Citywire
By Erin Norris and David S. Lewis |
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Ohio Rail Project Receives $400 Million, Faces Criticism
Last month, Ohio's 3-C "Quick Start" passenger rail plan received $400 million in federal funding as part of President Obama's Recovery Act. The rail is projected to run 256 miles and connect Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinnati. Government officials have set a start date of 2012, but all is not yet set in stone. Before construction can begin, the rail plan must be approved by a bipartisan state legislative panel, and opponents are optimistic about their chances of stopping the project altogether. Some Ohio legislators have voiced their discontent with the plan, citing fiscal irresponsibility both in constructing the rail, as well as continuing to operate it; others complain the 79 mph projected top speed is too slow to be an attractive alternative to driving.
Editor's Take: As costs and availability for parking, fuel, and good cars are fluid and unpredictable at best, and everyone is trying to reduce their carbon footprint, the ya-hoos opposing this plan are either simpleminded or wretchedly partisan. A ton of money has come down the line from the federal government for this, we desperately need jobs, and the 3-C corridor is the longest similarly populated corridor in the United States unserviced by passenger rail.
While Dispatch editorials have mocked Jolene Molitoris, Director of the Ohio Department of Transportation, for her enthusiasm for the project, she is probably excited because her long-labored project might finally come to fruition. Molitoris, a long-time director of the Ohio Railroad Association, was responsible for achieving more short-line rail systems in Ohio than any other state after the deregulation of the railroad industry. Appointed head of the Federal Railroad Administration by President Clinton, she was the first female to hold that post, and is credited for much advancement in the industry. Since the individual spear-heading the 3-C corridor project is one of the foremost authorities on rail transportation systems in the country, we should probably spend some time contemplating what she is saying before we laugh along with the notoriously politically-biased Dispatch.
High-speed rail is never the first step in building passenger rail infrastructure. Perhaps we would already have bullet trains, had we not ripped up all of our tracks at the request of the Reagan administration and subsidized the hell out of the trucking industry. As it is, we have to start over, but starting small and getting people on the rails sooner and at comparatively low cost is far better than sitting on our hands, which seems to be the state level GOP's alternative to ideas or solutions.
Partisanship on this issue is going to be very tempting for our politicians as they head down the mountain toward a critical November election, but it would be nice if Ohio could move out of the Dark Ages of transit, even if it means allowing Strickland a victory. Keep the politics out of this, and solve the damn problem for a change.
Industry Groups File Lawsuit Against EPA
The Columbus-based Ohio Coal Association, within the National Association of Manufacturers, has joined several states in a federal lawsuit that would curb the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Air Act. The lawsuit alleges that the EPA did not use proper legal standards and gathered false information for its endangerment campaign, which highlights the health risks of carbon dioxide emissions and greenhouse gasses. If the lawsuit is not settled in a timely fashion, global warming regulation could be tied up for years.
Editor's Take: Lawyers and lengthy court battles are cheaper than renovating coal plants, I guess; a protracted legal battle could save the industry money in the short term.
Yes, reducing pollution is going to cost industry. Everyone knew that. Really, it's going to cost consumers . . . and everyone knew that, too. The companies are not going to swallow increased costs, and they are dragging their heels because they will suddenly look very unpopular turning the same profits each quarter while consumer costs skyrocket.
It wasn't supposed to come to this. The tragedy here is that the Obama administration only wanted to use EPA enforcement if pollution-reducing legislation was unable to pass. Republican legislators, like the Republican governors of the states that have joined in filing challenges, are the ones causing the blockage, part of their "sour grapes" strategy consisting primarily of blocking every significant effort the President makes to fulfill his campaign promises, rather than presenting better solutions to the very real problems he is trying to deal with. America should be disgusted by this.
Columbus's Recycling Efforts Criticized
In a recent study of recycling efforts in U.S. cities, Columbus was named as one of the worst.
According to a report in Akron's Waste & Recycling News, Columbus residents recycled less than 15 percent of eligible materials last year. This adds up to about 20,000 tons, less than every other large city except Indianapolis. Although recycling does not appear to be a primary priority for Columbus residents, numbers are still up from 2008 and other years passed. City officials have expressed hope that citizens will find more ways to recycle materials, while many are calling for easier access to recycling, such as separate trashcans in public areas.
Editor's Take: Not all local problems need citywide, city-implemented fixes. Rather, we need some of our more resourceful and savvy creatives seeking a community-based and potentially profitable start-up. We don't take it seriously here because it is newer to our culture; other states have had deposit programs in place long enough that no one even thinks twice about tossing their bottles in a separate bin. Recently, the Mayor announced that recycling bottles is a mandatory requirement for businesses to be eligible to receive the Green Spot certification. North Carolina went even further in 2008, making bottle recycling a requirement for businesses hoping to obtain a liquor license. Kudos to all business owners taking responsibility for recycling their own waste, but finding more options is key for escaping our low ranking.
Originally Published: March 1, 2010
