
- November 12, 2009: FOX5 Tests Maglev Vs. DesertXpress
- September 29, 2009: Maglev Supporters Tout High Speed Train
- September 1, 2009: Supporters Push For DesertXpress Train
- July 2, 2009: Full Speed Ahead On Train Connecting Vegas, SoCal
- April 16, 2008: Reid Wants Money For Train Study
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