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May 2015

ALL ABOARD FLORIDA BATTLE GOES TO FEDERAL COURT

The fight against All Aboard Florida played out in an austere Washington D.C. courthouse today, in a hearing to decide whether the passenger rail project will get $1.75 billion in tax exempt bonds.

The more than three-hour hearing outlasted early predictions of time my more than double with U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper picking at each side’s arguments and questioning whether Indian River and Martin counties were hitting the “goal posts” in their attempt to block the financing.

LEGAL NEWS: ALL ABOARD'S RESPONSE TO MARTIN COUNTY'S MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION

1. Despite the fact that All Aboard Florida would significantly improve the railway by enhancing the safety of existing tracks, grade crossings and by installing state-of-the-art technology, Martin County does not want AAF’s project to go forward and is trying to make it more expensive to build, in the hope that doing so will prevent AAF altogether.

SUMMARY OF FEDERAL DOT’S OPPOSITION TO MARTIN COUNTY’S MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION

1. Martin County’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction should be denied because DOT’s allocation of $1.7 billion in private activity bonds was legally proper. 26 U.S.C. Section 142(m)(1)(A) provides that private activity bonds may be allocated for “qualified highway or surface freight transfer facilities” which includes “any surface transportation project which receives Federal assistance under the same statute.

FORMER AIRLINE CEO AGAINST ALL ABOARD FLORIDA

PALMBEACHPOST.COM

From planes to trains: Robert Crandall joins opposition to All Aboard.

Crandall, a winter resident of Palm City, is on the steering committee of the anti-All Aboard Florida group Citizens Against Rail Expansion. When he joined the opposition, it bolstered the rag tag effort of grassroots organizers who were taking on All Aboard Florida.

TAKE A RIDE ON THE BOONDOGGLE EXPRESS....ALL APPALLED FLORIDA

MIAMI HERALD
All Aboard Florida, also known as the Boondoggle Express, is having public-relations problems.

Skepticism, anger and legal challenges stand in the path of the 16 passenger trains that are fancifully scheduled to run daily from Miami to the Orlando airport, and back again, beginning late next year.

One sticky point is the funding. All Aboard Florida has been touting itself as a private rail company that won’t be using public money, a deception embraced by Gov. Rick Scott.

THE ARROGANCE OF ALL ABOARD FLORIDA KNOWS NO BOUNDS

TCPalm

The arrogance of All Aboard Florida knows no bounds.

This corporate bully really is in a class by itself.

The company’s May 15 court filing, which seeks to block Martin County’s attempt to halt the sale of tax-exempt bonds for the rail project, reverberates with contempt, moral rectitude, exaggeration and condescension.

ALL ABOARD FLORIDA IS PUTTING PROFIT AHEAD OF LIVES

By Phyllis Frey

Brevard County BOCC May 12, 2015

As a retired FAA Safety Check Airman, I would like to discuss safety issues with regard to AAF and Florida East Coast Railways as an appeal not to your sense of fear, but to your sense of good judgment and concern for the safety of the residents of IRC.  

HOW CONGRESS RAILROADED THE RAILROADS

WALL STREET JOURNAL

Is there a more absurd technology than positive train control, which Congress imposed as an unfunded mandate on railroads in 2008, and which supposedly would have prevented last week’s Philly Amtrak crash? Except it didn’t since its implementation has been draggy and its design so clearly inferior to cheaper, faster, more up-to-date solutions.

MARTIN COUNTY WILL HAVE INSUFFICIENT EMERGENCY RESOURCES IF ALL ABOARD FLORIDA IS APPROVED.

CBS12

With a projected 43% percent increase in rail traffic coming in the next year, emergency response teams are taking a closer look at how they would respond to a train accident involving chemicals in the cargo.

The Martin County Board of County Commissioners voted today to create an action plan specific to rail car Hazmat accidents involving chemicals, and requested state funding for the County's Hazmat Team response, training and equipment be restored.

THE TOWN OF JUPITER JUST SCREAMED, STOP THAT TRAIN!

The town council unanimously voted Tuesday to oppose issuing the bonds needed to build the controversial All Aboard Florida railroad between Orlando and Miami. They join Tequesta, Jupiter Island, Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie in their opposition

“The AAF proposal, as it stands, provides no benefits to the town of Jupiter and only results in safety risks and costs to the community,” according to the letter from the council dated May 20 addressed to the Florida Development Finance Corporation board of directors.

HAS ALL ABOARD FLORIDA ALREADY RECEIVED FEDERAL FUNDING?? AAF MAY NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR PRIVATE ACTIVITY BONDS.

Whether All Aboard Florida is eligible to receive $1.75 billion in tax exempt bonds could come down to whether it has benefited from federal transportation money already.

In hundreds of pages of court documents filed late Friday, All Aboard Florida and the U.S. DOT argue, in part, that the project has received federal assistance under U.S. Code Title 23 — a key element in making it eligible for the private activity bond financing.

BRACE YOURSELVES - ALL ABOARD'S LATEST RANT - SERIOUSLY, MIAMI RESIDENTS ARE RELYING ON GETTING TO ORLANDO? AND GETTING A FEW PEOPLE ON A EXPENSIVE RIDE TO ORLANDO WILL ALLEVIATE CONGESTION IN MIAMI?

Martin County should put up its own financial stake — to the tune of a $50 million bond — if it wants to gamble with the future of southeast Florida transportation, according to court documents filed by All Aboard Florida and the U.S. Department of Transportation late Friday.

Martin County’s attempt to block tax-exempt bonds for All Aboard Florida through legal action not only jeopardizes the passenger rail project — it could increase costs by up to $277 million — but also threatens the well-being of about 36 percent of Florida’s population, according to All Aboard.

FLORIDA OFFICIALS RENEW ALL ABOARD FLORIDA CONCERNS

WSUF News
As clean-up continues in the fatal Amtrak wreck near Philadelphia, several Martin County officials have again stressed their opposition to All Aboard Florida.

ALL ABOARD FLORIDA DEBATE IN STUART TODAY - TOWN HALL 6-8 PM - PLEASE ATTEND AND VOICE YOUR OPINION.

 Can't attend - send your questions in advance here:http://www.cityofstuart.us/index.php/help/contact-us

A railroad vice president and anti-rail expansion activists will debate the proposed All Aboard Florida passenger rail project at a town hall meeting Tuesday, 6-8 p.m. at Stuart City Hall, 121 S.W. Flagler Avenue.

Stuart Mayor Kelli Glass Leighton will moderate the event, and panelists will include

WE ARE HALF WAY TO SAFER RAILROADS...WHEN FREIGHT AND PASSENGER RAIL ARE SEPARATE

Wall Street Journal 
By EDWARD R. HAMBERGER

The tragic derailment of an Amtrak passenger train near Philadelphia shines a light on an advanced safety feature known as positive train control, or PTC, a technology designed to automatically stop or limit the speed of locomotives.

WITH TRAINS, SMALLER MAY BE BETTER. SLASHING THE RAILS SERVICE BUDGET MAY BE JUST WHAT AMTRAK NEEDS.

US News

Roughly six hours into a three-hour Amtrak trip between the nation’s capital and New York City last summer – with hundreds of passengers trapped somewhere between Delaware and New Jersey – things got weird.

THE TRUTH ABOUT AMTRAK POLITICS

Wall Street Journal

This post has been updated to reflect that fact Amtrak officials have announced that Positive Train Control was installed on that section of track, but NOT enabled.

The Tuesday night Amtrak derailment in Philadelphia that left eight dead and hundreds injured occurred when a train hit a curve at twice the 50 mile per hour speed limit. So, naturally, this tragedy has devolved into a political rumpus over infrastructure spending.

BREAKING NEWS: NOTICE FROM INDIAN RIVER COUNTY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE REGARDING CANCELLATION OF THE MAY 28th FDFC MEETING

At 11:18 AM this morning, Beth Frady of the FDFC and Enterprise Florida released the following statement:
"The FDFC meeting on the 28th has been canceled and no date has been finalized to reschedule it. This is all of the information the FDFC has at this time."
This was followed by a statement from the IRC Attorney’s office that it was their understanding that “the FDFC meeting scheduled for May 28th has been cancelled at the request of the applicant (AAF).”
This is the latest ‘official’ comment from the IRC attorney’s office regarding the meeting cancelation:

THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO TAKE A STAND AGAINST ALL ABOARD FLORIDA TRAINS - MAY 28th IN ORLANDO

THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO TAKE A STAND AGAINST THE TRAINS - MAY 28th IN ORLANDO - More info here: http://bit.ly/1KrfpyI.
Letter from Susan Mehiel, Vero Beach

People ask us how they can help stop the trains and save their communities. Well, now there is a way — you can stand up to the corporations and the state officials and say, "Not in my county!"

MARTIN COUNTY OFFICIALS CITE CONCERNS OVER IMPACT OF AAF RAIL PROJECT ON SAFETY OF THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS

PRESS RELEASE FROM CARE FLORIDA: The safety and welfare of more than 8,000 students in the Martin County School District who travel to and from school could be at “serious risk” should the All Aboard Florida (AAF) rail project be allowed to go forward.

LETTER FROM DWIGHT CRANE TO FDFC OPPOSING ALL ABOARD FLORIDA PRIVATE ACTIVITY BONDS

 PROTEST IN PERSON ON MAY 28TH - MORE INFO HERE: http://bit.ly/1KrfpyI

Dear Sir/Madam:

All Aboard Florida (AAF) proposes to develop track and acquire equipment so that it can run 16 hourly high speed passenger trains each direction between Orlando and Miami daily. Based on their proposal to run a high-speed passenger train, AAF is requesting your approval for a private activity bond issue. I recommend against approval.

FRENCHMAN'S CREEK OPPOSES ALL ABOARD FLORIDA

Palm Beach Post
All Aboard Florida’s proposed expansion of rail service will jeopardize lives and property values, and make life worse for Palm Beach Gardens homeowners and businesses. That’s the word from Jane Feinstein, chairwoman of Frenchman’s Creek’s External Affairs Committee, who plans to address the city council this evening.

The luxury community off Donald Ross Road borders the east side of A1A and the tracks are on the west side.

STOP THE MONEY, STOP THE TRAIN

TCPalm

Stopping All Aboard Florida could hang on stopping its financing, according to Indian River and Martin County attorneys. PROTEST IN PERSON ON MAY 28TH - MORE INFO HERE: http://bit.ly/1KrfpyI

PALM BEACH CITY COUNCI VOTES UNANIMOUSLY TO OPPOSE ALL ABOARD FLORIDA

Palm Beach Post

PROTEST IN PERSON ON MAY 28TH - MORE INFO HERE: http://bit.ly/1zP2aId

PALM BEACH GARDENS — Saying “there is no benefit to Palm Beach Gardens,” the City Council unanimously voted Thursday to oppose All Aboard Florida.
“We are only a transit stop for the train going from point A to point B,” said council member Marcie Tinsley.

RESIDENTS PACK THE HOUSE ON TO OPPOSE ALL ABOARD FLORIDA-

PROTEST IN PERSON ON MAY 28TH - MORE INFO HERE: http://bit.ly/1KrfpyI

JUPITER — About 80 people, wearing white and red T-shirts reading “Stop the Trains,” created a standing-room-only crowd at Tuesday’s Town Council meeting to oppose the proposed Miami-to-Orlando rail service known as All Aboard Florida.

“We want the council to block the issuance of $1.75 billion in tax-exempt bonds needed to finish the rail line through to Orlando,” said Tom Hewitt, a resident of Admiral’s Cove in Jupiter.

FORTRESS PROFITS GO DOWN DOWN DOWN

DO WE REALLY WANT THEM TO RECEIVE TAX PAYER SUBSIDIZED FUNDS - RALLY TO ORLANDO ON MAY 28TH TO MAKE YOUR PROTEST IN PERSON OR SEND AN EMAIL. DETAILS HERE: https://www.citizensagainstthetrain.com/content/stop-train-attend-florid...

Fortress Investment Group LLC said first-quarter profit fell 43 percent as fund management fees declined and it sold fewer holdings.