While Treasure Coast County governments continue to spend millions of dollars fighting against the private passenger rail, 75% of public oppose the expenditure.
By Jacob Engels
For months, the Indian River & Martin County Commissions have been spending millions of dollars working to defeat the private passenger rail system known as All Aboard Florida.
Likely believing that they had the public support for such expenditures, county officials have spent over $4 million dollars in consultant and attorney fees protesting the project. Since the beginning, it has been widely reported that the majority of Floridians and Treasure Coast residents support the rail system, while a few wealthy enclaves of the super-rich work hard to stop it.
It seems to be these governments should be spending to create quiet zones to limit noise, rather than allocating funds to stop a project that will create thousands of jobs.
In a recent online poll conducted by the TC Palm, readers were asked if they believed their governments should be spending taxpayer money to fight the project or not. With over 13,000 readers casting their votes, 83% said that governments SHOULD NOT be spending taxpayer dollars to fight the high speed rail. Only 15% argued that governments should. All Aboard Florida has been working with local governments that the proposed high speed rail would travel through, and have time and again addressed concerns and offered compromise to assuage worries from said governments and citizens.
A few months ago, the project received good news when a federal report was released that stated the project would have no negative impact on the environment, and could actually help reduce environmental damage caused by vehicles.
With this new poll, one has to wonder if the Indian River & Martin County Commissions will stop spending taxpayer money opposing the project…or if they will continue to do so at the behest of a handful of wealthy neighborhoods – denying middle and lower income families an affordable and efficient transportation option.
Jacob Engels, is the Founder of East Orlando Post & Seminole County Post. He is a seasoned political operative who has led numerous statewide political groups and has worked on several high-profile local, statewide, and national races. Jacob has been interviewed on national television & radio programs, with his work having been featured in the Orlando Sentinel, New York Times, Washington Post, Miami Herald and other publications nationwide. He can be reached at info@eastorlandopost.com
