CSX: Dead for now, but not forever

CSX Chairman Michael Ward sent a letter to Gov. Charlie Crist on Monday saying that CSX remains committed to working with government officials to bringing commuter rail to the Orlando area. He reminds the governor that the final drop-dead date for legislation is June 30, 2009.

In other words: CSX will be back.

Comments

yeah

Corporate Welfare will never be dead in Florida, as long as there are still Republicans who revere Jeb.

[Omega83]

Make it E-W, work with Tampa, leverage your federal clout, get D.C. to put up some cash. Make sure people will ride it. Problem solved.

12:05 - You obviously have a short term memory for the 86 years that the democrats squandered the state's resources

12:18 What's that got to do with the CSX deal?

12:22- This CSX thing was the same exact deal that the democrats gave FEC in the late 80s.

Paula Dockery will be back, too. Pack it up, boys. Take your private corporation and shove it somewhere else.

12:28 So? I guess they're gone or have changed their ways, 'cause they aren't supporting your Corporate Welfare this time.

Remember this in November - if the Republicans are re-elected they'll do whatever it takes to give CSX OUR TAXDOLLARS!!!

12:09 You got it right. They need to work with Tampa - and Lakeland. The problem is that CSX has a terrible track record of working with locals.

Sorry boys- Paula outworked and outgunned the whole lot of you. It's over. Sad but true.

Paula didn't do squat. She helped delay commuter rail for Orlando but has not slowed the rail project through Lakeland at all. Nice spin.

They have more than $26.6 Billion in assets, this deal for $300 million is a measly screw on a locomotive for CSX. Florida (and thus floridians) is the one who is left holding the bag here.

How many millions of taxpayer money will John Mica and dean Cannon squander on this renewed effort?

Isn't there a long way to go before the Winter Haven ILC is built? As I understand, the state has not completed the DRI yet and CSX still has not turned in all of the paper work.

[Dee Dee]

Now maybe we can get on with the business of a statewide rail plan without CSX. Look to Amtrak, have a coast to coast rail system within a couple years, save $600 million in taxpayer's money, no CSX free ride on liability, no deals done in secrecy by Jeb Bush, who I did vote for. Should I go on?
Go Amtrak!!!

[j]

6:00 Right DD
Amtrak is an immediate answer to commuter rail.
Meanwhile we work on transportation hubs that we can connect eventually with high speed rail.
Tax dollars should not go to buying rails that we have to continue to share with freight.

[DarthMC]

Funny thing is CSX's own spokesman, Gary Sease, said on the news that the Winter Haven ILC project isn't going forward. They were only moving it from Orlando to accomodate the commuter rail project.

Forget CSX. Let them do what they're going to do. Let's hop on the Amtrak solution if we want commuter rail. They can do it cheaper, quicker and without us shoving money into Mr. Ward's pockets.

Thanks to Sen. Dockery and her allies and friends. Great job.

[Buzzard]

Amen. CSX out. Amtrak in. Maybe some of the new and as-yet-uncorrupted legislators can take this ball and run with it. We want commuter rail...just without the crooked deals.

The CSX legal team and the DOT lawyers messed this up big time. Its just as well, the liability provision looked like it had been written by a drunken 1st year law student on spring break.