I feel like I’m caught in a Monty Python movie every time I read a story like this.
David Pittman, the Vice President of Recreation Trail Advocates, says the recent use of the [Kellar Branch] rail line should not sway people against the trail.
In other words, the STB’s decision to allow both Pioneer Industrial Railway and Central Illinois Railroad Company to run trains on the Kellar Branch isn’t a mortal blow to the trail advocates’ all-or-nothing plan to tear out the rail and make this corridor a dedicated hiking trail. “‘Tis but a scratch.” “Just a flesh wound.”
The Journal Star reported this bravado:
State Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Peoria, would lobby for the transformation of the rail into a trail and work to enact a federal earmark to supersede regulations so the Kellar Branch can be converted.
Psst, hey Aaron, “earmarks” specify spending priorities (i.e., they give money to a project); they don’t make regulations. You can’t just “earmark” the overthrow of a federal regulatory agency’s decision. Besides, don’t you think Ray LaHood — Champion of Earmarks, scoffer of trains, and in-law to Bonnie Noble — would have already done that if it were possible? But hey, it sounds tough, doesn’t it? “The Black Knight always triumphs! Have at you!”
All I can say is, “All right, we’ll call it a draw.”
Why do the trail lovers hate living wage jobs?
If the Republican candidates really want to come out pro-trail on this then the undeclared Dem candidate better be taking notes. The Keller Rail dispute is about JOBS.. JOBS JOBS JOBS. It is the economy stupid.
Thank you Mahkno, this is what we have been saying all along. JOBS, JOBS, JOBS. When are these people going to get that through their heads. And no amount of legislation is going to change STB. Lets get back to the basics of needs such as jobs and leave the amenities such as trails to when we can afford them.
Come out, come out, wherever you are!
Olly olly oxen free!
Oh, Jobs! Oh, Jobs! Where are YOU? Yoo hoo, Jobs! Jobs!
Dang it to Hades! Where’d they go?
Oh, well. No worry. Now that the railroad is back… up and running… it’s just a matter of… of… of… time?
yes, prego man, if the rabid trail advocates would shut their flapping mouths and the city get serious about addressing problems and maybe express an interest in something besides tax funded projects, medical parasites, or another “big box store” that just sucks more money out of town by putting other (often more local) retailers out of business, perhaps we could attract some real employers. Think about it, if you were looking for a place to invest substantial money in a new plant, Peoria has a lot to recommend it. But would you give it any consideration? Bet not. We all know why. If you read what has been posted on this blogsite about the problems this community has, you have a good handle on the issues. But, Peorians vote with their feet, or, like the proverbial frog in the warming water, adjust until its too late. Too few try to turn down the heat.
CJ
Most of the earmarks people hear about are earmarks to appropriations bills that do as you described,”specify spending priorities, i.e. give money to a project.”
But there are also earmarks to authorizations bills that do not involve the appropriation of ten cents.
Earmarks are provisions–be they giving money to a project or just mandating certain action be taken–that are inserted into bills in the final stages. You might like earmarks or hate them, but is fact that there are both appropriations earmarks and authorization earmarks.
Ray LaHood has been extraordinarily successful in obtaining appropriation earmarks because he sits on the powerful Appropriations Committee. That does not mean an earmark cannot be inserted into an authorization bill that supersedes STB authority on the very short Kellar Branch rail spur. Is it easy? No. But yes it is possible.
Agree or disagree on the issue at hand (rail or trail), and agree or disagree on earmarks, it is possible to have an authorization earmark.
“Earmark” — Please provide an example of an authorization earmark that overrides the decision of a federal regulatory agency.
Classic, C.J. … absolutely classic.
Prego … what business that requires rail service is going to locate along the Kellar Branch while its fate seems up in the air and major local politicos are continuously sounding its death knell? Perhaps when rail service over the branch is re-established to its one remaining customer, more businesses might actually show some interest. Your argument is as silly as the manner in which you present it. This falls under the 68.5643% of the time that you’re wrong.
… zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…
Knight, that’s the same old tired argument that every model train gopher on this blog throws out. Problem is this… IF there was a demand for rail service… a REAL demand, that CREATED jobs, this would all have been a moot point a loooooooooooong time ago.
Do you think for a moment that Peoria would have stood in the way of an employer or two who said, “You know, we can bring 100 good paying jobs here, but we need that rail service.” If such a case existed, it would have been trumpeted out over the heavens and mountain-tops… but it ain’t happened. The fight for a trail would have slid to the wayside a loooooooooong time ago if true opportunity existed along that rail.
And, it doesn’t. Just like it’s crazy to think that the trail is gonna bring all sorts of jobs and money in, it’s every bit as kooky to think that in 2008 and beyond, there is going to be demand for the rail through the heart of the city, just BECAUSE.
The world has changed. Central Illinois has REALLY changed. Unfortunately, the model train fiends have not. In their minds, it’s still 1984. Gateway is here… Pabst is coming back… and all of the world is a high-paying, happy go lucky railway sort of world.
Problem is, we’ve had several terms of Republican presidents, and a goof Democrat who signed off on NAFTA. Do something with this joke of a rail line. I would love nothing more than to say that I’m wrong, but I ain’t. I wasn’t wrong about Versace… I wasn’t wrong on Jehan… I’m not wrong here. I won’t be wrong on Colleen. I was wrong on McCono-whatever (I think). Let’s all take some funeral wreaths to the Kellar Line, kids. Maybe Brenkman can line up a striptease show, too… just to make things interesting.
“Do you think for a moment that Peoria would have stood in the way of an employer or two”
Um yes. I do. Peoria has a bad reputation for driving employers away.
Mahnko, even if Peoria HAD stood in the way, there is no doubt that it would have been public knowledge, as the potential employer would have wanted to try to sway public opinion. Heck, if it was so great of an economic deal and good jobs were coming, the public outcry (even MINE) would have been large enough to put this baby to rest.
To think otherwise, I believe, is conspiratorial in scope. And, that doesn’t even really work regarding JKF’s demise.
Prego, that’s a novel approach to economic development. Let’s make prospective businesses beg and run big public relations campaigns in order to get the logistics they need to locate in Peoria. Why would those companies want to save their money and go to Pekin or Rochelle where they and their jobs would be welcomed? Silly companies. It’s so much more fun to waste money fighting Peoria’s city hall!
No Prego, it wouldn’t have been public knowledge. Firms won’t waste time on a community that doesn’t want them.
Peoria offered Growth Cell Two (GC2) to prospective industrial firms but there were no takers because (1), no supporting roadway infrastructure, (2) competitive rail service was not available at GC2, but elsewhere, (3), the City of Peoria foolishly believed it could not develop GC2 until the “western connection” was built (even though GC2 was already rail accessible) and (4), real estate prices were considerably higher than other area locations, such as Pekin’s Riverway Business Park (which has attracted two major rail users – Amerhart and Hanna Steel).
You can bet that Pioneer and CIRY are both marketing the line to existing firms and prospective firms interested in using the line, which may include rail-to-truck and truck-to-rail transloading.
Prego, think about what you wrote. It’s not 1984. There are plenty of choices for businesses. As CJ said, why would they want to fight to come here, when many communities (Rochelle is one of them) are actively courting them? I notice you didn’t answer my question – because YOU wouldn’t invest your money in Peoria either. It’s not business that needs to turn around Peoria’s attitude. They will just go elsewhere. It’s Peoria that needs to turn around it’s situation so business will want to come here.
It isn’t 1994 either. Removing urban infrastructure to put in a paved path isn’t appropriate anymore. Come on Peoria get in this decade! The environmental action from the 90’s that we should be trying to get started is city-wide free recycling.
city-wide free recycling. Now that’s a no-brainer. Where are the environmentalists? Oh, I forgot, in league with the developers to destroy our railroads, and make us more dependent on cars and trucks and foreign oil. Sorry.
Nobody said Pabst and Gateway Milling were coming back. That’s ridiculous, as the former is a “virtual brewer” and the latter is out of business, in part because they quit direct rail service to their place of business before moving to Bartonville.
Recall that almost everyone was writing the Kellar Branch’s obituary in 2005 but fast forward to today, we have O’Brien Steel (recently increased rail use), Carver Lumber (just resumed rail use), a healthy railcar storage business, and two interested users – Carri Scharf and Globe Energy.
All four shippers together will, or expect to employ about 900 within a few years.
C.J. and David know a lot more about this than I, but it certainly seems that the ears of local politicians are attuned to developers like Alexis Khazzam who want to put up trendy high-price housing and retail developments … and don’t want ugly old trains running by to make noise and spoil their view.
Well, you know what? That’s just ridiculous. Peoria doesn’t need more upscale housing or retail. Too much has already been spent on panem et circenses. It needs real economic development and businesses that bring well-paying jobs to our community. Maybe if local politicians had spent all this time looking to ways to ENHANCE the Kellar Branch instead of trying to tear it out, Peoria would already have some of those jobs.
Oh well … if you want to keep sending companies over to the Riverway Business Park in Pekin, we’ll be much obliged. 😉
You are right on the money on that Knight, except some of us think trains are nice to have around. Trucks make a lot more annoying noise. Of course, “upscale” developers are the worst noise makers. They can’t stop making ridiculous statements.
The Peoria City Council should pay a visit to Riverway Business Park where they will find firms that Peoria didn’t want/couldn’t keep – Amerhart, Elecsys, WinPak, etc.
The real movers behind this anti-rail thing aren’t making a sound. They’re leveraging the local politicians they own to do it for them. Those trail guys – just useful idiots.
go on vonster, we’re reading
The real movers behind the trail proponents are developers like Alexis Khazzam and David Maloof, who came out of the wood work last February when the council was again asked to debate the issue.
I wonder when the SLAPP lawsuits begin?