WATCH THIS NEW VIDEO BY FLORIDA NOT ALL ABOARD! AAF IS RAILWAY DONE THE WRONG WAY - STOP THIS TRAIN WRECK- ATTEND THE MEETINGS AND CHOOSE & SEND EMAILS/LETTERS FROM THE PROTEST CENTER HERE bit.ly/1t5nn6K . SHARE AND SPREAD THE WORD! Be sure to watch before the upcoming VERO BEACH EIS meeting. 10 Talking Points for the upcoming Vero Beach Meeting on November 5th 3:30 PM - 7:00 PM Indian River State College, Richardson Hall, 6155 College Lane. 1. First and foremost we live in a democracy and citizen’s rights are being ignored - this is offensive and unacceptable. All Aboard Florida should not have the right to use century old rules to destroy communities and cultures. How many trains a day are too many? AAF and FECI say they can do whatever they want on the rail lines they own. But what mechanism is in place to protect the public from 32 trains increasing to who knows how many? Plus additional and extended 2-mile freight trains running through our towns? 2. All Aboard Florida is a private enterprise using public money to benefit itself - another Solyndra in the making. Solyndra owners were well politically connected in Washington and were key political players. They hired lobbyists, lawyers, consultants, contractors and public relations firms seeking financial favors from our government. They were successful. Our government gave them $535,000,000 in loan guarantees. Within fifteen months, they were out of cash and nine months later they shut down their plant and laid off nearly all their employees. American taxpayers lost all their money. By comparison, Fortress, Inc. a New York based hedge funds Chairman and principals are politically well connected in Washington and Florida. Their principals have met with Governor Scott several times and their representatives with key Washington Congressional officials. A former Fortress employee is now Governor Scotts chief of staff. They too have hired lobbyists, consultants, contractors, advertising and public relations firms in Washington and Florida to the tune of 3.5 MILLION to advance their scheme. In sum, the only difference between Solyndra and All Aboard Florida is their relative size. All Aboard Floridas loan requests are at least THREE TIMES LARGER. 3. All Aboard Florida does not qualify for a taxpayer loan or the Private Equity Bonds - RIFF loans are for a different purpose by law. AAF claims it is privately funded with a secret business plan yet over 50% of the cost will provided by public money. This RIFF loan, if granted, would be a direct payment of taxpayers dollars by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to AAF. The proceeds of the loan must be paid for by ticket sales - history shows that ridership numbers are never sufficient to carry the costs of passenger trains. If this loan goes into default, United States taxpayers assume all liability. PABS are for a public benefit, and dangerous, at grade high speed trains that do not stop in the communities they pass through are not a benefit. 4. All Aboard Floridas EIS claims are unsubstantiated. There is no transparency in examining the AAF ridership study. It is hidden behind a false claim of trade secrets and is off limits to taxpayer inquiry, understanding or review. Citizens deserve to know the truth. What is the need for secrecy? AAF is not competing against anyone. The All Aboard Florida business plan, which would show the sources and uses of funds, income statement, cash flow and balance sheet projections, are hidden from view. An attempt to obtain them from Florida DOT under the Freedom of Information Act resulted in an All Aboard Florida lawsuit against the state, blocking them from being released. Revealing their ridership study between Orlando and Miami has also been blocked from view by their lawsuit. 5. At grade crossings are a recipe for death. There over 340 at grade street crossings on All Aboard Floridas route compared to 11 on the entire Oscelea train route from Boston to New York to Washington. Add 32 high-speed trains, existing freight, increased freight, and the acknowledged possibility of 74 more Tri-Rail commuter trains, South East Floridas coastal communities will be changed forever. Good railroads use below grade or above grade tracks- most stations are under the ground. Ride the train from Boston to New York. Ride the Marta in Atlanta. Ride the Metro Link in St. Louis. Ride the trains in Europe to find examples of railway done right. 6. The East coast of Florida has a unique topography and a fragile marine ecosystem. As beautifully illustrated by Barbara Cook, the St. Lucie River is not just another Florida river. It stands apart from the New River and Loxahatchee River and Miami River because it is not merely a vessel thoroughfare through some county roads. It is the equivalent of the Panama Canal for vessels transiting via the Okeechobee Waterway from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. Just as the Panama Canal is the only way to get from the Atlantic to the Pacific without going around notorious Cape Horn, the Okeechobee Waterway is the only way for vessels to transit from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean without going south around the Florida Keys (for shallow-draft vessels) or Key West (for deep-draft vessels). 7. These rail tracks bisect communities with elderly demographics - emergency response time will be severely hindered - remember - all crossings are at grade. This activity could virtually cut off the east from the west parts of town, impede emergency services and reduce commerce due to the relentless flow of trains. And will the rail cars move from passenger to the more lucrative and consistent freight when revenue falls short of expectations? 8. Noise and vibration will be horrendous, and disproportionately harm the safety low income and minority populations, for example at grade crossings in East Stuart, Golden Gate and Port Salerno. All three of these communities are in Community Redevelopment Areas and have significant minority, low income and include limited English proficiency populations. They wont be able to relocate. 9. Florida already has a train that goes from Miami to Orlando - no one rides it - we dont need another one funded by taxpayer expense. 10. Last, is anyone paying attention to the fact that this country is in debt up to its ears? Will the government allow more debt for an absurd project to benefit private enterprise at the expense of taxpayers? Join the movement. https://youtube/watch?v=Q_W6-IT_Y5Y&feature=youtu.be
Posted on: Sat, 01 Nov 2014 18:09:44 +0000
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