High-speed train would create equivalent of 50,000 one-year construction jobs

Las Vegas Sun ^ | Friday, July 23, 2010 | Richard N. Velotta

[Willie Green]

Most permanent jobs would be based in Victorville, Calif.

When the DesertXpress high-speed train is built, there would be up to 700 permanent jobs at an operations and maintenance facility — in Victorville, Calif.

Tom Stone, president of DesertXpress Enterprises LLC, told representatives of the Associated General Contractors at a lunch Thursday that building the privately funded, $4 billion traditional high-speed rail system would create 50,000 person-year construction jobs over the four-year design and construction period expected to begin late this year.

Translated, 50,000 person-year jobs is the equivalent of 50,000 people working for a full year. The statistic illustrates the vast number and diverse types of jobs — planners, architects, draftsmen, engineers, construction workers, electricians and other specialists — that will be created over the course of the project.

But the bulk of the permanent operations jobs would be in Victorville, the southern terminus of 185-mile double-track system.

Stone said the decision to build the primary maintenance facility, which would include an operations control center, a train-washing facility, repair shop, parts storage, track storage, meeting rooms and administrative offices, was based on the availability of a 200 acre-plus, narrow piece of land in California.

“There’s no place large enough to accommodate this in Las Vegas,” Stone said. “Las Vegas will get more of its fair share of the construction jobs.”

Stone said the operations and maintenance center would start out with about 500 permanent jobs, growing to about 700 as ridership increases.

[org.whodat]

And in the long run cost the taxpayer's a billion for each job forever,

[darkwing104]

And when you look at the bottom of the train you will see the "Made in China" label.

[dirtboy]

High-speed train would create equivalent of 50,000 one-year construction jobs

Yeah, and Spanish 'green' jobs were found to cost two private-sector jobs for each government-funded green job created. This boondoggle would do the same.

[Da Coyote]

Typical libtard analysis.

Keep these loons away from real science.

Oh, forgot, they’ve already infected climate research.

[Republic of Texas]

A one trick pony. With a bad trick.

[Migraine]

High speed trains in America are the wet-dream of terrorists everywhere. What could be more spectacular or bloody/gory?

Sorry; but you always have to consider terrorism if you happen to live in America or Israel. Failure to do so will always result in tragedy.

[Mr. Lucky]

And how many more jobs will be killed by the government spending money it doesn’t have on a project the marketplace won’t support?

[bravedog]

I was about to agree, but the article says that this project is privately funded.

[GonzoGOP]

Simply spending money to create jobs is not the duty of the federal government. To use an example I would create the same number of short term jobs at less cost by hiring people to paint red flowers white. That doesn't mean that is an activity that the government should be involved in.

An investment is spending money now with the intention that you will receive back a greater sum at some time in the future. These projects spend billions now, and then require continual subsidies forever. I don't know what to call them, but the term investment shouldn’t be used, unless preceded by the word terrible.

[meadsjn]

"Trains take you from where you ain't, to where you don't want to be." Mark Twain

Soon as you stop spamming the forum with 'toy train' articles, I'll stop spamming the most obvious rationale against them.

[camle]

if ti were government funded, I’d be calculating teh cost per job, adn railing about pouring money down a rathole, but since it’s privately funded, have at it!

if the economy is healthy enough to support honky pachyderms like this, we’re not in such bad shape after all!

[repentant_pundit]

But the article says privately funded

So I say go for it.

Just don't give it any public funding, for either construction or operation.

.

[airborne]

If you want to build something that will insure jobs, build nuclear power plants.

[org.whodat]

but the article says that this project is privately funded.

Sure, and you believe that???

[meadsjn]

...but since it’s privately funded, have at it!

BS!!! After the government thugs seize gazillions of acres of private property, then it might be privately funded -- and maybe not even then.

[ml/nj]

Yeah, but it might put 100,000 pizza makers out of business because when the taxpayers cough up the dough for this boondoggle, many aren't going to have enough left to spring for a weekly pizza.

ML/NJ

[mountainlion]

$23 million dollars a mile to build is a steep price tag. 700 people is almost 4 people per mile of track. What a white elephant. What a waste of money. Denver’s local RTD rail looses money still.

[Vigilanteman]

I would consider ourselves lucky if Obozo would spend the rest of his sorry administration working on nothing except high speed rail. It may be a boondoggle, but it is far less harmful than any of the major crap he has visited on us in just the first 18 months.

We lost more than 3000 people on 9-11, 85% of those from the crash of the second airliner in the World Trade center. I don't think any train even has such a capacity.

[tangchung]

harry reid bringing the worst of LA (gang crime and drugs) to las vegas cheaper and faster!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv3TiyxsncA