Birmingham-Atlanta-Jacksonville rail line ‘economically feasible’
Chances are, this isn’t what people had in mind when they ask about Plan B. From the Associated Press:
A consultant’s study for Georgia transportation officials found that high-speed passenger trains connecting Atlanta with Jacksonville, Fla.; Louisville, Ky; and Birmingham, Ala.; would be economically feasible.
Morris News Service reports that consultant HNTB presented the study’s findings to Georgia’s State Transportation Board on Wednesday.
The study identified possible train stations in Griffin, Macon, Savannah and Brunswick on the route through Georgia.
Officials say the feasibility study was the first of many steps in setting the final course of the train routes and securing funding.
The routes discussed Wednesday were studied after an earlier study showed the feasibility of a route from Atlanta to Charlotte, N.C. That project is now in the stage of estimating the environmental impact of possible paths.
The original article by Walter Jones of Morris News Service can be found here.
***
Georgia Democrats headed to their national convention in Charlotte this September have named the 87-year-old Rev. Joseph Lowery as their chairman.
“Dr. Lowery has been a long-time advocate of civil rights, human rights, fairness and equality. These are all values that Georgia Democrats strive toward every day,” said DPG Chairman Mike Berlon. “His leadership in Charlotte is invaluable.”
Lowery delivered the benediction at President Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2008.
The 133-member delegation will also include former President Jimmy Carter – and all five Democratic congressmen, according to a press release.
But we’ll wait to see if John Barrow of Augusta actually shows. My AJC colleague Aaron Gould Sheinin recalls that Barrow — then from Savannah — did go to the Denver convention in ‘08.
***
The job that dare not speak its own name. From the Washington Post:
Across the country, something is missing from the campaign ads of men and women running for Congress: the word “Congress.”
Likewise, “Senate,” “senator” and “representative” are making only rare cameos in these campaign ads. The absence is especially pronounced in the case of incumbents who are asking voters to reelect them in November.
***
You can talk about polls all you want, but the most important numbers in this year’s presidential contest have to do with cash. From Karl Rove in today’s Wall Street Journal:
The Democrats’ official fundraising numbers, released on Wednesday, showed that the $95 million cash-on-hand advantage Obama and the DNC had over the Republicans at the end of April had been cut by two-thirds at the end of May to $33 million. This is in part because the Obama campaign is burning through its war chest so fast and in part because of the impressive $107 million that the Romney campaign and the RNC announced they had on hand at May’s end.
***
Yet another reason why Georgia elects its governors in off-years, offered by Bloomberg News Service:
Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign asked Florida Governor Rick Scott to tone down his statements heralding improvements in the state’s economy because they clash with the presumptive Republican nominee’s message that the nation is suffering under President Barack Obama, according to two people familiar with the matter….
What’s unfolding in Florida highlights a dilemma for the Romney campaign: how to allow Republican governors to take credit for economic improvements in their states while faulting Obama’s stewardship of the national economy. Republican governors in Ohio, Virginia, Michigan and Wisconsin also have highlighted improving economies.
The Romney camp is no doubt telling Scott that, like Nathan Deal, he, too, has two years before bragging becomes truly necessary.
***
The Huffington Post this morning is wondering whether Ron Paul supporters have settled on a way to make themselves known in Tampa:
An obscure rule change made four years ago by the Republican Party has opened the door for Paul forces to cause a major headache for Mitt Romney when he tries to nominate his choice for vice president at the party convention in August.
The Republican National Committee could change Rule 40 in the week leading up to the convention, but that would risk the appearance of jamming Romney’s nominee through, and likely cause a subsequent backlash.
***
Politico this morning takes a look at the finances of former candidates for the Republican presidential nomination:
[Newt] Gingrich’s situation is most dire: his campaign is than $4.7 million in debt with less than $736,000 cash on hand through May, new federal campaign filings show.
That Gingrich raised almost $500,000 dollars in May — he even scored $700 from the sale of a used laptop computer — wasn’t nearly enough to offset money owed to about 120 different creditors.
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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78 comments Add your comment
Road Scholar
June 21st, 2012
12:32 pm
MMM: SR 400 toll portion is run by the State Road Toll Authority (SRTA) which has a board of: The SRTA head administrator appointed by the Gov (Gena Evans), The Governor, and the GDOT Commissioner. The authority was set up by the legislature when the road to St Simons was a toll (no longer is). They also run the managed lane in Gwinnett/Dekalb counties.
The administration of the toll plaza is SRTA employees , but the toll takers are from a private security company. (Cheaper allegedly) Their main office is on Marietta Street, with an annex at Piedmont Center, which is were you get the electronic Peach Pass and some of the toll staff work. Others supervise the plaza at the plaza.
There is a tunnel under the road at the plaza; that is where all the coins go, and are retrieved daily and sent to the bank via security service.
Any other questions?
Mild Mannered Moderate
June 21st, 2012
12:35 pm
@Road Scholar – So…is it the government or a corporation? If it is the government, then it should be a corporation. Corporations are inherently more good than government.
If it is a corporation then we should get them to build more toll roads. Either way PLOST is bad because it raises my taxes. Once taxes go up they never go down. Except for the Bush tax cuts, and look at what is happening with thos!
Aquagirl
June 21st, 2012
12:40 pm
By jawja did you mean Georgia?
Yes, thus the capitalization. In this state phonetic spelling is a must. There are only a few natives who have moved beyond pictograms. Not many, but it’s still an exciting moment when they sound out words with actual letters. It’s like watching the ape in “2001″ figure out he can beat the hell out of other apes with a femur.
Mild Mannered Moderate
June 21st, 2012
12:42 pm
@Aqualgirl – I had to look up pictograms. Funny. But you shouldn’t insult people from this state. There are a lot of nice moderate people here. I know lots of them. Some are smarter than me and some are not as smart but they are all people. I have seen most of them write, and a few of them can draw.
I had to ask because I thought you meant those short people from starwars with the flahlight eyes. But you didn’t.
Attack Dog
June 21st, 2012
12:43 pm
1. Dixiecrats who have a problem with paying a GA 400 toll can use US19 or plug in the local route on their GPS. 2. Dixiecrat tax dollars go to support private business all the time. Just ask Willard how governments “attract” business to their area. 3. Why should Rick Scott tone down his message? He’s not an etch-a-sketch.
Mild Mannered Moderate
June 21st, 2012
12:45 pm
@Attack Dog – Who is Willard? Do you mean Romney? Because he took back that comment about etch-a-sketch. People make mistakes all the time.
(Looks up on wikipeia) wow. His first name is Willard. Why would parents do that to their son? No one ever makes fun of Timmy’s name.
And yes. Private businesses are good.
Danny O
June 21st, 2012
1:01 pm
@ Mild Mannered Moderate:
No one is forcing you to ignore pragmatism and reality. You are free to blind yourself with baseless assertions, ideology, and opinions masquerading as fact. You have nothing to lose, other than critical analysis and credibility.
Aquagirl
June 21st, 2012
1:04 pm
I had to ask because I thought you meant those short people from starwars with the flahlight eyes.
No, now you’re thinking of West Virginia’s citizenry.
Mild Mannered Moderate
June 21st, 2012
1:08 pm
@Aquagirl – You mean coal miners right?
@Danny O – My assertions are based firmly in the center. I feel sad for you. I analyze all the time. I have the credibility of the center on my side.
Road Scholar
June 21st, 2012
1:22 pm
MMM: Government.
So far all the Private Public Partnerships in transportation have been financially infeasible. Most toll revenue on the route examined (SR 400, I 75, etc.) does not cover construction, property needed or design.
Mild Mannered Moderate
June 21st, 2012
1:24 pm
Road Scholar – Then they should raise tolls. Let the market it sort it out. If people can’t afford it they can walk.
Aquagirl
June 21st, 2012
1:33 pm
You mean coal miners right?
No, I was thinking more of “people whose family trees don’t branch.” Inbreeding produces some odd phenotypes.
Road Scholar
June 21st, 2012
1:36 pm
A toll study was done back in the 1990’s which led to the present pricing. I do not know of a more current analysis, esp with the higher price of gas.
Eventually the gas tax will be replaced with a mileage tax based on the weight of the vehicle, miles driven, and what time of ay /congestion levels. How does an electric or hybrid vehicle pay their fair share? The problem is with the collection. Waiting for a yearly bill will cause “sticker shock”. Possibly it could be paid at gas stations when you gas up, but that leaves out electric cars. It may be by transponder, like how the Peach Pass works at the plaza.
Road Scholar
June 21st, 2012
1:36 pm
Aquagirl: Ewww!
Mild Mannered Moderate
June 21st, 2012
1:39 pm
@Aquagirl – I feel sad for you. Insulting people is bad.
@Road Scholar – I like the peach pass. It means I can drive by all of the people paying in cash. Its funny! That might work if it keeps my taxes from going up.
Gene
June 21st, 2012
1:42 pm
MMM – If that is the way you feel about corporations, you may be right in line with a famous political leader:
“Fascism should be called Corporatism, because it is the belief that the state should be run by corporations.” – Benito Mussolini
Mild Mannered Moderate
June 21st, 2012
1:44 pm
@Gene – Mussolini made the trains run on time.
But actually that is a misquote. It was Benjamin Franklin who said that.
I don’t ‘love’ corporations, I just know they are inherently better than government. Everyone knows that.
Gene
June 21st, 2012
1:49 pm
MMM – You got me on that – it was a misquote. The actual quote is “Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power.” I double checked because I didn’t remember ole Ben talking about Fascism in Poor Richard’s.
Mild Mannered Moderate
June 21st, 2012
1:50 pm
@Gene – I think it was in the letters from when he was ambasader to France. He was talking about Napoleon.
Proud Voter
June 21st, 2012
1:56 pm
Hello? What about the rail system that is the topic of this blog?
No, I don’t want to live in Europe either, but I don’t want to be so narrow minded that I cannot see other regions and what they do to help me improve where I live. Duh! What’s wrong with trying to improve where you live? Change for improvement of current conditions should always be considered!
Gene
June 21st, 2012
1:57 pm
MMM I’m still pulling up Benito, but let’s agree to disagree. How about this:
MMM – I’m still pulling up Benito as the source, but let’s agree to disagree. How about this one?
“I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. As a result of the war, corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavour to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed.” Abraham Lincoln
choichoi
June 21st, 2012
2:42 pm
why the hell would you spend so much money to go to po-dunk cities like birmingham and j-ville? how’s about Orlando, Miami and Dallas? I’m sure those baboons running the city of ATL would do everything to not get a project like this up to speed
Danny O
June 21st, 2012
2:58 pm
Not the best choichoi of words.
Mild Mannered Moderate
June 21st, 2012
3:23 pm
@Gene – I like abe. I hadn’t heard that but I don’t know if he said it or not because its not on his wikipedia page. I will be seeing the vampire movie though. I know its not true but I believe he would hunt vampires if he could.
@choichoi – You make me feel sad for you. The people of Atlanta are too liberal for me, but that is no reason to call them names.
Cutty
June 21st, 2012
5:30 pm
MMM- Mom or Dad should have made it home now. That is unless they’re sitting on the interstate somewhere stuck in traffic. You should be able to go out and play soon.
Aaron Burr V Mexico
June 21st, 2012
5:40 pm
@Cutty – I feel sad for you.
I do like House though.
BrittanyUnderwood82
June 22nd, 2012
12:11 am
I’m all for high speed passenger trains. I’m all for light rail transit and mobility options that the passage of the Regional Transportation Referendum will bring. Atlanta definitely needs to do something about its current traffic infrastructure. After years of not doing anything and having the city grow by the hundreds of thousands year after year, transportation reform is necessary.
Proud Voter
June 22nd, 2012
11:33 am
BrittanyUnderwood82, yes, you are right. It’s nice to have someone speak out that doesn’t have tunnel vision and a capital “I” in every word. If we help improve all of Georgia, everybody who lives and works in Georgia will benefit. Thank you.