LETTERS: Who will ride high-speed train?
High-speed farce
All I read and see on TV is that the high-speed train to Southern California is going to be a savior ("Rail board takes high-speed action," Sept. 30 Review-Journal). Has anybody examined the feasibility of the train? Who is going to ride it? Look in your office and find 20 people who will ride the train to Victorville. I'll bet you can't. Now try a ride to Palmdale, 60 miles north of Los Angeles.
Anyone who has made the trip from Las Vegas to Southern California knows that the easy part is from Las Vegas to Victorville. The difficult part is from Victorville to Los Angeles or Anaheim. For those in California, the same is true. Once they have cleared the Cajon Pass grade, the remainder is boring but usually easier.
Californians are not going to drive to Victorville or Palmdale, leave their car and ride the train to Vegas. Las Vegans are not going to go to either of those points and rent a car to travel in Southern California. The only possibly successful scenario in my mind is from Las Vegas to Anaheim. It would be a viable solution that both centers might utilize.
When the train fails to draw enough passengers, who will be on the hook? The operating company? I doubt it. The only people on the hook will be the public, who will have to pay additional taxes to support the failed system.
David Ela
North Las Vegas
No war on cops
Harry Long's letter states that he wants Republicans to start talking about the war on police ("War on police," Sept. 18 Review-Journal). On every news station, we have heard about every unprovoked ambush on police that resulted in a killing. Fox News started this campaign as a way to discredit the Black Lives Matter movement. Fox's coverage on this matter is understandable, with Sen. Ted Cruz and Gov. Chris Christie blaming it on President Barack Obama, but other news stations have started reporting this like it is a real thing.
Now that CNN has taken up the right-wing rhetoric, even Jake Tapper — who is supposed to be a real news reporter — interviews Scott Walker, who blamed the president for the fictional war on cops. A real news reporter should know and probably knew the facts, but in keeping with the new right-wing slant CNN has adopted, Mr. Tapper did exactly what was expected of him.
The FBI keeps statistics on these incidents. In 2014, there were eight officers killed as a result of ambushes. There were seven in 2013, five in 2012, 14 in 2011, 15 in 2010, 15 in 2009, six in 2008, 16 in 2007, nine in 2006, and eight in 2005. Now that Fox has started this fake war on cops, the major news stations are reporting every killing. Even though I am a Democrat, I would not blame former President George W. Bush for the worst year of unprovoked police killings (16 in 2007). That would just be silly.
Anthony Frenza
Las Vegas
Iran will be ally
George Evashwick misrepresented the facts on Iran, and the Review-Journal published his letter, thereby spreading misinformation ("Obama and Iran," Sept. 19 R-J). Mr. Evashwick stated that Iran backs ISIS. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Anyone who understands what is going on in the Middle East knows that Shia Iran and radical Sunni Islamists are mortal enemies. Iran was and is enemies with the Taliban and now ISIS. The most evil regime on the planet is ISIS, not Iran.
Iran is helping Iraq fight ISIS, as is the United States. Iran used to be our ally when the shah was in power. When the mullahs are forced from power by the Western-leaning Iranian people, Iran will return as our natural ally in the Middle East, along with Israel. I believe that the nuclear pact recently signed with Iran will help make that happen.
Marvin Saines
Las Vegas
