So Far, Lakeland Losing CSX Fight: Rally Monday, April 21, 12:30 p.m. Munn Park, downtown Lakeland

[seafan]

Come out if you can!

It looks like the best chance to stop this deal is to fight the sneaky provision that makes Florida taxpayers liable for the cost of lawsuits for train wrecks on the commuter rail portion of the project. Jeb Bush orchestrated this secret deal for his buddies at CSX. The little people are just a nuisance to The Devious Planner.



It will be up to the people to stop this. Call your FL legislators, come to this rally. Make your voices heard.




So Far, Lakeland Losing CSX Fight

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The Florida Department of Transportation is planning to buy the 61 miles of track from CSX as part of a $641 million deal. The plan would move a rail hub to Winter Haven, causing a shift in train traffic.

The Orlando rail plan, if the federal government chips in a requested $300 million, will cost taxpayers about $1 billion.

CSX will still own the tracks running through downtown, Ross said. He said the amendment doesn't force CSX to do any bargaining, and 'without CSX at the table, nothing will ever change.'

'Our leverage isn't hoping for the good faith of the future,' he said. 'Our only leverage is now.'
A month ago, the DOT started another a study of the impact of additional freight trains on Lakeland. It's expected to be done within a year.

Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, also describes McKeel's bill as 'a step in the right direction.'

'But we have to do something now,' she said. 'Once (Orlando commuter rail) is built, it will never be undone.'

Dockery said she has some hope that the current rail plan will be doomed by the Legislature in a vote to indemnify CSX in the operation of the 61 miles of commuter rail. The indemnity plan would essentially make Florida taxpayers liable for the cost of lawsuits for train wrecks on the commuter rail portion of the project.

'If the people of Florida realized what was going on with this indemnity, they'd be up in arms,' she said. She said only pressure from the people could stop the indemnity provision, because otherwise the Legislature is going to pass it.

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Rally Against CSX Plan to Be Monday, April 21, 2008, April 19, 2008

A rally against the CSX plan will be Monday at 12:30 p.m. at Munn Park in downtown Lakeland.

Speakers are expected to talk to the crowd about the plan and the problems it might bring to Polk County.

The rally is organized by the Lakeland Downtown Partnership. For more information, go to www.downtownlakelandFL.com.

Here is first-hand information from a http://talesfromthedelkside.blogspot.com/2008/04/csx-information-presented-at-downtown.html">local blogger who attended the CSX project meeting on Friday, April 18, in Lakeland:

Lakeland Director of Community Development Jim Studiale spoke on the CSX project at the Kiwanis meeting yesterday, and I'm glad I was there to hear it.

I'm one of those bloggers who just hasn't wanted to get involved in this topic. Chuck over at Lakeland Local , Josh at Empirical Polk and Billy Townsend at the Tampa Tribune have done a superb job at covering the controversial topic and they seemed to know and understand far more about it and I perhaps cared to know. But to be honest, the more I read of their blogs, the more irritated I got at the fact that this project may very well happen, whether the citizens like it or not. So it was great to get a crash course of sorts on the CSX project yesterday.

Throw in Sen. Paula Dockery's comments at the end, and I was sold on what a railroad job (pun intended) this has turned out to be.

Here are some myths that were busted- again- yesterday:

Myth #1- Train traffic will increase by just 2-4 trains daily.

Currently, 20 trains go through Downtown daily. Improvements to the S Line will make it possible to increase that to 54 trains daily. Sen. Dockery and Studiale both said CSX officials have indicated a desire to put as many trains as possible on that track.

Currently, the trains that roll through Downtown are 1,000 feet long. If the CSX deal goes through, future trains will be as much as two miles long.

Myth #2- Lakeland is opposed to commuter rail.

The city built the Downtown train station with future commuter rail in mind. They certainly didn't sink all of that money into building a nice train station for the four Amtrak trains that used to stop in Lakeland, which has dwindled to two stops today.

Myth #3- The CSX project will bring $40 million per year in taxes to the county.

Railroad have special taxing. This project actually will generate about $437,000 in tax revenue.


Senator Dockery

The good news, according to Dockery, is that as of Friday, this deal is dead in the Senate. The bad news is that there are two weeks left in the session.

This is not a commuter rail, project, Dockery said, adding, "This is a freight project to get a subsidy into CSX's pocket."

Dockery's argument is that if they want to do that, they can do it with their own money, not taxpayer dollars. And there's no reason why they shouldn't- CSX is a company whose revenue has risen 12 percent to a record $2.7 billion.

Regarding the infamous liability issue where CSX wants the state to assume all liability for accidents that occur on the tracks- even those caused by CSX- Dockery mentioned that the state would be taking on a company "with a very bad safety record."

Here are some additional facts presented yesterday that I feel are worth repeating:

* Lakeland's urban area includes about 255,000 people. Those in favor of this project have drawn a picture of a sleepy little town full of NIMBYs who don't want progress. In fact, Lakeland is the largest city in inland Florida, after Orlando.
* Lakeland has managed growth with a Downtown bias. Downtown truly is the heart of the city. Years of work by the CRA has resulted in a thriving downtown community that until recently, only lacked a residential element. Today, renting and owning housing Downtown is a reality. Increased freight traffic will make additional residential opportunities more difficult.
* In other cities, Lakeland is heralded for its inner city growth and comprehensive plan. The city recently purchased 16 acres behind the Lakeland Police Department- a severely drug- and prostitution- infested, blighted area- and has plans to bring 500 units to the area. This will not be low-income housing.
* Lakeland's Citrus Connection bus system increases in ridership every year. Last year, it increased by 36 percent. Because of the bus station's location near the S Line, increased train traffic will make it impossible for buses to remain on time. This will jeopardize ridership, because people will not use the buses to get to work or appointments if it's going to take an inordinate amount of time to get from Point A to Point B, or if they can't be reasonably assured that the bus will arrive on time.

As a voter and a resident of Lakeland, I don't want this raw deal to be spoon-fed to Lakeland residents. On Monday, April 21, the Downtown Lakeland Partnership will hold the Anti-CSX Rally in Munn Park. People will begin gathering at noon and speakers will take the stage at 12:30 p.m.

For more information, contact DLP Executive Director Julie Townsend: 863-513-3669.

Posted by Lorrie at 3:08 AM

Come to the rally if you can!


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