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Tag: Amtrak

Low Information And White Elephants

By JGillman, Section News
Posted on Sun Jan 27, 2013 at 04:57:26 PM EST
Tags: Amtrak, Chicago, Corporatism, Cronyism, Detroit, Gifts, Maintenance, MDOT, Pontiac, Rail, Recalls, subsidies, Trains, Troy, Low Information Voters, White Elephants (all tags)

Troy had the right idea, and the right Mayor.

Once upon a time.

Mayor Janice Daniels in December of 2011 led the opposition in the Troy City Council for an $8.5 million train depot for good reason. Her opposition to a project that would be built with free money was framed with an understanding that nothing is truly free. Even after the project was stripped down a month later, and re-presented for a couple million less, she held her ground, and looked at the bigger picture. Ongoing expenses make the continuing use of the pusher-man's product not nearly as euphoric as when it was offered for free.

The Troy City Council didn't get it, and the vote for the effort was shifted. Even in the face of the citizen commentary that was recorded as 11-7 in opposition to the transit center. As RightMichigan.com poster Rougman pointed out at the time, its $5,500/sq ft cost was stripped down to $3,100/sq ft (a travesty for its cheapness) and the gold plated accoutrements would have to be withheld.

"By shaving off 400 square feet the project's cost has been lowered significantly. That was some expensive square footage there--roughly coming in at $5,500 per square foot. The smaller and redrawn project will cost a mere $3,100 per square foot which I find absolutely alarming...what kind of slum are these bureaucrats trying to push over on us? No gold toilet seats? No granite counter tops?"

Indeed.

Continued below the fold.

(2 comments, 806 words in story) Full Story