High Speed Rail

As I’m sure you’re aware…the concept of high speed rail isn’t high on my list of priorities. If we’re going to spend that kind of money…how about give me 2% of what the budget is for this program in our state! $400 MILLION????? Do you know what I can do with $8 million in Franklinton? GOOD LORD! We could completely overhaul the remaining sewer lines, expand down South Main Street and South Chavis Street, AND repave all the streets! Good, good night. I still cannot believe we’re spending this money on such a big fat waste of time!

Now…here’s what I want everyone to understand. This proposal didn’t show up yesterday. In fact, I’m quite tired of hearing about how high speed rail is some liberal boondoggle brought on by the wasteful, socialist Obama Administration. Saying that just means you’re looking for a way to slam the President without knowing your history. This program was actually begun under a different Democrat…Bill Clinton. It was during Clinton’s second term that our region was identified as a priority high speed rail corridor. It was during Bush’s (W’s) first term that the program was accelerated and that’s actually when money began being poured into the program. So to blame a Democratic administration and a Democratic Congress for spending that was accelerated and initiated during a Republican administration and a Republican Congress is nothing more than showing your interest in partisanship and division.

This program knows no politics. It knows no high quality planning. It knows no limits to spending. And in Franklinton, it knows no limits to adverse impacts to our community. Listening to proponents promote the positives (I’m into alliteration) grates my nerves more than nails on a chalkboard. Do not tell me how wonderful it will be to get on a train and get to Washington, DC in four hours from Raleigh when it only takes me FOUR HOURS to get to Washington from FRANKLINTON! That’s a CROCK! Why would I get on a train to drive to downtown Raleigh only to get on the train and ride to Richmond? If the train’s going to take two hours…and then, I’m taking a total of just under THREE hours to get there…when I can just drive myself in the SAME TWO HOURS! Ugh.

I absolutely WILL NOT allow our community and our citizens to bear the cost of constructing substations on the east side of town just so ‘high speed rail’ can be built to separate the east and west sides of Franklinton! That’s simply unfair. It’s also an unnecessary fiscal burden. And as long as I’m sitting in this chair (or with this pin on my shirt), it ain’t gonna happen. Just like Scarlett O’Hara…’As God as my witness, I’ll lie down and die first!’