Lessons for SoFla? Central Florida's Little Commuter Rail that Could

Tuesday October 14th, 2008 4:00 PM

Just got back from running some errands, checked my email and saw this interesting item in my daily Central Florida Political Pulse email about a subject I was following fairly closely months ago -the proposed commuter rail in Central Florida.


I wrote in this space about some of the issues at play back in the spring, and mentioned some very insightful stories that were being written around the state about the subject, of which Aaron Deslatte's May 20th Special Report in the parent Orlando Sentinel, Cash & Threats: How trial lawyers wielded new power to help block commuter rail, was the most powerful in showing the forces at work to build it or kill it.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/topic/orl-csx2008may20,0,3131646.story


In broad strokes, in my opinion, it's a case of well-meaning transit types and common sense business groups in favor of regionalism vs. smart, articulate and powerfully-placed NIMBYs who are used to getting their way, playing all the angles, hoping to get something of value for their possible acquiescence.
Plus, the human drama that is trial lawyers and lobbyists rattling every one's cages in order to drum up bu$ine$$.

Another point of dispute which makes this so divisive is the very parochial and, in my opinion, ultimately self-defeating effort by Orange County to "Big Foot" everyone else in the area by capping their contribution to the commuter rail effort, but not allowing suburban areas to do the same thing, leaving those particular communities to wonder if they'll get swamped financially in the future, even while most of the system infrastructure is located inside Orange County.


Probably the only way to deal with the suburban concerns is to do everything in stages, so that the core of Orlando doesn't have a viable system years before their neighbors have anything, even though that's usually not a course of action I'd be in favor of.


The parent Orlando Sentinel's archives on this subject are very helpful,
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/commuter_rail/index.html and http://www.orlandosentinel.com/topic/economy-business-finance/csx-corporation-ORCRP004186.topic?pacode=orlnews and are full of facts, graphs and charts that paint a picture of a scene we know all too well down here: What's in it for me?

I should also mention that some -NOT ALL!- of the older reader comments in their archives contain a great deal of savvy insight from people who clearly know what they're talking about.

In that sense, it's much smarter than the reader comments we usually read down here, full of off-topic tangents, personal knocks against other reader comments, and the predictable, "Well, back in New York, we...."



The woman in the center of things, State Sen. Paula Dockery, is someone with real tangible power, yet the Herald and Sun-Sentinel's reporters in Tallahassee rarely mention her in the paper down here, but she has a real Zelig-like knack for always being where the action is.

Back in 1997, Dockery was one of the six State Reps on the losing end of a 7-6 vote in the House Finance & Tax Committee to give Wayne Huizenga $2 million a year in tax rebates for the next 30 years, $60 million in all, to improve the stadium I'll always think of as JRS, making him the first person in the state to get a second bite at that same tasty tax rebate apple, which he first devoured four years earlier, wearing his Marlins colors.
Yep, $120 million given to a billionaire that could've been used for something better for the region or society as a whole


(That's another dubious Ron Book lobbying success story that I didn't hear about at the time it happened while living up in Washington. That's Mr. Ronald L. Book PA to you!
His client list takes up a full two pages of the current list of Legislative lobbyists in Tallahassee. http://www.leg.state.fl.us/data/lobbyist/Reports/Lobbyist_LEG_2008.pdf )


A couple of recent editorials and endorsements in the Orlando Sentinel makes clear that their Editorial Board is making support for commuter rail in Central Florida a predicate for the paper's support in the future, much more forcefully than local South Florida newspapers are.
The Sentinel's editorial on the commuter rail issue from three weeks ago, below, is, in a word, delicious!


Today, they followed-up by making this argument in one of their endorsements for the FL State Legislature: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/orl-ed30208sep30,0,1517562.story


House District 32
Democrat Tony Sasso won a special election in this district earlier this year. Now he's running for a full, two-year term.

Mr. Sasso, a former Cocoa Beach commissioner, works for a union as a ship inspector. He lists better growth management among his priorities. But on one of the best ways to discourage sprawl in Central Florida -- commuter rail -- he is reluctant to make a commitment.

He expresses some of the same misgivings about lawsuits and union participation that opponents in the Legislature cited when they killed the deal.

His Republican opponent, Steve Crisafulli of Merritt Island, is a farmer and businessman with deep roots in his community. He understands the urgency of utilizing Brevard County's skilled workforce after the shuttle retires, and of developing the economic potential of the medical city now sprouting in east Orange County.

Mr. Crisafulli's also a staunch advocate for commuter rail, touting its environmental benefits. He gets the nod over Mr. Sasso in District 32.
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www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/orl-ed24108sep24,0,2828287.story
Orlando Sentinel
EDITORIAL
We think: Saboteurs shouldn't determine commuter rail's future
September 24, 2008

When selfish interests try to block what a community wants and is poised to get -- like commuter rail -- they resort to deception and intimidation.


That's what Lakeland state Sen. Paula Dockery did in April, falsely telling those who'd listen that they could intercept more than $300 million earmarked for commuter rail; falsely telling them the trains would run so slowly few would want to ride them; and joining with trial lawyers who threatened to unseat lawmakers supporting commuter rail.


Those tactics are unlikely to work a second time for the senator, when better-informed legislators next consider the issue.


Winter Park Commissioner Beth Dillaha looked this month like a disciple of Ms. Dockery as she tried to derail the project in her city, which is slated to host one of 17 stations along the 61-mile rail line. Fortunately, Winter Park wasn't duped.


Ms. Dillaha opposed commuter rail before joining the commission in January. This time, she argued the necessity of Winter Park renegotiating its agreement with Orange County to host a station.


She said costs were out of control, even though the city doesn't have to pay a dime to operate the trains until 2017. And even though the city may never have to -- should officials find a new revenue stream to pay for rail.


The bulk of Winter Park's commuter-rail station also is getting funded by Washington.


No matter to Ms. Dillaha. She claimed residents also didn't know what they were getting into even though they and the commission had voted to help fund commuter rail and site the station.


Unfortunately for Ms. Dillaha, the law also got in her way. Winter Park's attorney said the city probably can't renegotiate its agreement with Orange County.


Fortunately for Central Floridians, officials representing their interests -- the community's real leaders -- are working to get commuter rail rolling. Station designs should be finished by May.

Housing, retail and commercial space are being negotiated around stations in DeLand and DeBary, near Florida Hospital and Orlando Regional Medical Center, and by Osceola Parkway.


And bus routes connecting the stations to the airport, International Drive and other locations are being planned.


Fortunately for Central Floridians, most officials appreciate how environmentally friendly commuter trains can boost the economy and relieve its traffic headaches -- and they're willing or already working to make them happen. That should help keep any selfish interests from sabotaging them, no matter how many times they might try.


Reader comments on this editorial are at: http://www.topix.net/forum/source/orlando-sentinel/TALLS004U6TDDE60C
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Central Florida Political Pulse
The Little Commuter Rail that Could?
Aaron Deslatte on Oct 14, 2008 6:46:03 AM

The train that would carry commuters to and from work in Central Florida has a CEO who makes $176.96 an hour and an almost $300,000 marketing plan.
But it still lacks final approval -- and that can only come from the state Legislature, which said no earlier this year.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer hopes to rectify that potentially fatal shortcoming by leading lobbying efforts of lawmakers as they prepare for next year's session.


To read the rest of the post, see http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/2008/10/the-little-comm.html
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http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/orl-commuter1408oct14,0,1521323.story
Orlando Sentinel
On Dyer's to-do list: Win over rail resisters
Dan Tracy
Sentinel Staff Writer
October 14, 2008

The train that would carry commuters to and from work in Central Florida has a CEO who makes $176.96 an hour and an almost $300,000 marketing plan.


But it still lacks final approval -- and that can only come from the state Legislature, which said no earlier this year.Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer hopes to rectify that potentially fatal shortcoming by leading lobbying efforts of lawmakers as they prepare for next year's session.


He has even launched his own brand of personal diplomacy. Twice in recent weeks Dyer has sipped cocktails at University of Florida football games with Lakeland Sen. Paula Dockery, who helped derail the train plan last year.


Dyer concedes Dockery has not dropped her opposition to the $1.2 billion project, but said, "there's cordial communication." Dockery was out of state and could not be reached, an aide said.


"This is one of those things where you can't not be successful. So you can't stop," Dyer said.


Another key opponent is Julie Townsend, executive director of the Downtown Lakeland Partnership in Polk County. Like Dockery, Townsend wants to stop commuter rail because of the extra freight trains that will be rerouted into her city.


CSX, which owns the rail lines, estimates four more trains will be headed to Lakeland to avoid conflicts with the planned commuter rail. That would jump the daily traffic from about 16 to 20 trains, including Amtrak runs.


Townsend said Lakeland could handle 20 trains a day, but she is worried even more of them -- possibly an additional 30 or more -- could be headed the city's way because companies looking to avoid high fuel costs may switch from shipping products by trucks to rail.


"We are required to accept this fate and take a hit for the team," Townsend said.


Even with those misgivings, she said Lakeland could support commuter rail if CSX would promise to limit the future number of trains in the city to 20. CSX will not make that deal, said spokesman Gary Sease, because it does not want to stifle possible growth.


But Dyer is hoping to change more minds than those of Dockery and people living in Lakeland.


He has instructed city-hired lobbyists, including the powerful Tallahassee firm Southern Strategies, to persuade the Legislature to sign off on insurance for the train that was denied when the session ended in May. Without insurance, the train cannot operate.


Though Dyer declined to specifically outline any lobbying strategies, there is little doubt he will be targeting trial lawyers.


They are against commuter rail because the state wants to limit awards to people who might be injured or killed if the planned train were involved in an accident. The state already has a similar insurance deal in place with a commuter-rail system it operates in South Florida.


Paul Jess, general counsel for the Florida Justice Association in Tallahassee, said he has had little contact with proponents of commuter rail about what might happen during next year's session.


"I've not heard of any movement . . . [but] there's always opportunities for reasonable people to get together to talk about these issues," Jess said.


Business leaders also are writing letters to commuter-rail supporter Gov. Charlie Crist to encourage him to help win votes in the Legislature, which convenes again in March.


Fortunately for Dyer and commuter rail, they have time to work on their opponents in the state House and Senate. In the meantime, the planning for the system has moved ahead.


The board overseeing commuter rail signed a contract with consulting firm PB Americas to hire Pete Turrell as chief executive officer of what would be a 61-mile system.


Turrell of Tampa, is a former Amtrak executive who also has run rail companies overseas.

PB will be paid $179.09 an hour for his services, and the company is slated for annual raises of about $5 an hour through 2016. His hours likely will start out low and grow if the train is approved.


The commuter board, made up of elected and transportation officials from Central Florida, also has hired myregion.org, an arm of the Central Florida Partnership, a business group spun off from the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce.


Myregion.org will be paid nearly $300,000 to commission public surveys and conduct focus-group studies on how to promote the train and come up with a logo and color scheme.


The train would run from DeLand in Volusia County through Orlando to Poinciana in Osceola County. The first leg, including a stop in Orlando, could be complete by 2011.


Officials already have spent more than $41 million on the undertaking. They expect to spend another $52 million this year, largely for property around stations and to design rail cars, signals and stations. Half would come from federal funds, and the other 50 percent would be split evenly between state and local sources.


"This [commuter rail] hits just about every positive thing you can think of," Dyer said.

"Every piece of it is the right thing to do for Florida."


Dan Tracy can be reached at dtracy@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5444.


Reader coments are at: http://www.topix.net/forum/source/orlando-sentinel/TH27F589OSSV65DJ0