Nevada officials have been quietly touting low taxes and available power to California high tech companies. According to the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN), the number of high-tech firms locating in Northern Nevada increased 24 percent in 2000. California transplants are attracted to the Silver State's quality of life and low cost of living. "Reno is a great location for us," says King. "It's a short flight to our corporate headquarters in the Bay Area. The people we've hired are thrilled to be here simply because of the great lifestyle Reno offers."
      Nevada has no state income tax, no inventory tax and no unitary tax, making it an unbeatable spot for site selectors. In October of 2001, Ford Credit opened its regional service center in Henderson. The 110,000-sq.-ft. (10,219- sq.-m.) center will handle all the phases of loan service, from loan origination to accounting and customer service. Ford officials expect to employ 550 to 600 workers at the site, which will handle 16 Ford Credit branches in 12 states. Company officials cited lower taxes and business costs as well as an available labor force as the reasons for selecting Henderson. Ford handles $160 billion in loans. "So we're on a roll and coming here to Las Vegas, and Henderson just furthers that roll," says A.J. Wagner, vice president of Ford's Western Operations.
      Economic development officials in Las Vegas and Henderson hope the dry arid desert can bloom into a Silicon Oasis. "We really foresee a future in Nevada for technology," says Nevada Development Authority President Somer Hollingsworth. The effort to lure high-tech may indeed be paying off. DirecTV, a division of Hughes Electronics, is looking at a site near Henderson. The firm is expected to launch a network project, Spaceway, which would beam signals from headquarters to a satellite and send them back down to North American Internet users. The system would provide high-speed Internet access. Henderson officials claim the project may locate in Wagonwheel Industrial Park. "That's because all the water, sewer, natural gas and fiber optics are all in place already," says Bob Cooper, Henderson's Economic Development Manager.
     

High-Speed Train Could Connect Southern California with Las Vegas       Imagine leaving Anaheim early in the morning and arriving in Las Vegas in time for a round of golf. The idea is not far off. For over a decade, government officials have been discussing building a high-speed magnetic levitation train route to link Las Vegas with southern California. The project went before the Federal Railroad Administration for a proposed $1 billion in federal funding. Nevada's population growth has led the nation in the last few years, and government officials hope the rail line will ease congestion and bring employees back and forth from high-cost-of-living sites in California.       A joint California-Nevada commission was created to get the project off the ground. The 16-member team is composed of eight members appointed by Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn and eight members appointed by the California legislature. Gov. Guinn supports the project and is hopeful politics will not weigh it down. "For a long time, it was just a pipe dream," says Neil Cummings, general counsel for the American Magline Group, the magnetic levitation rapid train group. "It's a reality now."