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January 21, 2010· scvtalk.com · WordPress (SCVTalk 3.0) · Wayback capture

January 21, 2010 – Daily Brief

By Jeff — Jeff Wilson

  • Los Angeles Economic Development council praises Santa Clarita’s film-friendly efforts as state report indicates that filming incentives have helped keep production in California DAILY NEWS
  • 70 people show up at City Council Candidate’s forum to hear TimBen Boydston, Harrison Katz, and Henry Shultz speak about city issues. The Signal says TBB’s concerned about development plans and increased pollution and traffic while Katz wanted to expand outreach to young people, saying 40% of Santa Clarita is under 25 SIGNAL
  • Under new 2010-2011 proposed budget, the Santa Clarita Valley Domestic Violence center will lose nearly all of its funding, according to the group’s director SIGNAL
  • If rains continue at this pace, Mayor Villaragoisa says we could be looking at “La Conchita” scale landslides, like the one that occurred in Ventura County a few years ago. In Acton, a few residents have refused to evacuate. LA TIMES, SIGNAL
  • George Runner may face fines for failing to disclose that he received tickets to a George Strait and Keith Urban concert on behalf of the Pechanga Band of Mission Indians. The investigation was conducted by the FPPC and targeted 38 California legislators, Republican and Democrat. Of course with the new Supreme Court ruling, maybe such contributions won’t be regulated in the future LA TIMES, CLOVIS INDEPENDENT
  • 150mph DesertXPress train that would carry travelers from Victorville to Las Vegas is close to breaking ground. There’s even discussion of a link to that train from Palmdale, meaning you could take our Metrolink up to Palmdale, then transfer and ultimately end up in Vegas baby without ever driving on the dreaded 15 LV SUN
  • EPA lawsuit forces oil company to pay $1.3 million for illegal oil spill that happened in Pyramid lake in 2005. The LABJ says 140,000 gallons of oil spilled into the lake following a landslide LABJ
  • A leaked memo from the City of Los Angeles indicates that 1,000 City employees may be laid off. I know quite a few City of LA Workers who call the SCV home LAist
  • The CityBriefs blog has a video previewing this year’s Cowboy Festival CITYBRIEFS
  • Buck McKeon cites report on how conservatives dominate Twitter. It’s an interesting report, listing the top House and Senate members on Twitter. Also interesting is that tweets sent by Dem legislators are longer, while Republicans send more tweets.You can of course follow Buck McKeon’s tweets by visiting twitter.com/buckmckeon  MCKEON
  • Teresa Todd recalls the great Northridge Quake of 94 and lists great ways you can help relieve the suffering in Haiti. There’s also a wine benefit tonight! SIGNAL, ALL CORKED UP

Comments

15 · as published
  1. navigatorJanuary 21, 2010 at 11:26 am
    “•150mph DesertXPress train that would carry travelers from Victorville to Las Vegas” Let’s see now. I’m going to pack up my car and drive to the metro station, unpack my car and wait for the train to take me to Palmdale where I can haul my gear off to wait for the train/bus or whatever to Victorville where I unload me and my possessions to wait for another train to load into to go to Vegas. Or, I can jump in my car and drive there in 4 hours. Bring that train to the SCV and I’ll give it more thought.
  2. JeffJanuary 21, 2010 at 11:43 am
    oh come on navigator…Driving to Vegas sucks. If the 15 is shut down, you’re screwed. There’s lots of crazies on that road going to and from Vegas. As for packing/unpacking your bags, big deal. Train travel is convenient and fast, way better than airline travel. Would you at least consider driving to Victorville and taking the train to there?
  3. CastaicClayJanuary 21, 2010 at 11:48 am
    How much will the fare be each way? How much time is really saved? My guess is too much and not enough.
  4. navigatorJanuary 21, 2010 at 11:48 am
    “Would you at least consider driving to Victorville and taking the train to there?” HELL NO! By that time I’d only have another 2.5 hours to go. Not only that, I’d have to leave my car in Victorville and pray it still had wheels when I returned.
  5. JeffJanuary 21, 2010 at 11:49 am
    Wow. I didn’t know you felt so strongly about this.
  6. Drive66January 21, 2010 at 12:00 pm
    Why on earth would the train start in Victorville. This has got to be the biggest waste of time and money I’ve heard of in a while.
  7. lvogelJanuary 21, 2010 at 12:11 pm
    Gotta say Jeff that I’m with everyone else on this one. I mean seriously, how much money and time are you saving by traveling this way, in order to have a fun exciting time at VEGAS!! I happen to love Vegas and when I can afford the extra $ for a getaway, that’s my town. However, I usually go by plane and then taxi it to the strip; then it’s walk, walk, walk… Now, if the ‘train’ were closer to home and the fare is cheaper (much) then a lowfare sw flight, MAYBE I might consider it. However to drive to Victorville, then train it from there, just doesn’t sound like a trip I’d personally would want. I’d drive to Vegas before I’d drive to Victorville, which as navigator said is just a little over 2 hours from Vegas…BABY….(had to throw that it)
  8. JeffJanuary 21, 2010 at 12:12 pm
    But don’t we all drive to Victorville anyway to get to Vegas? I mean if you take Pearlblossom route
  9. Mike DevlinJanuary 21, 2010 at 12:34 pm
    yeah, that’s the worst part. I mean, the 15 sucks pearblossom, etc is worse. I can’t see going through the hassle to get yourself all the way to pearblossom to then wait for a train all so that you can be car-less when you arrive. That said, The stretch from Vegas to Victorville is wide open and it’s the first and easiest step to have a real, long high speed rail in California. This is just the first step. In time, we’ll get routes going to Victorville, which is a logical stop, if not an ideal place to begin.
  10. navigatorJanuary 21, 2010 at 1:50 pm
    Jeff, It’s not that I feel so strongly about it, it’s just the practicality of it. As others have agreed, it aint worth the bother. Vegas is a hole these days anyway. Too much construction, their traffic is horrendous and the prices are rediculous (although rooms have come down somewhat). The last time I was in Vegas it took 1.5 hours to drive from the MGM to the Hilton (I believe that’s about 3 miles) and I was on a back street! It would need to be a one stop trip for me before I’d take the train.
  11. ToddJanuary 21, 2010 at 2:25 pm
    The ultimate goal of this train, IIRC, is to start in Anaheim, stop at Union Station, and then Victorville before final stop Vegas. The Victorville-Vegas leg is funded, the rest is not. So long as it ends in Vegas close to the strip enough to not necessitate renting a car, I think it’ll work out in the end. Believe me, I’ve been coming back on the 15 enough Sundays that have taken nearly 6 hours, that a train would be worth it to bypass it all!
  12. CalimanJanuary 21, 2010 at 6:09 pm
    But you can drink on the train get you vacation started early!
  13. ToddJanuary 21, 2010 at 9:49 pm
    Exactly!
  14. navigatorJanuary 22, 2010 at 11:05 am
    Caliman – Ok, you won me over!
  15. brookJanuary 25, 2010 at 5:36 pm
    I think its a great start! I have been on that drive twice recently and it would be much appreciated, and yes Todd I agree start the party early! And a much better way to nurse the hangover on the way home than in that Sunday bumper to bumper traffic. Hopefully over time stations will get closer and closer. Surprise, surprise the SCV isnt the only town driving to Vegas on the 15.
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