Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Letter to the editor:

Train shouldn’t get public money

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I was excited to read Richard N. Velotta’s column regarding the progress on the high-speed rail between Las Vegas and Victorville, Calif. (“High-speed rail not just for tourists.”)

This project could provide a wonderful boost for the Las Vegas economy. Then again, it could be just be another flop like Solyndra, A123 batteries and the Las Vegas Monorail.

I hope high-speed rail is successful beyond all dreams and that the investors who put their own money at risk become zillionaires as a result of their risk-taking, as did the founders of Google, Apple and Amgen. But putting public money — state or federal — at risk so that these entrepreneurs receive an overwhelming share of anticipated profits while taxpayers are on the hook for the overwhelming share of any losses is unfair and unconscionable.

So build the train. I will ride it. But please do it on someone else’s dime, not the taxpayers’.

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