With 5.5 billion of the funding coming from a government loan it is a real stretch to call this a privately funded rail line. It is guaranteed to either go broke costing the taxpayer billions or require additional billions for completion and to stay in service.

Cost overruns are almost guaranteed and estimates of revenues and costs are surely over and under estimated as is the norm with any project requiring government funding/guarantees.

If I could ride non-stop to San Diego at prices competitive with driving I would consider it, maybe even Phoenix. But as it's designed it is more inconvenient and more expensive than any other mode of travel.

This is another pipe dream by those who can't spend enough of the publics money to accomplish nothing in search of agenda nirvana.
Victorville, Palmdale? Really? Why would anyone in their right mind with a destination other than Victorville want to take a train there and then need other transportation to their final destination at a cost and time taken greater than driving, flying or taking the bus?

18,000 had a job, now none have one.

Typical union stupidity. Trucks delivering bread can't deliver non-bread products and employees stocking shelves the same. This type of tyranny killed Bethlehem Steel in Buffalo, NY and put 50,000 out of work and hundreds of thousands more around the nation. The union idiots never believe the company will go out of business and always believe there is a bottomless pit of money for them to steal, that the company is just bluffing.

It's the non-thinking us versus them, union versus management mentality. Selfish, socialist, ignorant fools, all they had to do was be reasonable, but nope, not possible, now they are all out of work, union dues to the bosses will fall and all unions are further weakened.

Led by the Pied Piper of community organizing in the White House and his version of Tammany Hall, many public sector unions are essentially doing the same thing, punishing citizens, taxpayers and themselves as a result of their selfish stupidity.

The real message here is that as an employer you have no rights under the current administration and the NLRB. The real message is that you will have a union regardless of what you want, that the union will strike and bully and coerce and intimidate and threaten and use any thug tactics they can to take what they want.

This range has nothing to do with locals and CCW holders. It is another tourist attraction designed for foreign tourists and out of staters willing to spend more than it's worth for a one time experience. When you are touting the ability to see inside, pools and chandeliers you aren't talking about avid shooters, hunters and competitive sportsman who regularly practice and refine their skills.

There is a huge market for foreign tourists who come from countries where there is no Second Amendment and firearms ownership are restricted. England is a great example as are many other European countries.

If the proceeds are disbursed, that's 6 bil down the crapper. Thanx to pie in the sky fools.

We need some competition. We need a co-op so the membership can oversee rate hikes and service. What we have now is a monopoly.

I don't wish anyone any grief. That said, every buyer signed an agreement, a promise to pay. Those who can make the payments and walk away are committing a crime. It's the same as if you float bad checks, only it's one big one.

The value of your home is only relevant if you need to sell and can't. If you intended to stay in the home, you are ahead by virtue of lower taxes. A home is a place to live, not a credit card, not an investment in the sense of increased value primarily from inflation of prices. Those who thought real estate values only go up either lied to themselves or never did their due diligence. Home prices have never been excepted from economics, they have fallen before and will again. Even undeveloped land prices can fall.

It's not okay to walk away when you have the means to pay.

Congrats to Portuondo, I'll look forward to patronizing her bakery given the opportunity.

I noticed the article didn't say anything about stimulus money or green energy grants or burning through millions and billions of taxpayer dollars. I don't understand, Obama told us just days ago that no one can take credit for their achievements.

I wonder if Carolyn knows she has nothing to do with the bakeries success?

Regarding passenger service in the US - There is no reason to believe the proposed rail development, regardless of what it is called will:

1. Ever generate enough revenue to pay for its development.
2. Ever generate enough revenue to pay for its operation.
3. Ever generate enough revenue to make a profit.
4. Ever be completed.
5. Ever be anything but an ever deepening hole for taxpayers money and another cost overrun plagued, high cost maintenance nightmare.

No reason, no proof, no studies, no evidence aside from progressive utopian wishful thinking that any of that will happen.

As such, why are we even talking about worsening our financial future and that of future generations that will be saddled with this impending abject failure.

What might be supported? Maybe, rail from Vegas to San Diego, Salt Lake, Phoenix and the national network without changing trains several times, without having to drive hours to the start point; at a competitive cost to develop and maintain and at competitive prices.

Compare rail, air, bus and car for cost, convenience and time to travel and in most cases rail comes in last in all three. Rail only works when it has high daily ridership by a wide variety of people. We don't and never will have that in this country with a couple possible local exceptions. Even in the NorthEast corridor AMTRACK doesn't pay for itself and the citizens of all 50 states have to subsidize the huge losses, year after year after year. AMTACK is no better than the Post Office and offers far worse service.

Go to the websites of any bus line, any airline and AMTRACK (a government monopoly) and compare cost, time and convenience among the three. Since the 80s we have tried several times to take a train from East Coast (Raleigh, you can't get to the coast) to San Diego or LA. rather than fly or drive hoping it would be an enjoyable alternative that only involved a little more time and a reasonable increase in cost. It can't be done. Only if you're willing to sit in an economy class coach seat for 4 days and nights can you even get in the neighborhood price wise. No matter how much you pay for your tickets it takes four days, you have to switch trains in Chicago or New Orleans and stay overnight at your own expense on your own arrangements.

I would like someone to ask the president if he has even one solution for Americas problems that doesn't involve spending more money. Just one.