High Speed Rail Public Information Meeting

On Wednesday, September 16th, the Florida Department of Transportation will hold a High Speed Rail Public Information Meeting at The Lakeland Center, Sikes Hall K, 701 West Lime Street in Lakeland. The “Open House” meeting format will begin at 4:00 p.m. and conclude at 7:00 p.m. For those of you who are interested in learning more about High Speed Rail and/or showing your support for this project, I encourage you to attend this meeting. Meeting Details: · Polk County Public Information Meeting: Wednesday, September 16, 2009, 4:00 – 7:00 p.m., The Lakeland Center, Sikes Hall K, 701 West Lime Street, Lakeland.

Senator Paula Dockery Nixes SunRail Again Today.

Visit With Dyer & Vested Special Interests Fails To Sway Dockery. Dockery Denounces Attempts To Bring Up Rail Boondoggle In Special Session. September 3, 2009 Letter from Senator Paula Dockery to the Florida Senate. – Today, as a courtesy to Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, I met with him and other SunRail proponents for a brief presentation and tour of the proposed commuter-rail project. While the meeting was friendly and informative, what I saw was largely their desire for extensive redevelopment along the rail corridor. What I didn’t see was any movement by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) toward renegotiating the terrible terms of this deal with CSX Transportation. After the Senate rejected SB 1212 last May, FDOT and CSX agreed to extend the contract deadline suggesting changes would be made. Since then, however, nothing has changed. CSX has not agreed to changes in the language of SB 1212, which would require that we, the taxpayers of Florida, “assume by contract to forever protect, defend, indemnify, and hold harmless a railroad company (or its successors) from whom the department has acquired a rail corridor, and its officers, agents, and employees, from and against any liability, cost, or expense contractually assumed by the department or contractually apportioned to it, regardless of whether the loss, damage, destruction, injury, or death giving rise to any such liability, cost, or expense is caused in whole or in part and to whatever nature or degree by the fault, failure, negligence, misconduct, nonfeasance, or misfeasance of such railroad company (or its successors) or its or their officers, agents, and employees, or any other person or persons whomsoever.” Nor has FDOT renegotiated with CSX to reduce the costs of this $2.66 billion dollar project, which actually amounts to a freight subsidy for one of the most profitable railroad operators in the country. Nothing was presented to me to demonstrate that the CSX/FDOT deal for commuter rail is anything more than a poorly negotiated contract that would impose a tremendously unjustified and unnecessary additional tax burden on already over-taxed Floridians. Sunrail supporters are already campaigning to bring up this unconscionable attempt to transfer the cost for CSX’s negligent acts to beleaguered Florida taxpayers in a possible special session. Given that the fundamentals have not changed since session ended, there is nothing new for the Senate to consider. Senator Paula Dockery Doug Guetzloe Host, The Guetzloe Report www.guetzloe.com Talk Radio Big AM 810 WEUS AM Radio show call-in number: (407) 774-1085 Weekdays 11:00-Noon EST Streaming audio at www.Guetzloe.com 'listen live' GUETZLOE MEDIA GROUP, Inc. P. O. Box 531101 Orlando, FL 32853 (407) 312-1781 - phone (407) 895-8331 - telefax dougguetzloe@guetzloe.com Nick EgoroffCause Creator

SunRail supporters look at Amtrak to get the train moving

Click title for story link ORLANDO – After twice watching the Florida Legislature reject funding for a local commuter rail system, supporters of the project are turning to the federal stimulus package in the hopes of reviving the SunRail line, only this time they’re taking a different approach. “We’re trying a new model,” said U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Orlando. Since the state’s agreement with CSX to purchase the tracks died in June, Grayson said Central Florida’s congressional delegation has been pursuing a new idea. “The Florida legislature essentially vetoed SunRail,” Grayson said of the commuter rail line that would have run from Deland in Volusia County to downtown Orlando, and then ended in Poinciana. “The result of that is the people most involved in this, we are looking to see if we can get Amtrak to pick it up and run with it.”