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Response to Choochoohead post 1813
by Joe Renna

Dear Choochoohead,

Yours is the most intelligent post I have read in support of the shortline freight service and since I wrote my post I did find out more about the switch to Morristown and Erie RR service. In general, I am a fan of railroad service, it does all those wonderful things like removing trucks from the road and encouraging industry development but I cannot embrace this plan because the facts were never presented truthfully or in their entirety. I would never endorse something I know nothing about. And I believe the municipalities were left in the dark over this deal. I would not expect the officials in the towns that this train runs trough to endorse it either.

These officials are 100% correct in challenging the decisions of the County. They have a responsibility to their constituents and they are being forced to confront the Freeholder Board because they were excluded in the decision to reactivate the line. If the plan to reactivate will result in the tremendous benefits that the County says it would, then the elected officials may even support it. As it stands, there was no information from the negotiation process shared with the local officials. They would be remiss in their duties to stand by while something this major was injected into their towns.

If there were economic and environmental studies done, why weren't they presented to the towns involved? Why wasn't the towns consulted? If I wanted to put a six foot fence up on my property I would have to notify all my neighbors and go before the zoning board for a variance. These towns are expected to accept the conditions of this rail road without any say at all.

The County now wants everyone to believe that the state was going to reactivate the rail line with or without County approval. Records show that the County was not only involved from the start but was "the projects sponsor" and "lead agency". All I demand from the County is representation. If they are not doing the will of the people they represent then they are in breach of their their duties.

The fact of the matter is that the Freeholders can do whatever they want regardless of the public's point of view. There is plenty of examples of that. But they should at least have the decency to give the people and the local elected officials a chance to voice that opinion before they ignore it.