From the StarNews:
A bill ordering the N.C. Department of Transportation to look for money now to fund restoration of the abandoned rail line between Castle Hayne and Wallace will be filed this week. The cost of re-establishing that link is expensive. A 2004 estimate put it at more than $80 million, including about $49 million for track restoration and $32 million in CSX rehabilitation costs.
There are lots of pros and cons on this proposal, but the costs (mentioned above) are buried deep in the story. Is rail really the future? That’s $80m that could have gone to roads, bridges or simply not been spent. We’ll see where it ends up. Justifying it for the port seems like a stretch looking at the broader picture, but that’s just my opinion. Why now?
Read full article » No Comments »There is a lot that could be said about this, but it is a shame. The award is truly diminished when it’s presented for the heck of it.
Why are we just learning about it now? Why was it awarded? Why was it hidden from the public until a month after Bev Perdue left office?
You can read more here, but it’s just sad because there are truly great people in this state that would be worthy of such an award. The comments attached to the story say more than I could possibly say here.
Read full article » No Comments »