Article From The Polk Democrat

Subsidy To CSX Is Needed In Other Places March 29, 2008 Florida is looking at one of its worst re=enue shortfalls in years. State universities are raising tuition an= capping enrollments. Judges are threatening to lay off staff a=d curtail services. County commissions are threatening to clo=e libraries. And the Legislature has seen the cost of = taxpayer subsidy for a controversial CSX rail deal jump this wee= from $491 million to $649 million. Do we see a solution here? We think we do. We confess that we do not have the resour=es to investigate all the ins and outs of the CSX freight hub and comm=ter rail proposal. That is partly because most of the arrang=ments were made in private negotiations with government, bad public po=icy when hundreds of millions of dollars of tax money are involved. This much we do know: Polk County would be getting a freight hub because Orlando w=nts to get rid of its rail traffic. The days when Polk has to take w=at Orlando and Tampa don’t want are behind us. CSX insists that the state assume the financial liability fo= any litigation against the railroad. That is a demand so audacio=s we are surprised the state would even consider it, let alone app=ove it. Lakeland civic leaders have opposed the proposal because of =he increase in rail traffic, which brings vehicular traffic to a ha=t on the north side of that city’s business district. Virtually all the public comment we have heard and seen is i= opposition, based not only on the rail traffic that concerns Lakeland but also on the increased truck traffic throughout the county that the rail hub would generate. Bartow’s city commission has take= a cautious approach, suggesting that more study is needed before the state embraces, let alone pays for, a project of this magnitude and impact. Perhaps this project would be the boon th=t Winter Haven government leaders think it would be. Perhaps it would be so good that the taxp=yers of Florida should assume the legal responsibility for all lawsui=s brought against CSX. Perhaps the additional rail traffic would=’t impede highway traffic. Perhaps the additional truck traffic woul= not add to congestion on Polk County’s highways. Perhaps Orlando is doing Polk County a fa=or by trying to give us what it doesn’t want. Perhaps there was no need for public scru=iny until negotiations with state government were completed.<=P> Let’s see; that’s six =E2??perhapses,” one for every $100 million-plus of state tax dollars that would go to support this private endeavor. There’s another “perhaps=E2?? in these times of financial stress: perhaps subsidizing CSX to the tune of a third=of a billion dollars is more important than all those lost position= for students in the state universities; more important than keep=ng the courts fully staffed; more important than keeping libraries open. But we’re not convinced. We think the Legislature needs to devote = lot more study, and let a lot more Florida Sunshine focus on this proposal. As a minimum, we think this is a project =hat the state, in its current financial condition, cannot afford. If it’s a great idea this year, i= will still be a great idea next year. And by then, perhaps its greatness wo=ld pass muster with the taxpayers.