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January 2015

"PRIVATE ENTERPRISE" ALL ABOARD FLORIDA CAPITALIZING ON "THE PEOPLE'S MONEY"

By Robert Minskey TCPalm

The Florida Department of Transportation claims none of this is state funding. Let’s be clear about something: Neither the feds nor the state have money of their own. Every penny spent comes from taxpayers and other resources. In truth, they operate with other people’s money. Whether it’s funded by the feds or the state, it’s our money, not theirs.

LETTER FROM MARTIN COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT REGARDING ALL ABOARD FLORIDA

November 25, 2014

Mr. John Winkle
Federal Railroad Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC  20590

RE: All Aboard Florida – Martin County – Impact on School District

Dear Mr. Winkle:

SAVING THE GOOSE AND HER GOLDEN EGGES FORM ALL ABOARD FLORIDA

On a recent ride on Ft. Lauderdale’s New River, the first thing that struck me was the amazing variety and activity. Crowding the shores of the river are downtown office buildings and condos, restaurants and historic districts, a performing arts center, science museum, parks and homes. The clear, deep water was crowded with kayaks, 100-foot yachts, construction barges, manatees, water taxis and sightseeing vessels.

EVE SAMPLES: ALL ABOARD FLORIDA IS NOT A PRIVATELY FINANCED AS IT CLAIMS - TAXPAYERS LOSE AGAIN

Eve Samples TCPalm
All Aboard Florida wants to have its federal money and deny it, too. A week after our newsroom’s Arnie Rosenberg broke news that the passenger rail’s sister company received millions in federal cash “to improve railway-highway grade crossings and to prepare the corridor for growth in rail traffic,” the firm’s bigwigs still refuse to discuss the matter.

A TRIPLE HIT FOR FORTRESS THIS WEEK - DOWN GRADED AGAIN BY OPPENHEIMER

1) Fortress Investment Group Stock Rating Lowered by Oppenheimer (FIG)
2) Fortress Investment Group Downgraded by Credit Suisse (FIG)
3) Fortress Investment Group Rating Lowered to Underperform at Zacks (FIG)
4) Fortress Investment Group Stock Rating Lowered by Oppenheimer (FIG)

FLORIDA OFFICIALS MUST EXPLAIN WHY THEY MISSED THE DEADLINE ON THE ALL ABOARD FLORIDA DEIS

TCPalm

Some things defy understanding. The vastness of the universe. The birth of a child. The fact state officials missed the Dec. 3 deadline to comment on the draft environmental impact statement for the All Aboard Florida project.

FLORIDA'S FIRST LIQUID NITROGEN GAS PLANT PROPOSED FOR BROWARD, TO BE SHIPPED BY RAIL THROUGH THE TREASURE COAST - COMMISSIONER ROBIN FISHER IS EXCITED

FLORIDA'S FIRST LIQUID NITROGEN GAS PLANT PROPOSED FOR BROWARD, TO BE SHIPPED BY RAIL THROUGH THE TREASURE COAST - COMMISSIONER ROBIN FISHER IS EXCITED

HEARINGS SCHEDULED

Two hearings are scheduled on a conditional-use permit for a proposed liquefied natural gas plant in Titusville. Both hearings will be at Titusville City Hall, 555 S. Washington Ave:

•Titusville Planning and Zoning Commission: 6 p.m. Jan. 21

•Titusville City Council: 6:30 p.m. Jan. 27

FORTRESS INVESTMENT GROUP DOWNGRADED - ALL ABOARD FLORIDA IS NOT A DONE DEAL - MORE TO COME

Analysts at Credit Suisse downgraded Fortress Investment Group LLC (NYSE: FIG) by lowering their rating from Outperform to Neutral and setting a $9 price target. Fortress Investment Group is a diversified global investment management company based in New York.

TREASURE COAST TAXPAYERS HAVE PAID FLORIDA EAST COAST RAILWAY $5 MILLION IN THE PAST 5 YEARS - THIS IS NOT A DONE DEAL!

TCPALM

This is the amount Treasure Coast governments paid to Florida East Coast Railway and its affiliates for maintenance and lease and right of way agreements related to railroad crossings in our three-county area, according to an investigation by Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers.

TAXPAYERS CONTINUE TO FOOT THE BILL FOR THE "ALL ABOARD FLORIDA "PRIVATE" RAILWAY

TCPalm
All Aboard Florida’s plan to begin running 32 daily passenger trains between Miami and Orlando in early 2017 continues to hit Treasure Coast taxpayers where it hurts.

The latest example? The Martin County Commission’s decision this week to spend $60,000 on a study of the project’s potential impacts on property values along the railroad tracks and west of the St. Lucie train bridge.

NORTHWEST SECOND STREET CROSSING TO CLOSE JAN 26

As of Jan. 26, downtown drivers will no longer be able to use Northwest Second Street to cross the Florida East Coast Railway tracks.

The crossing is being permanently closed as construction begins on All Aboard Florida's 60,000-square-foot Fort Lauderdale rail station. It will feature an 800-foot-long platform stretching from just north of Broward Boulevard to just south of Northwest Fourth Street.

ALL ABOARD FLORIDA IS NOT A DONE DEAL - AAF NEED BOND PERMISSIONS FROM ONE MORE GROUP

Palm Beach Post

All Aboard Florida won preliminary federal approval last month to issue $1.75 billion in tax exempt bonds, but the express passenger rail’s funding plan must still pass muster with a state group, which has yet to schedule a public hearing on the issue.

BOB SOLARI'S STANCE AGAINST ALL ABOARD FLORIDA TO JOHN'S ISLAND

I would like to thank the Five O’clock Hour for having Mr. Seed and myself here tonight in order to discuss an issue which both of us believe is crucial to our Community, the Fortress Investment Group’s high- speed passenger rail project known as All Aboard Florida.
Please allow me one digression before I get to All Aboard Florida.

DISASTER CAPITALISM AT WORK WHILE FORTRESS PROFITS ONWARD

DESMOGBLOG.COM
Dangerous Oil Trains To Return to Lac-Megantic While Town Still Recovers but Fortress Investment Group profits onward. And while the train tracks have been rebuilt, downtown has not. Look what the treasure coast of Florida has to look forward. No rights, except to pay and pay.

FLORIDA GOVERNMENTS PAY OVER $1,000,000+ PER YEAR IN COSTS RELATED TO CROSSINGS

By Arnie Rosenberg TCPalm

Treasure Coast governments paid almost $5 million to Florida East Coast Railway and its affiliates in the past five years for a variety of costs related to railroad crossings, a Treasure Coast Newspapers investigation found.

IN SPITE OF PAB FUNDING APPROVAL, ALL ABOARD'S HANDS ARE TIED - STAY TUNED IN 2015

Good read in this memo from CARE FL - All Aboard Florida is NOT a Done Deal! As you might have read by now, press reports indicate All Aboard Florida (AAF) has won tentative federal approval to issue Pubic Activity Bonds (PABs) for $1.75 billion.